Prevention of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders in the 0-3 Population

Course Description Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are attracting more speech-language pathologists with the ASHA OMD Practice Portal created in 2018. In 2020 ASHA started requiring universities to teach their students about OMDs yet therapists are left confused between the variations of oral motor, pre-feeding, NSOE and orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT), or “MYO”, as it is often called.The first step in understanding OMDs is to understand normal oral sensory-motor development and the neurotypical orofacial complex. Since OMT is traditionally implemented above the age of four, some therapists are left confused about what to do for early signs and symptoms of OMDs in the under 4 populations or for those children who have special needs. Robyn’s research paper in 2020 published in the International Journal of Orofacial Myology and Myofunctional Therapy (IJOM), aimed to debunk confusion regarding OMT with the 0-4 and special needs populations and explained the variations betwe