A Parent's Guide to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for Lisps and Speech Problems

A child says a word with a slight lisp. You notice the tongue slipping between the teeth or a soft slushy sound on certain letters. At first, you might assume it is something they will outgrow. But over time, you begin to wonder if the way they breathe or the way their tongue rests might be playing a bigger role in their speech development.

What looks like a simple speech issue often has deeper roots. Many children with lisps have patterns connected to mouth breathing, low tongue posture, poor lip seal, or tongue thrust. These patterns can influence speech, sleep, chewing, swallowing, and even long term facial development.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy offers a structured way to correct these underlying issues so that children can build healthier muscle patterns that support clear speech and strong overall growth.

Understanding Why Speech Problems Happen

Parents usually search for answers using terms like Speech Problems in Children or Lisp Correction. These searches focus on sound production, but speech is not controlled by sound alone. It is shaped by the tongue, lips, cheeks, jaw, and the way a child breathes.

A child who has difficulty with S, Z, SH, or CH sounds might have underlying myofunctional patterns such as:

• Low tongue posture

• Mouth breathing

• Tongue thrust

• Weak lip seal

• Poor airflow control

• Inefficient facial muscle coordination

These patterns are known as orofacial myofunctional disorders. They involve how the tongue and facial muscles rest, move, and coordinate. When these muscles do not work in harmony, speech clarity suffers.

For example:

• A child who breathes through the mouth often keeps their tongue low.

• A low tongue makes articulation harder and leads to distorted sounds.

• A forward tongue position increases the chance of a frontal lisp.

• Weak lip closure makes it difficult to stabilize airflow for speech.

The visible issue is the lisp. The real cause is often buried beneath the surface in how the body functions.

Why Ignoring These Patterns Can Cause Larger Problems Later

A mild lisp might seem easy to dismiss, but if the speech difficulty is linked to mouth breathing or dysfunctional muscle patterns, several long term consequences can follow.

Speech Development and Confidence

Children with persistent lisps often face:

• Frustration when misunderstood

• Embarrassment when reading aloud

• Avoiding participation in class

• Self conscious speaking habits

• Social anxiety

Early speech challenges can shape how a child shows up in school and in social environments.

Facial Development and Dental Health

Mouth breathing and poor tongue posture influence how the face grows. When the tongue rests low instead of filling the upper palate, the upper jaw may not widen properly. This can contribute to:

• Narrow dental arches

• Dental crowding

• High palate

• Open bite

• Crossbite

These changes can make speech patterns even harder to correct and may require future orthodontic treatment.

Sleep Quality and Concentration

A child who breathes through the mouth often sleeps less efficiently because nasal breathing is critical for restful sleep.

This can lead to:

• Daytime fatigue

• Trouble concentrating

• Hyperactivity

• Irritability

• Restless sleep

• Snoring

Parents might not connect these signs to their child’s speech or oral muscle patterns, but they are deeply linked.

Long Term Habit Reinforcement

Myofunctional habits become harder to change as children grow older. Adults with long standing lisps or tongue thrust often require longer and more intensive retraining programs.

Early intervention makes the process smoother and more effective.

How Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Works

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy uses targeted exercises and breathing retraining to correct the function of the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw. It helps children develop the patterns needed for clear speech and healthy breathing.

It does not replace speech therapy. Instead, it supports the physical patterns that allow speech therapy to be more effective.

Comprehensive Assessment

A professional evaluation looks at:

• Mouth breathing versus nasal breathing

• Lip seal

• Tongue posture

• Chewing patterns

• Swallowing mechanics

• Facial muscle function

• Jaw stability

• Oral habits such as thumb sucking or nail biting

• Current speech patterns

The goal is to understand the full picture behind the speech difficulty.

Facial Muscle Function Techniques

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy includes specific exercises that improve how the muscles work, such as:

• Tongue elevation

• Tongue tip placement

• Lip closure exercises

• Jaw stability tasks

• Cheek strength exercises

• Proper swallowing mechanics

These Facial Muscle Function Techniques support clearer speech by building the muscular foundation needed for precise articulation.

Breathing Retraining

Many children with lisps also struggle with breathing challenges. OMT breathing retraining focuses on:

• Switching from mouth breathing to nasal breathing

• Improving airflow through the nose

• Reducing open mouth posture

• Encouraging diaphragmatic breathing

• Strengthening nasal breathing for speech control

Steady nasal airflow helps children produce clearer speech by improving breath control and reducing compensations.

Correcting Tongue Thrust

A tongue thrust occurs when the tongue pushes forward during swallowing or speech. Therapy helps retrain:

• Where the tongue rests

• How the tongue moves

• How the child swallows

• How sound production aligns with improved patterns

Correcting tongue thrust improves speech clarity and supports healthier dental development.

Encouraging Healthy Facial Development

The tongue plays a major role in shaping the palate and supporting facial growth. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy reinforces correct tongue posture which encourages balanced development.

Working Together with Speech Therapists

Speech therapy teaches sound production. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy teaches the muscular patterns needed to maintain those sounds.

Together, they create lasting improvement.

How a Clinic Like Primal Air Supports Families

Parents often feel overwhelmed when trying to understand why their child has a lisp or unclear speech. A clinic that specializes in both breathing and facial muscle coordination provides a clear, structured path toward improvement.

Primal Air helps children by:

• Identifying the root cause of speech problems

• Teaching correct nasal breathing

• Building facial muscle strength

• Correcting tongue posture

• Coordinating with speech therapists and dental professionals

• Providing personalized programs and home routines

• Supporting long term facial development

The goal is not only clearer speech, but improved airway function, better sleep, and greater confidence in daily life.

What Parents Can Watch for at Home

Parents can observe simple signs that may suggest a myofunctional issue, including:

• Mouth open during rest

• Snoring or noisy breathing

• Drooling beyond early childhood

• Difficulty closing the lips

• Tongue visible between teeth when speaking

• Slushy or unclear S and Z sounds

• Frequent congestion

• Slow or messy chewing

These patterns can help guide whether an evaluation may be helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy fix a lisp?

OMT can correct the underlying patterns that contribute to a lisp, such as low tongue posture or tongue thrust. Speech therapy is still important for teaching correct sound production. Together they produce the best results.

2. How does mouth breathing affect speech?

Mouth breathing keeps the tongue low and the lips apart. This makes it harder for the tongue to reach the correct position for many sounds. Nasal breathing supports clearer articulation and better breath control.

3. What age is best for starting OMT?

Most children can start structured OMT around age six or seven. Younger children with significant mouth breathing or oral habits can benefit from early guidance.

4. Will my child still need speech therapy?

Yes. Speech therapy focuses on sound accuracy. OMT supports the muscles and breathing patterns that allow those sounds to be produced clearly and consistently.

5. How long does OMT take?

Programs vary from several months to a year depending on the child’s needs and consistency with home practice. Some improvements may appear within weeks.

Closing Thoughts

A lisp or speech difficulty can be more than a sound problem. It is often a window into deeper patterns involving tongue posture, breathing, muscle balance, and facial development. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy offers a practical, structured approach that helps children overcome these issues by addressing their root causes.

As children learn to breathe through the nose, seal their lips, elevate their tongue, and coordinate their facial muscles, speech becomes clearer and more effortless. These improvements often extend beyond speech, leading to better sleep, stronger focus, and healthier development.

With the right support and a combined approach using both OMT and speech therapy, children can build skills that last a lifetime.

Discover how to Identify Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders and how Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help - read our recent article here..