Myofunctioanl Therapy

Please note: I am an out-of-network provider at this time, which means therapy is private cash-pay.  Many insurance companies will reimburse you for out-of-network coverage if you turn in a superbill, which I am happy to provide.  Clients are responsible both for submitting superbills for reimbursement and for specific inquiries regarding their own insurance policies. I provide teletherapy for the West Coast in California including Sand Diego, San Jose, LA, and more! I provide in-home and in-office visits for Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, and other Washington clients. Call for more information about my office or in-home therapy!

Speech-Language 
Therapy Services 

Each virtual or in-person speech-language therapy session is 30 minutes in duration (including 2 minutes for writing a chart note or sending homework virtually). With feeding therapy, it may be up to an hour.

Contract School Speech Therapy Services

Please contact for further information and contract bids.

Speech-Language Evaluations

Speech-language evaluations take approximately one hour, depending upon the severity of the client's case.  Evaluations involve data review from the intake paperwork, standardized assessment testing, informal speech testing, observations, and interviews to determine if ongoing speech-language therapy is recommended.
Evaluations are required before starting speech-language therapy services in order to determine the most effective treatment plan.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Packages 

Neo-Health Services "Myo Manual" Therapy with phase 1, 2, and 3 for ages (4+) to re-train the orofacial muscles to function properly for breathing, speaking, eating, at-rest tongue posture, and swallowing. Myofunctional therapy is a critical component of successful orthodontic and dental treatments. Completion of phase 3 (Habituation), will help to prevent orthodontic relapse.

Tongue Tips Program (8 years +)
Does your child have misaligned teeth? Do they snore or use an open-mouth breathing pattern? Do they have a tongue thrust or a high-narrow palate? If there is a functional issue with the way the tongue is moving or if they do have a myofunctional disorder, this 12-week program may significantly help your child. The program can help children by incorporating exercises/stretches that may help with establishing correct tongue posture, movement, and range of motion that are used for swallowing, oral movements, and proper breathing. The Tongue Tips program targets remediation of improper tongue function and establishing proper movement patterns of the speech musculature, in order to reduce the negative impact that the OMD has caused for the child's communication, orofacial development, and/or swallowing.

Tiny Tongue Tips Program (Under 8 years old)
This play-based program has been shown to successfully help young children learn the correct function of the tongue/oral/facial muscles during speech, breathing, swallowing, and while at rest.  
Obligatory nasal breathing is important for overall long-term health; Tiny Tongue Tips helps to increase proper nasal breathing with correct tongue posture during the oral phase of swallowing and chewing.  
Additionally, I incorporate fun into my therapy! My younger clients are more engaged when they are having fun, which in turn increases their capacity toward reaching their goals. The sessions are filled with fun games, exercises, and activities that focus on strengthening, range of motion, and proper coordination of the speech muscles. Tiny Tongue Tips also promotes successful articulation by teaching children the correct placement and movement of the tongue during speech. The engaging activities at the end of the program, targets increasing self-awareness of the speech muscles by showing the child how to properly move the tongue during at rest, swallowing, and speaking.

Thumbs Up! Program
Prolonged use of pacifiers or other negative oral habits may cause recession of the lower jaw, facial elongation, a high-narrow palate, misaligned teeth, and/or an open-mouth posture/mouth breathing, which negatively impacts long-term oral health.  
Thumbs Up! is a 30-day program to eliminate thumb-sucking and other poor oral habits that negatively impact the teeth/palate/jaw/ and face. The program uses behavior modification techniques, with positive reinforcements, to help children reduce or eliminate their poor oral habits. 
(Upon conclusion of the program, speech therapy sessions can be added if further articulation therapy is indicated.)

Pre/Post Frenectomy Procedure Package

This package includes both demonstration and implementation of tongue-tie or tethered oral tissue (TOT) stretches, performed both before and after a revision procedure.  
The stretches performed before surgery, which address range of motion, strength, and coordination of the tongue, are an integral (but often overlooked) factor within the overall healing process. These pre-surgical stretches help prepare the tissue and child for the revision procedure. During the assessment of the oral tissue, I will determine the severity of the decreased range of motion, the strength or tone of the musculature, and if the tongue is coordinated. It is critical that the coordination of the tongue is established prior to the frenectomy, and many providers or dentists will not do the remediation of the tethered tissue until coordination is established. Post-surgical stretches are critically important and need to be monitored. If parents do not perform the stretches properly, the child could be at risk for tissue re-attachement, improper healing, and/or severe scar tissue may form. Carefully following my prescribed stretching regimen is important, because even with a successful surgery, a re-lapse could occur if the tongue/muscles are not stretched properly.
I will patiently walk you through both the pre- and post- surgical stretches. Typically, we will meet before and shortly after surgery to do the stretches. In about a week following the procedure, we will meet in order to determine whether the TOT was revised properly and to assess for tissue re-attachment or scar tissue. I will assess for proper tongue movement during breathing, speaking, swallowing, feeding (breast or bottle as applicable), and chewing/drinking. If further treatment is needed for speech therapy, I can provide after-care by adding treatment sessions for speech therapy or a myofunctional disorder package may be needed.
(See the Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Packages above for available therapy options specific to the re-training the function of the tongue, lips, and other speech structures).

*For infants:
It is important to assess the suck-swallow pattern in infants because a coordinated swallow leads to more efficient feedings. My goal is to help babies with their suck-swallowing pattern, lingual range of motion, and the coordination of their tongue. I want to encourage proper tongue protrusion/elevation/lateralization, and cupping on the tongue which are all important factors needed for proper breast or bottle feeding. Additionally, babies who have improper feeding techniques may swallow excess air and may have a hard time elevating their tongue to the hard palate (roof of the mouth). When a baby is able to lift the tongue to the roof of the mouth, the tongue presses against the hard palate and triggers the vagus nerve, which has a calming effect on the baby. Following a frenectomy procedure, the baby has to re-learn a new pattern of swallowing/tongue movements after the tissue has been released. The stretches are vital for healing because they prevent scar tissue and the diamond-shaped surgical wound from closing too soon. After the wound properly heals, the baby will learn proper tongue function which will positively impact their facial development, jaw development, oral musculature strength, feeding, and breathing as they learn to become obligate nose-breathers. Individualized treatment is recommended for your specific case. I love helping parents and babies on their journeys to nurse or feed properly, because feeding is one of the many ways a baby bonds with their parents!

*For children (2 years +):
For virtual clients, I will either mail you (or you can order) a kit which includes the necessary measurement tools/treatment tools.  If you are one of my in-person Western Washington clients, you may purchase a kit directly from me. I will teach you, as the parent(s), how to perform the tongue-tie, labial-tie, and buccal-tie stretches pre/post frenectomy or revision surgery. Support and proper education/treatment is vital for your child's proper healing. Therapy follow-up is essential and can greatly help ensure that the wound(s) close properly with no re-attachment or scar tissue. 

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