"BEST" Myofunctional Therapy Program

Breathing, Speaking, Eating, Thriving

The BEST Program at The Nest is our airway-centered myofunctional therapy program for children ages four and up. This program supports healthy patterns for breathing, eating, speaking, and whole-body function by addressing how the tongue, lips, jaw, face, and airway work together.

Before age four, we focus on early identification of myofunctional patterns and provide gentle, pre-myofunctional support to guide healthy development as early as possible. For children four and older, the BEST Program offers structured myofunctional therapy to retrain foundational patterns and support long-term function.

Breathing

Healthy breathing is the foundation of airway development, sleep quality, and overall regulation. In the BEST Program, we support nasal breathing and address patterns that may interfere with efficient airflow.

We focus on:

Encouraging, establishing and maintaini nasal breathing
Correcting oral resting posture across daily activities
Reducing mouth breathing patterns throughout day & night
Supporting healthy tongue posture for palatal growth & airway function
Addressing jaw and facial tension that may impact airflow
Improving coordination between breathing and posture
Working closely with ENT's and airway centered dentists/orthodontists

These changes can positively impact sleep, energy, focus, and overall regulation.

Eating/Swallowing

Efficient eating depends on coordinated movements of the tongue, lips, and jaw. In the BEST Program, we address patterns that may interfere with chewing and swallowing.

We focus on:

Correcting tongue thrust swallow patterns
Supporting mature chewing skills
Improving jaw stability and coordination
Supporting lip closure during drinking and swallowing
Reducing compensatory muscle use during eating

These skills support safe, efficient feeding and long-term oral and facial development.

Speaking

Clear speech relies on accurate, well-coordinated movements of the tongue, lips, jaw, and breath. Children with myofunctional disorders often have underlying muscle patterns and oral posture differences that make certain speech sounds especially challenging.

Sounds such as /s/, /z/, /sh/, /ch/, /j/, /l/, and /r/ require precise tongue placement, stability, and airflow control. When the tongue rests low, pushes forward, or has limited strength or mobility, children may develop distortions, lisps, or inconsistent sound production.

In the BEST Program, we support the muscle patterns and oral posture that underlie speech clarity. By improving tongue strength, placement, coordination, and jaw stability, we help create the foundation for clearer production of these sounds and better carryover of speech therapy goals. This integrated approach supports lasting improvements, not just temporary sound correction.

Tongue Ties

Tongue ties and other oral restrictions can continue to impact function well beyond infancy. In older children, restrictions may affect tongue mobility, oral posture, swallowing patterns, speech clarity, jaw development, and airway function — even if feeding appeared to improve earlier in life.

In the BEST Program, we provide functional assessments to understand how tethered oral tissues may be influencing your child’s movement, breathing, and oral patterns. When appropriate, we offer pre-release preparation to improve tissue mobility, reduce compensatory tension, and support optimal outcomes. We also provide post-release neuromuscular re-education to help the tongue and mouth learn new movement patterns so changes are functional and long-lasting. Our goal is not simply to release tissue, but to support true functional improvement.

dentist, doctor examines oral cavity of small patient, length of frenum of the tongue, boy

Oral Habits

Oral habits such as prolonged pacifier usage, thumb sucking, finger sucking, nail biting, lip biting, or prolonged pacifier use can affect oral posture, palate shape, jaw development, and airway function. These habits are often connected to regulation, stress, sensory needs, or breathing patterns — not just willpower.

In the BEST Program, we take a supportive, developmentally appropriate approach to helping children reduce and eliminate oral habits.

We focus on:

Identifying underlying regulation or sensory needs
Supporting nasal breathing and healthy oral posture
Teaching alternative self-regulation strategies
Improving tongue and lip strength and awareness
Supporting families with practical, compassionate habit-reduction plans

Our goal is to help children feel supported and successful while building healthier patterns that protect oral development and airway health.