Bethesda Speech for Kids & Myofunctional Therapy

09/21/2025

The tongue plays a vital role in shaping the way our face and airway develop. By understanding these connections, we can optimize growth, breathing, and long-term health.

📍 Join us this October for our Breathe Course — live in Los Angeles and live-streamed worldwide.
👉 Learn more and register at www.breathecourses.com

09/17/2025

Enlarged tonsils may look like they’re “doing their job” — but research shows they often don’t provide the immune protection we expect.

Instead, enlarged tonsils can:

🦋 Obstruct the airway
🦋 Contribute to snoring and mouth breathing
🦋 Be linked to sleep apnea
🦋 Lead to recurring infections and inflammation

When the airway is compromised, overall health, sleep quality, and daily function are affected. Myofunctional therapy works alongside medical care to address these patterns and support better breathing, sleep, and wellness.

👉 Follow Chrysalis Orofacial for more education on airway health and how myofunctional therapy can help.

08/22/2025

For over 90 years, AAP has served as a leading voice in vaccine recommendations, updating its immunization schedule each year. That has not changed. We will continue to provide an evidence-backed vaccine schedule for parents and pediatricians and remain committed to supporting children’s access to immunizations for years to come.

Learn more about our updated immunization schedule from ABC News:
https://bit.ly/3HmJUzo

08/21/2025

08/20/2025

Some kids prefer softer foods—not just because of taste, but because chewing can actually be challenging.

Difficulty with harder textures may point to reduced oral muscle strength, swallowing dysfunction, or even a tongue-tie restriction.

When we only address the structural issues—like releasing a tongue-tie—without improving function, true progress can be limited. Myofunctional therapy works hand in hand with structural treatments to strengthen orofacial muscles, improve chewing and swallowing, and support balanced facial growth.

Learn more at www.breatheinstitute.com

08/18/2025

Discover the power of better breathing for deeper, more restful sleep. 🌙 In The Breathing Cure for Better Sleep, world-renowned breathing expert Patrick McKeown shares a science-backed, doctor-developed method to transform the way you sleep — starting with your breath.

✔️ Breathe through your nose with ease
✔️ Reduce or eliminate snoring
✔️ Calm a racing mind at bedtime
✔️ Support natural, deep sleep in both kids and adults
✔️ Get more from your CPAP or oral appliance
✔️ Address sleep-disordered breathing like UARS & OSA

💤 Ready to sleep deeper, wake up refreshed, and feel better all day? Start with your breath.

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE: https://buteykoclinic.com/products/the-breathing-cure-for-better-sleep

08/18/2025

🎭 Calling All ArtStream Stars! 🎭

Looking to take center stage or shine behind the scenes?

This fall, we’ve got volunteer opportunities that are fun, fulfilling, and full of ArtStream magic!

🌟 NOW CASTING: Onstage Mentors!

Be a part of the magic in our inclusive theatre companies:

🎬 Silver Spring A
🎬 Gaithersburg A & B
🎬 Virginia B

Share your love of theatre and support ArtStream actors as they bring their original shows to life!

📧 Interested? Email Rebecca Kiser at r.kiser@art-stream.org

🎉 Gala Volunteers Needed!

Join the celebration at ArtStream’s 20th Anniversary Gala on October 5 at the Bethesda Marriott Hotels - Pooks Hill!

Help make this unforgettable evening a smash hit!

✨ Volunteer Roles Include:

✔ Guest Check-In & Registration
✔ Silent Auction Support
✔ Raffle or Wine Wall Activities
✔ Ushering & Guiding Guests
✔ Décor & Table Staging
✔ Photography Support (candids!)
✔ Load-In & Load-Out

🎟 Register here to volunteer at the Gala: https://bit.ly/3IBkWwq

👏 Thank you for being part of the ArtStream community—where everyone can take the spotlight!

[ID: Collage of ArtStream participants performing and smiling at events with text 'Volunteers Needed' and ArtStream's 20th Anniversary logo. Images show people on stage, in costume, and enjoying social activities.]

08/18/2025

From restriction to restoration — this before & after shows the powerful impact of a tongue-tie release combined with myofunctional therapy.

Pre-surgical therapy prepares the muscles for success. Post-surgical therapy locks in healthy movement patterns, optimizes healing, and prevents relapse.

Better function. Better health. Better life.

08/18/2025

Research shows that sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in young children—especially preschoolers—can be linked to impaired executive function, with the strongest effects showing up in inhibition (the ability to stop or control impulses and actions).

That means the child who’s constantly “on the go,” struggling to sit still, or having big emotional outbursts may not be “just spirited”—they may not be breathing well while they sleep.

SDB can impact:
😴 Brain development
🧠 Emotional regulation
🗣️ Communication and learning
📉 Overall behavior and attention

Early intervention can support healthier sleep, better regulation, and more confident communication—especially during these critical early years.

💬 Comment your questions or stories below.
🔍 Want to know if we can help? Comment services and we’ll walk you through it.

08/18/2025

Did you know that by age 5, a child’s facial structure is already 85% of its adult size?

This isn’t just an interesting fact — it’s a wake-up call. Craniofacial growth is happening rapidly in the early years, and if it’s going in the wrong direction, waiting to address it can mean missing the window for optimal development.

Many kids show signs of dysfunctional growth patterns early on — mouth breathing, poor sleep, snoring, dark under eyes, crowded teeth — but these red flags are too often dismissed as “normal.”

The truth is: they’re not normal — they’re common. And left unaddressed, they can affect airway health, sleep quality, behavior, and even cognitive development.

That’s why tools like the Fairest-6 — a simple screening tool to catch these signs early, when intervention is most effective and least invasive.

If you’re noticing these signs, don’t wait to ask questions. Depending on the child’s age and symptoms, support may come from:
• An airway-focused pediatric dentist
• A ENT
• A myofunctional therapist
• Or a speech-language pathologist (SLP) trained in oral motor skills and feeding

Early, collaborative care can make all the difference.

Learn more at www.thebreatheinstitute.com



Albert, A. M., Ricanek, K., Patterson, E., & Cuervo, L. J. (2019). Craniofacial changes in children—Birth to late adolescence. ARC Journal of Forensic Science, 4(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.20431/2456-0049.0401001