Family First Myology

05/02/2026

New research is continuing to connect the dots between sleep and behavior in kids 👇
A 2026 meta-analysis found a strong association between pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and ADHD symptoms.
Here’s the breakdown in plain language:
🧠 Kids with sleep-disordered breathing aren’t just “bad sleepers”
They often show inattention, hyperactivity, and behavioral challenges that look a lot like ADHD.
💤 Why?
OSA leads to:
• Fragmented sleep
• Lower oxygen levels (hypoxia)
• Poor brain recovery overnight
➡️ All of that directly impacts focus, regulation, and behavior during the day.
📈 The important part:
When the airway issue is treated, ADHD symptoms often improve.
That’s a huge deal.
—
💡 So where does myofunctional therapy come in?
Myofunctional therapy targets the root cause — the airway and oral function.
It can help by:
✔️ Promoting nasal breathing
✔️ Improving tongue posture (key for airway stability)
✔️ Supporting proper oral and facial muscle function
✔️ Reducing compensations that contribute to airway collapse
In many cases, it works alongside medical or dental interventions to create more stable, lasting results.
—
🚩 If a child has:
• ADHD diagnosis or symptoms
• Mouth breathing
• Snoring
• Restless sleep
• Teeth grinding
…it’s worth asking:
👉 Is this actually an airway issue?
Because sometimes what looks behavioral… is actually physiological.
—
Better breathing → better sleep → better functioning kids.

04/25/2026

We are so excited to connect with families at the WV Homeschool Convention! If you’ve been curious about myofunctional therapy, how it can support breathing, sleep, focus, and overall health, we’d love to chat with you. Stop by, ask questions, and learn how we’re helping families thrive—can’t wait to meet you!

04/23/2026

Please join us in welcoming Kerilyn Wilkins, MS, CCC-SLP, as the newest provider at Family First Myology!
Kerilyn was born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, and earned both her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (2018) and her Master of Science in Speech Pathology (2020) from West Virginia University. She spent several years serving students in the public school system before feeling called to a new path.

Through both advanced training and her own personal experience with myofunctional therapy, Kerilyn saw firsthand how powerful this work can be. That passion ultimately led her to Family First Myology, where she’s excited to begin this next chapter.
Kerilyn is looking forward to meeting you and helping you breathe, sleep, and live better!

04/22/2026

Sharing this again since the Homeschool Convention was rescheduled to this Saturday! Hope to see you there!

If your child snores, mouth breathes, is a picky eater, struggles with congestion, or has crowded teeth or ADHD concerns—you’re not imagining things, and you’re not alone. I’ve been there too. I was told "He will grow out of it."

Many of these “separate” issues are actually connected, and myofunctional therapy can be the way to put all of these pieces together.

I’d love to meet you and share what I wish I had known sooner so you can help set your child up for better sleep, breathing, and long-term success.

Join me at the WV Homeschool Convention, where I will be presenting at 4:00PM, or stop by my vendor table to chat. I look forward to meeting you! 🧩💛

04/20/2026

Last month I had the opportunity to sit down and record an episode with Love Your School WV on the We Have Hope podcast—and it was such a great conversation.
We talked all about myofunctional therapy, how it goes way beyond just oral habits, and the impact it can have on things like sleep, breathing, focus, and overall quality of life.
If you’ve ever been curious about what myo really is or whether it could help you or your child, this is a great place to start.
Go give it a listen—I’d love to hear what you think!

Podcast Episode · We Have Hope · April 10 · 43m

04/19/2026

We’ve got exciting news—Family First Myology can now serve families in Ohio! 🙌
In addition to Pennsylvania and West Virginia, we’re expanding our reach to support even more families with airway-focused, function-first care.
If you’ve been waiting for myofunctional therapy services in Ohio, we’re here—and ready to help.

04/11/2026

In a landmark study of 11,000 children…

Those who snored or mouth breathed for six months or more in early childhood were more likely by age 7 to develop:

• Inattention
• Aggression
• Anxiety
• Sleep problems

Breathing during sleep is not just about air.

It shapes how the brain develops.

When a child snores, gasps, or breathes through their mouth at night, it may be a signal that the airway is struggling.

Early recognition matters.
Because early airway health supports healthy brain development.

04/07/2026

She tried everything—massage, chiropractic care, acupuncture, even traveling out of town to see a TMJ specialist.
And still… no lasting relief.
Until she addressed the root.
Myofunctional therapy isn’t just another treatment—it’s a missing piece for so many struggling with TMD and tension headaches.
When the muscles, tongue, and breathing patterns finally work with the body instead of against it… things change.

03/22/2026

Did you know there’s a strong connection between speech sound disorders and orofacial myofunctional dysfunction?
Research suggests a large majority of children with articulation challenges may also have underlying functional differences in how their muscles work during breathing, chewing, and speaking.
👉 This doesn’t mean every child needs myofunctional therapy
👉 But it does mean we should be looking deeper when progress stalls
As an SLP + myofunctional therapist, I see this every day—when we address the why, progress finally clicks.
✨ If your child is struggling with speech sounds, it may be worth a closer look.

02/26/2026

A year ago, with a deep breath and a prayer, I took a big leap into the unknown.
When I first started learning about myofunctional therapy, I had no idea how deeply it would change the way I see airway health, function, and the body as a whole. But once I knew better… I just had to do better.

Thank you to every family who has trusted me with your airway health journey. Thank you to the providers who collaborate, refer, and believe in a team approach. And thank you to my family, who supported me when this was just a dream on my heart. The best is yet to come!

02/24/2026

Moms… you know.
You bring up mouth breathing.
“He’s fine.”
You mention teeth grinding.
“She’ll grow out of it.”
You ask about snoring.
“That’s so cute.”
You share concerns about focus, big emotions, constant movement…
“Here’s a medication.”
And you leave thinking…
🤍 But something still doesn’t feel right.
Here’s the truth: most providers are doing their best with the tools they’ve been given. And myofunctional therapy simply isn’t in most toolboxes. It’s not typically covered in medical or dental training in a meaningful way.

But it’s in mine.

Because mouth breathing, teeth grinding, snoring, night time accidents, and snoring aren’t random.

They can point to:
• Poor tongue posture
• Low oral muscle tone
• Sleep-disordered breathing
• Inadequate oxygenation at night
• Nervous system dysregulation from fragmented sleep
When we improve oral rest posture, nasal breathing, and muscle function, we often see:
✨ Better sleep
✨ Better focus
✨ Fewer behavioral concerns
✨ Less grinding
✨ More regulated kids
It’s not about blaming providers.
It’s about adding a missing piece.

If your gut is telling you there’s more to the story — you’re not crazy, and you’re not alone. Let’s start on the path to a healthier future!