Lea Allbaugh, BSDH, M.S. CCC-Slp QOM

21/11/2025

Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are not exclusive to children and adults!

Infants and toddlers can also experience abnormal function or development of the muscles and structures of the mouth and face.

Signs and symptoms can include mouth breathing, low tongue rest posture, narrow/vaulted palate, recessed mandible (lower jaw), lip and tongue tie, snoring, and poor sleep. These may cause difficulties with feeding, swallowing, chewing, breathing, and early speech development.

20/11/2025

Find my favorite jaw grading and strengthening tools below:

16/11/2025

Scale Smart Academy has been an exciting adventure! There is so much to learn and endless opportunity.

And stay tuned … I’ve got some exciting new resources in the works for both clinicians and parents—simple, effective tools to make therapy and carryover easier than ever.

Big things ahead ✨

13/11/2025

Parents, SLPs, OTs, dentists, RDHs, ENTs, bodyworkers, and orofacial myologists—we’re all part of the same team.

Collaboration isn’t optional; it’s essential to whole-body development.

Together, we help children thrive.

09/11/2025

You don’t need to be an expert in everything to make a difference.
Just being curious, compassionate, and open to learning is enough.
Growth—for our clients and ourselves—is built one step at a time. 🌿
language pathology

08/11/2025

I usually wait until after Thanksgiving for anything Christmas related….but the snow got me today 🌨️

06/11/2025

04/11/2025

When oral muscles find balance—lips closed, tongue up, breathing through the nose—the whole body finds calm.

It’s not just therapy; it’s nervous system regulation in action.

py

03/11/2025

Let’s talk about labial, lingual, and mandibular differentiation — the building blocks of efficient oral motor control.

For clear speech and effective swallowing skills, the lips, tongue, and jaw must move independently yet in coordination.

Teaching awareness, stability, and coordination leads to functional gains — not just movement for movement’s sake.

02/11/2025

More great research moving professionals toward improved patient care 🎉

Congratulations to Soroush Zaghi, MD and The Breathe Institute team on publishing their 2025 update on lingual frenuloplasty (tongue-tie release with sutures) outcomes.

They originally reported a retrospective analysis of 445 patients treated in conjunction with myofunctional therapy in 2019 - a groundbreaking foundation for the field.

This new prospective study of 445 patients aged 4 years and older builds on that work with several key refinements:

✅ Standardized pre- and postoperative myofunctional therapy protocol with readiness assessments to ensure consistent preparation and rehabilitation of tongue and orofacial muscles.
✅ Functional mobility endpoints - the Tongue Range of Motion Ratio (TRMR) and Floor of Mouth (FOM) Hold Maneuver - used to improve diagnosis, guide surgical planning, and determine adequacy of release.
✅ Preserving more fascia and a transition from scissors only to assistance with a LightScalpel CO₂ laser for greater surgical precision, visualization, bleeding control, and less complications.
✅ Use of a tissue glue and reduced sutures for enhanced wound stability, bleeding control, and improved wound healing.

This infographic compares and summarises the results as their approach has evolved.

The field continues to progress through the pioneering work of this team, collaboration with myofunctional therapy, and ongoing innovation in assessment and technique.

These releases are a very gratifying part of my work, and it is very inspiring to see how we can keep learning and evolving to achieve even better outcomes for our patients.

Read the full details of this study here:
https://www.mdpi.com/2694-2526/51/2/11 #

27/10/2025

The power of lingual placement and oral rest posture is very undervalued! When resting within the upper dental arch, the tongue operates in a vertical plane. Speech and swallowing start and stop where the tongue lives! Additionally, appropriate oral rest posture supports nasal breathing, and optimal facial and dental development!

23/10/2025

Identifying the connection between form and function can transform the way we support our patients!