Myofunctional Early Intervention Program

---

• I created my Tiny Myo Program to meet the demands of my clients. I have had so many parents contact me over the years regarding their one to five+ year olds. These parents can often identify the problems/concerns from a very young age but are not sure what to do, or who to ask for help. At this age, children are too young for braces or to actively participate in an intensive Myofunctional Therapy Treatment Program, but they can definitely benefit from early intervention. 

• Pediatricians will often "blow off" parental oral motor, speech, feeding or myofunctional concerns for children under the age of 5. This is a missed opportunity to prevent bigger issues down the road. 

• While formal myofunctional therapy typically isn't appropriate for children younger than age four, the Tiny Myo Program utilizes parent coaching to implement play based oral motor exercises and feeding therapy strategies to encourage passive participation in myofunctional strategies throughout the child's daily life. Sessions are geared to address any "red flag areas" observed during the assessment or reported by parents. Early intervention is KEY in bringing awareness to proper oral postures, breathing and swallowing. 

• Tiny Myo is an excellent program for parents who require professional guidance in working with their child Pre and Post Frenectomy (before and after a tongue tie release).

• Every year that passes can make any problem more difficult to treat. Children ages 1-5+ may be too young to actively participate in a full Myofunctional Treatment Program. They are also too young to begin Orthodontic Treatment. But Early Intervention in the areas of Oral Motor, Feeding, Speech and Myofunctional Awareness can be extremely beneficial. Doing nothing practically guarantees bigger issues down the road. Why wait until your child is six or seven to address myofunctional or speech concerns, when you can start treating their issues now? Our Tiny Myo Program allows parents to help proactively promote and guide their children's speech, feeding and myofunctional development through play based strategies, and this can make an enormous difference. 

• Common does not mean normal. Just because some symptoms and behaviors are "common" in toddlers, does not mean they are normal. An open mouth posture at rest or when sleeping is a sign of potential airway problems. If your child is mouth breathing, has had their tonsils/adenoids removed, is a loud/messy eater, sucks a thumb/digit or pacifier, has disturbed sleep or snores, they can absolutely benefit from receiving early intervention therapy focused on oral motor, speech and feeding skills with a focus on increasing myofunctional awareness.

• The Tiny Myo Program has been designed for little ones and their unique needs. Children 1  to 5+ years of age do not have the same oral motor skills as older kids, and their shorter attention spans also need to be taken into account. We teach you play based strategies to engage your child and help you incorporate the therapeutic strategies effectively. 

• Myofunctional Therapy vs. Speech Therapy - It's important to clarify that myofunctional therapy and speech therapy are not the same thing. Speech therapy focuses on correcting speech sounds. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is a type of therapy that certain Speech-Language Pathologists (also known as Speech Therapists) specialize in. Not all speech therapists have pursued the additional training and experience necessary to become proficient in assessing and treating Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs). 

• Myofunctional therapy can be considered a foundational treatment when approaching speech problems. However, speech therapy will NOT aid in resolving an Oromyofunctional Disorder. Myofunctional therapy aims at targeting the root cause of the dysfunction and/or symptoms.

• Some children receive speech therapy for years, with no progress. Some people carry their speech articulation errors into adulthood. I am sure we can all think of an adult that we know who has an obvious "lisp" or who pronounces certain sounds differently. Oftentimes in these cases, there is something deeper going on that has been overlooked.

• How Can Myofunctional Therapy Help with Speech? What's great about myofunctional therapy is that it can be used as a foundational treatment when addressing speech problems. Myofunctional therapy programs can teach both adults and children precise movements and placement of the tongue, along with the muscle control that can address functional problems related to speech, as well as chewing and the oral prep phase of swallowing.

• Our “Tiny Myo” Program for kiddos ages 1 to 5+ consists of modules focusing on oral motor, feeding, sensory and speech developmental skills. This program focuses on bringing awareness to Myofunctional concerns and providing parents with the tools and strategies to continue working on therapy goals even after the sessions are complete. This program will lay the foundational groundwork for proper oral resting posture, encourage proper speech, oral motor and feeding development while addressing concerns identified during the assessment.

• The Tiny Myo Program helps parents connect the dots and guide development in the right direction, and also helps connect you with the right providers to help you meet your goals. Myofunctional therapy is sometimes just one piece of the puzzle, requiring an interdisciplinary approach to help with any structural/medical/anatomical issues. Myofunctional assessment really looks to identify the root cause of your concerns. In our parent coaching sessions, we will help identify the need for additional referrals.

• The Tiny Myo Program has been specially designed for young children but is highly individualized for each child and their specific set of concerns/symptoms. 

• The Tiny Myo Program is fun, play based and interactive so that parents and children can do them together. Even siblings can join in! 

• Each child who enrolls in the Tiny Myo Program will receive their own comprehensive "Tiny Myo Toolbox" that will include all of the tools necessary to meet your oral motor, feeding, speech and myofunctional goals!

• Our Tiny Myo Program allows parents to help their children by introducing good oral habits at a young age in a fun, interactive and engaging way!

• All Tiny Myo assessment & treatment sessions are done via Telehealth, making this program convenient for busy parents and families, and allowing children to participate in the comfort of their own environment. It is NOT essential for your child to participate during the weekly sessions, as the sessions are strictly educational in nature and not child therapy. They focus on parent education and coaching to help implement early intervention strategies into the home environment and daily life.  Oftentimes small children will "come and go" throughout the sessions, often joining in, but participation during the 30-minute session is not necessary. If there are feeding concerns, we often try to incorporate a structured "snack" into the session for observation and demonstration purposes.

EVALUATIVE/THERAPEUTIC PROCESS (Please note that a 3.5% processing fee will be added to each transaction)

TINY MYO ASSESSMENT - ALL Clients Must Receive a Full Initial Assessment prior to beginning any Therapy Program  - The Tiny Myo Assessment is not a formal clinical assessment, but rather a compiling of all parental information along with informal observation of your child's speech, feeding, oal motor and myofunctional skills. During this assessment, we will go over your child's entire history (birth, infant feeding, solids transition, developmental milestones, medical history, current feeding, speech/articulation, fluency, expressive/receptive language skills, and your current concerns). During portions of the assessment, we will observe your child playing, speaking, eating and drinking. Please allow 60 minutes for this Assessment.

TINY MYO ASSESSMENT FEES:

• $450 - Tiny Myo Assessment - Available In Office or Telehealth Includes a Comprehensive Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation Report which is formal detailed narrative report including clinical impressions, recommendations, prognosis, additional referrals, therapeutic goals and much more. These evaluation reports are filled with valuable information and provide the big picture, telling a complete story for each client and are invaluable to share with other members of your Myofunctional Team or to use as a baseline to measure your progress against. With your consent, I will send a copy of the report to your referring physician/release provider.  
• In Home Assessment available - $25 Travel Fee per session (local clients)

STEP ONE - REGISTRATION

• Once your assessment is booked, you will receive a registration link. 
• Registration must be completed within 24 hours of scheduling in order to secure and confirm your assessment time.
• During the Registration Process, you will be asked to provide a valid Credit Card as your form of payment. 
• WE REQUIRE A $100 NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT AT THE TIME OF BOOKING AN ASSESSMENT. This will be applied toward the balance of your assessment fee. 
• Your credit card will be charged $100 deposit at the time of scheduling.
• Remainder balance is processed 2 business days prior to your appointment. 

STEP TWO - PAPERWORK/INTAKE FORMS - Once your Tiny Myo Assessment is scheduled, you will receive forms to complete.  This step in the process includes Informed Consent Forms, Patient Registration, Intake Forms and  Specific Questionnaires related to your case. 

• This intake process provides information that is incorporated as part of your overall assessment.
• These forms must be completed and emailed back to me 48 hours prior to your assessment

STEP THREE - INITIATE TREATMENT 

TINY MYO Early Intervention Sessions:

$420 - THERAPY ENROLLMENT KIT (required prior to beginning therapy)

• Myofunctional Toolbox with all of the therapeutic tools and supplies you will need 
• Individually Developed Treatment Plan
• Guided Home Exercise Program
• Ongoing Clinical Assessment
• Ongoing Communication with your Medical Team
• Unlimited Text Support/Guidance with your Clinician
• Flexible Session Scheduling

Replacement/Lost/Additional Myofunctional Toolkits - $400

$225/Session (30-minute session)

In Home Therapy available - $25 Travel Fee per session (local clients)

• Payments are processed on Monday of each week for all upcoming scheduled weekly sessions
• If there are cancellations, your payment will be applied to your next scheduled session
• Sessions are individual with one of our Licensed Speech Pathologists/Myofunctional Specialists
• Includes a Weekly Guided Home Exercise Program
• Sessions available In Home or Telehealth

DISCOUNTED TINY MYO THERAPY SESSION PACKAGES AVAILABLE

Many people prefer to pay for packages of sessions upfront, at a discounted rate.

**Must already have received an Initial Assessment 

**Every client must first purchase the THERAPY INITIATION KIT ($420) which includes Myofunctional Toolbox, Individual Treatment Plan, Home Program and more.

TINY MYO THERAPY DISCOUNTED SESSION PACKAGES 

In Home Therapy available - $25 Travel Fee per session (local clients)

• 6 sessions - $1290 ($215/session) - approximately 6 weeks
• 12 sessions - $2400 ($200/session) - approximately 3 months 
• 20 sessions - $3500 -($175/session) - approximately 5 months
• 30 sessions - $4500 - ($150/session) - approximately 7.5. months

**Family discounts available

WE DO OFFER SIBLING/FAMILY DISCOUNTS  - Click to learn more

ALL SESSIONS AND PACKAGES ARE GOOD FOR ONE YEAR.

Late Arrival/No Show/Cancellations

Arriving promptly for the scheduled Telehealth appointment is required. Sessions will be charged the full amount regardless of arrival time. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your appointment it is important to understand that you can still be seen but only for the remainder of your scheduled session and the fee remains the same. Partial credits will not be provided. Occasionally certain situations can occur to cause the clinician to be tardy. If the clinician is tardy, you will receive a makeup of the time that was not provided.

Therapy sessions are typically booked in 30-45 minute slots with 1:1 therapy time at 25-30 minutes respectively, and rest of time for administrative work related directly to your case including but not limited to such as documentation, planning, clinical notes, scheduling and communication with other providers regarding your case, etc.

Please note that $95 will be charged for any missed sessions without written notice 24 hours in advance.

TELETHERAPY/TELEPRACTICE TREATMENT

What Technology Do I Need?

Internet/WiFi Connection: To engage in real-time therapy sessions, you will need to utilize a computer (best option), tablet, or cell phone with good internet/network connection and built in camera or external camera.

Session Time - Clinician will send you a registration link for our HIPAA compliant client portal which will be where our video sessions take place. It is the client's responsibility to make sure their network connection is working properly prior to our session. If you are having trouble connecting, please notify clinician. If clinician experiences connection/network difficulties at any time during the course of treatment, the session will be rescheduled for a later time and you will not be charged for your session.

Privacy & Confidentiality - Web Security

All video conferencing platforms are minimally secure using passwords and logins. However, confidentiality at the level of the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) cannot be guaranteed when participating in treatment over the internet. 

Teletherapy has proven to be very beneficial in the treatment of Myofunctional Disorders, and has many wonderful benefits, compared to in-person sessions. There is significant research supporting teletherapy as highly effective

We are licensed in the states of Florida and California. All assessments and treatment are done via Teletherapy. All sessions provided to clients outside of Florida or California are considered "coaching" and are not eligible for superbills or reimbursement. 

We do offer in person therapy on a case by case basis for our local clients. 

We look forward to working with you and helping your child achieve their orofacial myofunctional goals! Please contact me to schedule our Evaluation.

If you’re a proactive parent looking to get an early start in addressing developmental concerns, feel free to get in touch with us here  and we would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.