Could mouth breathing be affecting your child’s speech, sleep and development?

ByLondon Speech and Feeding
Could mouth breathing be affecting your child's speech, sleep and development?

Understanding Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)

Many parents contact me at London Speech and Feeding because they are worried about their child’s speech. Perhaps their child is difficult to understand, has a persistent lisp, struggles with feeding, snores at night, or always seems to have their mouth open.

What many families don’t realise is that these concerns may all be connected.

Increasingly, research and clinical experience are highlighting the important role of Orofacial Myofunctional Health, the way the muscles of the face, mouth, tongue and airway work together to support breathing, eating, sleeping and communication.

When these muscles are not functioning optimally, children may develop what are known as Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs).

What Is Orofacial Myofunctional Health?

Orofacial Myofunctional Health refers to the healthy function and coordination of the:

  • lips
  • tongue
  • jaw
  • cheeks
  • facial muscles
  • airway.

These structures play a vital role in:

  • breathing
  • swallowing
  • chewing
  • speaking
  • facial growth
  • dental development
  • sleep quality.

When everything is working well, the lips remain gently closed at rest, breathing occurs through the nose, and the tongue rests against the roof of the mouth.

This seemingly simple posture has a profound influence on how a child’s face, teeth and airway develop.

What is an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder?

An Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder occurs when there is an abnormal pattern of muscle function involving the face, mouth, tongue or airway.

Children with OMDs may experience difficulties with:

  • speech
  • feeding
  • swallowing
  • sleep
  • breathing
  • dental development
  • facial growth.

In many cases, these difficulties are linked to chronic mouth breathing.

Signs your child may have an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder

Breathing and sleep signs

  • mouth open at rest
  • mouth breathing during the day
  • snoring
  • noisy breathing
  • restless sleep
  • frequent waking
  • dark circles under the eyes
  • chronic congestion
  • fatigue despite a full night’s sleep.

Speech signs

  • lisping
  • unclear speech
  • distorted speech sounds
  • difficulty producing certain sounds
  • persistent articulation difficulties
  • reduced speech intelligibility.

Feeding and swallowing signs

  • picky eating
  • messy eating
  • food remaining in the cheeks
  • gagging easily
  • difficulty chewing
  • long mealtimes
  • tongue thrust swallowing.

Facial and dental signs

  • narrow palate
  • crowded teeth
  • open bite
  • overbite
  • underbite
  • long face appearance
  • receding chin
  • poor lip seal.

If several of these signs sound familiar, a comprehensive assessment may be worthwhile.

Why does mouth breathing matter?

Many parents assume mouth breathing is simply a habit.

In reality, mouth breathing is often a symptom that something is preventing efficient nasal breathing.

Common causes include:

  • enlarged tonsils
  • enlarged adenoids
  • allergies
  • chronic nasal congestion
  • recurrent infections
  • structural airway differences
  • tongue tie
  • prolonged dummy use
  • thumb sucking
  • poor oral posture.

When nasal breathing becomes difficult, children naturally begin breathing through their mouths.

Over time, this can affect how the face, jaws and airway develop.

What does healthy oral posture look like?

Healthy oral posture is surprisingly simple:

  • lips
    • gently closed
  • tongue
    • resting against the roof of the mouth
  • teeth
    • slightly apart
  • breathing
    • through the nose.

This posture helps guide healthy jaw growth, facial development and airway formation.

Think of the tongue as a natural orthodontic support system. When it rests in the correct position, it helps shape the upper jaw and supports healthy facial growth.

The consequences of chronic mouth breathing

1. Speech difficulties

Children who breathe through their mouths often have altered tongue posture and reduced oral stability.

This can contribute to:

  • lisping
  • distorted sounds
  • reduced speech clarity
  • difficulty learning new speech sounds.

2. Feeding and swallowing difficulties

A low tongue posture may affect:

  • chewing efficiency
  • swallowing patterns
  • food management
  • oral motor coordination.

Many children develop a tongue thrust swallow, where the tongue pushes forward instead of moving efficiently during swallowing.

3. Poor sleep quality

Mouth breathing can contribute to:

  • snoring
  • restless sleep
  • frequent waking
  • daytime fatigue
  • reduced concentration.

Poor sleep can have a significant impact on learning, behaviour and emotional regulation.

4. Changes to facial growth

Over time, chronic mouth breathing may influence:

  • jaw development
  • facial proportions
  • dental alignment
  • airway size.

This can result in:

  • narrow palates
  • crowded teeth
  • long facial appearance
  • increased orthodontic needs.

5. Oral health concerns

The nose acts as a natural filter and humidifier.

When children breathe through their mouths:

  • The mouth becomes dry.
  • Saliva protection is reduced.
  • Risk of tooth decay increases.
  • Gum health may be affected.

Why this matters for speech therapy

Speech does not develop in isolation.

The tongue, lips, jaw and airway work together to support clear communication.

At London Speech and Feeding, we look beyond speech sounds alone.

A child who presents with:

  • persistent speech difficulties
  • lisping
  • feeding challenges
  • open mouth posture
  • snoring
  • poor sleep

may benefit from an assessment that explores underlying orofacial myofunctional factors.

Addressing these foundations can often support more effective progress in speech and feeding therapy.

How London Speech and Feeding can help

A comprehensive assessment may include observation of:

  • breathing patterns
  • lip posture
  • tongue posture
  • swallowing function
  • feeding skills
  • speech sound development
  • sleep concerns
  • oral structures.

Where appropriate, recommendations may include:

  • orofacial myofunctional therapy
  • speech therapy
  • feeding therapy
  • home programmes
  • ENT referral
  • orthodontic referral
  • collaborative multidisciplinary support.

The good news

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders are often highly treatable when identified early.

Supporting healthy breathing, tongue posture and oral muscle function can positively influence:

If your child regularly breathes through their mouth, snores, struggles with speech clarity or has feeding difficulties, a specialist assessment may help identify the underlying cause.

  • speech clarity
  • feeding skills
  • sleep quality
  • facial growth
  • dental development
  • overall wellbeing.

At London Speech and Feeding, we are passionate about looking beyond symptoms and understanding the whole child. Contact me!

Sometimes the key to clearer speech starts with a simple question:

‘Is my child breathing through their nose?’

Sonja McGeachie

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can mouth breathing cause speech problems?

Yes. Mouth breathing can alter tongue posture, lip strength and oral stability, which may contribute to articulation difficulties and lisps.

Should I be worried if my child snores?

Regular snoring is not considered normal in children and may indicate airway obstruction or sleep-disordered breathing.

Can enlarged tonsils affect speech?

Yes. Enlarged tonsils may affect resonance, tongue positioning, swallowing and breathing patterns.

What age can children be assessed?

Children of all ages can be assessed if parents have concerns about speech, feeding, breathing or oral development.

What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy focuses on improving breathing patterns, tongue posture, lip seal and oral muscle function to support overall health and development.

Health Professions Council registered
Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists Member
Member of ASLTIP

Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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    There are essentially two ways in which your child has acquired a lisp. It’s key here to mention that parents have no blame in this.

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    2. Children have difficulties organising the sounds to make a clear production

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    1. Interdental lisp

    When your child pushes their tongue too far forward, they will make a /th/ sound instead of /s/ and /z/

    1. Dental lisp

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    1. Lateral lisp

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    1. Palatal lisp

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    It’s useful for you to know what type of lisp your child has because you can then support them to make the correct production. You’ll be able to talk about where in the mouth their tongue is and where it needs to be to produce a clear sound. Your Speech and Language Therapist will be able to help you with this.

    Top therapy tips for lisps

    1. Awareness is key. Does your child know where their tongue and teeth are (i.e., are they behind their teeth)? Do they notice the air escaping? Use a mirror so that your child can see not only themselves but also you in the mirror.
    2. Repetition! As with most therapeutic intervention, practice makes perfect. So little and often is key!
    3. Make sessions fun, perhaps around your child’s interests or allow them to drink from a straw
    4. Comment on how the sound is produced (e.g., /z/ is like a bee, /s/ is like a snake)
    5. Use tactile cues. Your child’s vocal folds vibrate when they produce a sound like /z/ but not with /s/. You could use the words ‘loud’ and ‘quiet’ to describe this.
    6. Start with a /t/ sound and gradually elongate the sound to an /s/

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    Contact Sonja for support on resolving your child’s lisp.

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    3. Lean in and wait: Lean slightly forward, open your eyes wide, adopt an expectant facial expression, and completely pause. Count to five or ten in your head. Do not say anything.
    4. Capture the gaze: Wait for the exact moment your child looks up from the toy to meet your eyes, as if to say, ‘Well? Are you going to open it?’
    5. Reward the eye contact: The instant they make eye contact, deliver the language reward! Model a simple, functional word like ‘Open!’, ‘Go!’, or ‘Look!’ as you immediately do the action.

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    Making it a daily habit

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    Whether you’re opening a little toy briefcase, pushing a plastic train along a track, or stacking blocks, remember: your face is the best toy in the room.

    Are you wondering if your toddler’s speech and language milestones are on track? At London Speech and Feeding I love helping families navigate early communication. Feel free to explore my services page and reach out directly to schedule a consultation.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.

    Health Professions Council registered
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    Member of ASLTIP

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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    How do we know our Gestalt Learner is moving to Stage 2?

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
    Image by Freepik

    Is our student ready to move to NLA 2 (Natural Language Acquisition stage 2)?

    We know that the GLP (Gestalt Language Processor) will move into the next stage when they are ready. But are they now ready you might think? When are they ready? How do I know? If you are not sure whether your child is ready to move forward then go and see your GLP trained Speech Therapist. Together you can work out what the next steps are and how to help your child settle into NLA 2. It’s very exciting!!

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    Basically, we want to listen out for phrases our child says that you or nursery don’t say routinely; that way you can presume that this is not an echo but a mixing together of two chunks of gestalts. Watch out for those coco melon phrases though: double check it really isn’t an NLA 1 gestalt that is copied verbatim from a favourite you tube video.

    You can best support your child best by listening, and thus figuring out what your child is TRYING TO SAY. Often your child might skip over the parts of gestalts they don’t want to say. This is common in older kids who have long gestalts, sometimes even whole episodes or whole stories!

    Try and tease out their shorter mitigations and then focus on practicing and modelling those as they are so much more useful!

    So back to our question: are they ready?

    Are their gestalts covering a variety of situations and contexts?

    Make a note in your journal to see what the backgrounds are to each phrase you ear, so for example:

    • Transitioning: ‘it’s time for the park’ ‘what’s next’ ‘shoes on’
    • Bed Time: ‘we need to wash’ ‘let’s get in (bath/bed)’ ‘ready for our book’
    • Toilet/nappy: ‘we need the potty’ ‘where’s the potty’ ‘let’s wash hands’
    • Mealtime: ‘time to eat’ ‘go get a spoon’ ‘yummy num num’
    • Park/going out: ‘look at the squirrel’ ‘funny doggy’ ‘I wanna swing’
    • At the shops: ‘let’s get the trolley’ ‘lots of veggies’ ‘no tomatoes’ ‘ooh long queue’ ‘back to the car’

    And… does the child use the phrases for a variety of functions?

    • labelling
    • providing information
    • calling out
    • affirming
    • requesting
    • protesting
    • directing

    We need to offer lots of similar language models so that in their own time our children can extract/mitigate useful phrases for what they want to express. The more similar utterances a child hears around him the more he/she can discover the communalities. Once the child has a small range of phrases, he/she can mix them up and create semi-original own phrases.

    If the answer is YES!! our child has perhaps not all but a range of functions and a range of situations where they use a variety of easily mitigable gestalts then yes they are ready for moving to stage 2 of NLA!

    Hurrah!

    Keeping a journal of what your child is saying and in what circumstance is crucial to help with our ongoing detective work!

    Next time I will be looking at how we can help our NLA 2 GLP produce even more of their own mix and match phrases.

    If you need help with your child, please do not hesitate to contact me.

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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  • ·

    Supporting children and families living with verbal dyspraxia

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding

    “It’s brill-i-ant, it’s brill-ant, it’s brillnt”

    Have you ever wondered why children may pronounce a word correctly one minute and in the next breath they struggle to say the same word? It’s equally as frustrating for you as it is for your child. The biggest question of all is WHY? Why does this happen and what causes it? Whilst there are many explanations. When it persists, it might be a condition called verbal dyspraxia.

    What is verbal dyspraxia

    Verbal dyspraxia is a neurological motor speech disorder that affects the coordination and planning of muscle movements that are needed for speech production. A child may have difficulty making the precise movements needed for speech, which may result in inconsistent and unintelligible speech. Children may also have trouble sequencing sounds and syllables, producing speech sounds accurately, and coordinating the movements of their articulators (e.g., lips, tongue, teeth, jaw). This can lead to a range of speech errors (including sound distortions, substitutions, omissions, and difficulty with rhythm and prosody).

    We know that these speech errors, and not being able to get a message across, can be frustrating for children with speech difficulties. Can you imagine talking and limited people understanding you? It’s so tough on children and the people trying to communicate with them.

    Creating a person-centred therapy plan is vital. This allows your child to stay motivated, as intervention is likely to be long term. This planning may include favourite words to use during their hobby or favourite activity, or person-centred goals such as ‘giving Alexa an instruction’.

    Children with verbal dyspraxia can have several different ways of producing words, which often makes it trickier for them as there’s no consistent pattern to work with. So, we’ve put together some top tips to support their communication and make their (and your) lives a little easier in the process.

    Ten ways to make communication easier for your child with verbal dyspraxia

    • Have a list of frequently used words and practise this set. Little and often is best!
    • Use cued articulation to support speech production (ask your Speech and Language Therapist for the gestures)
    • Give time and use active listening. This means showing interest and trying not to think about what is on your never ending ‘to do’ list
    • Reduce frustration in any way that you can. This might mean allowing your child to demonstrate using gestures rather than speech. You might also give top tips for other adults or children who communicate with your child when out and about
    • Talk about the structure of words with your child (i.e., there are two beats/syllables in this word)
    • Show the written form of the word to go alongside their production
    • Split down tasks, so that your child only has to respond to one question at a time, reducing their motor capacity
    • Recognise when your child is working well and when they may need support of an Alternative and Augmentative Communication device
    • Allow all environments to have the same training and equipment (i.e., at school, home, out and about)
    • Have regular periods in the day where your child can practise their specific words in different environments. This can be effective for children with verbal dyspraxia

    Do you still have questions? Contact Sonja for support.

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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