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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    The joy of container play
    Designed by Freepik

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    • Problem-solving: Children learn to solve problems, such as how to get an object out of a narrow container or how to transfer water without spilling.

    Social and emotional development:

    • Communication: Container play can encourage communication as children interact with others, sharing toys and commenting on their actions. Asking for help to open and close a container is often a great opportunity to practise ‘help me’ or ‘open it’
    • Turn-taking: Sharing containers and materials helps children learn to take turns and cooperate.
    • Sensory regulation: For children with sensory sensitivities, container play can be a calming and self-regulating activity.

    Tips for engaging children in container play:

    • Create a safe and inviting environment. A shower curtain on the floor makes things easier for tidy up afterwards. And it allows for spillages.
    • Provide a variety of containers: Use different sizes, shapes, and materials. Use containers that are visually interesting and pleasing, perhaps a festive biscuit tin, or a tin that looks like train engine. Use see-through containers at first which make the filling and emptying more obvious. This is important for children who have no previous experience with this type of play and need to ‘warm up’ to it. Once a child loves and is used to container play you can go wild with all types of containers.
    • Offer a variety of objects: Include balls, blocks, sand, water, and other age-appropriate materials.
    • Join in the fun! Start off the process, show your child what the joy of the activity is for yourself, how fun it is to fill and empty containers, provide enough containers for your child to start playing alongside you, and comment on their actions.
    • Follow your child’s lead: Allow them to explore and experiment at their own pace.
    • Adapt activities: Adjust the level of challenge based on your child’s abilities and interests.

    Container play is a simple yet powerful tool that can support the overall development of young children, especially those with developmental delays. By providing a rich and engaging sensory experience, container play can help children build essential skills in motor, cognitive, social, and emotional domains.

    If you have any questions or would like to have more in-depths demonstration of this or other play styles for your child please contact me.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

    Feeding and Dysphagia (Swallowing) Specialist The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    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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  • ·

    Explore activities for Gestalt Language Processors to aid communication

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
    Speech Therpaist in London

    When you have a child who uses Gestalts it is often difficult to think and adapt clinic activities into those to use at home. More importantly, you find that individualising your activities for your child who uses Gestalt are time-consuming. But you value its importance for their communication development.

    You feel so busy, you are taking them to other appointments, or trying to get through your daily activities, all whilst still ensuring your child’s emotional needs are met. You know life should not get in the way of your child’s therapy activities at home, but it does. We know your spare time is precious and limited, so let us achieve your child’s or young person’s goals in the allotted time you have which meets their way of learning (using Gestalts).

    We wanted to support you by exploring items which you may have at home, and we will give you some key phrases which you can start to model with your child. Whereas our last blog introduced the idea of gestalt language processors, we are now developing ideas to give you the tools to implement activities at home. We recognise how overwhelming it may feel, and this is one of the reasons to make activities as straight forward as possible. Therapy does not need to be complicated; it just needs to be carried out on a regular basis.

    Explore the samples I’ve created to give you an idea of how this might look but please consult with a Speech and Language Therapist who knows about Gestalt Language Processing so that you can work together to develop great home activities for your child.

    Want to learn more about gestalt language processing?

    Please contact me for help.

    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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  • The tricky /R/: Mastering tongue placement for clear speech

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    The /R/ sound is notoriously challenging for many children (and even some adults!). It’s one of the most complex sounds in the English language, with various pronunciations depending on its position in a word. If your child is struggling with their /R/s, you’re not alone. As Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs), we frequently work on this sound, and a key component of our therapy is focusing on proper tongue placement.

    Why is the /R/ so difficult?

    The /R/ sound requires precise coordination of the tongue, jaw, and lips. Unlike sounds like /P/ or /B/ that involve simple lip movements, the /R/ involves intricate tongue movements and tension. There are also different ways to produce the /R/ sound, which adds to the complexity:

    • Retroflex /R/: The tongue tip curls up and back towards the roof of the mouth.
    • Bunched /R/: The body of the tongue bunches up towards the roof of the mouth, while the tongue tip remains down.

    The importance of tongue placement

    Regardless of which /R/ variation is being targeted, accurate tongue placement is crucial. Even a slight deviation can result in a distorted or inaccurate sound. That’s why SLTs dedicate significant time to teaching and practising tongue positioning.

    Speech therapy techniques: Focusing on the tongue

    Here’s a glimpse into how I address /R/ sound difficulties, with a focus on tongue placement:

    • Visual aids:
      • Mirrors: I use a mirror to help children see their tongue movements and make adjustments.
      • Tongue diagrams and models: These visual tools provide a clear representation of where the tongue should be positioned.
    • Tactile cues:
      • Tongue depressors: These can be used to gently guide the tongue into the correct position.
      • Food-grade tools: Sometimes, I use flavoured tongue depressors or other tools to provide tactile feedback and increase awareness of tongue placement.
    • Auditory discrimination:
      • I help children distinguish between correct and incorrect /R/ sounds.
      • I use auditory cues and verbal feedback to reinforce proper pronunciation.
    • Exercises and drills:
      • Tongue strengthening exercises: Strengthening the tongue muscles can improve control and coordination.
      • Tongue placement drills: We practise positioning the tongue in the desired location and holding it there.
      • Sound approximation techniques: Sometimes we use other sounds to help approximate the /R/ sound. For example, I use the /L/ sound, to help achieve the correct tongue placement. Once my child has found the /L/ sound it is then a matter of pulling back just slightly to get a good /R/.
    • Contextual practice:
      • Once the child can produce the /R/ sound in isolation, we gradually introduce it into syllables, words, phrases, and sentences.
      • We also practise the /R/ sound in different contexts, such as at the beginning, middle, and end of words.

    Tips for Parents:

    • Be patient and supportive: Learning the /R/ sound takes time and practice.
    • Practise regularly: Short, frequent practice sessions are more effective than long, infrequent ones.
    • Make it fun! Use games, stories, and other engaging activities to keep your child motivated.
    • Work with an SLT: A qualified SLT can provide personalised guidance and support.

    In conclusion:

    The /R/ sound can be challenging, but with targeted speech therapy and a focus on tongue placement, most children can achieve clear and accurate pronunciation.

    I hope this blog post is helpful!

    Get in touch with me via my contact form if you need support

    Sonja McGeachie

    Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

    Feeding and Dysphagia (Swallowing) Specialist The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    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.

    1