Advocacy plays a crucial role in advancing the field of Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and supporting the speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and other allied health professionals who incorporate these techniques into their training and patient programs. The Oral Motor Institute is dedicated to advocating for practitioners by promoting the significance of oral motor therapy, ensuring access to resources, and influencing policies that impact the profession. This piece will discuss why advocacy is important and how the Oral Motor Institute will champion the cause of its membership.

Advocacy Goals

Promoting Awareness and Understanding

Advocacy efforts by the Oral Motor Institute aim to promote awareness and understanding of Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy among healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, and the public. Despite its importance, Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy often faces misconceptions and underestimation. By advocating for the recognition of oral motor therapy, the OMI seeks to elevate its profile and ensure that its benefits are widely acknowledged.

Supporting Professional Development

Advocacy is vital for supporting the professional development of SLPs. The Oral Motor Institute champions the need for comprehensive education and training programs that equip practitioners with the skills and knowledge necessary for effective oral motor therapy. Through advocacy, the OMI works to ensure that SLPs have access to high-quality continuing education opportunities, workshops, and certification programs that enhance their expertise and competence and that related fields are also educated as well, and that we work collaboratively as licensed professionals within our scopes of practice by national guidelines and state regulations.

Enhancing Professional Credibility

Advocacy efforts help to enhance the professional credibility of SLPs (and other allied health professionals) who specialize in Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. By promoting the evidence-based benefits of oral motor interventions, the Oral Motor Institute aims to build trust and respect for practitioners among colleagues and other healthcare providers. Increased credibility leads to greater acceptance and integration of Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy within multidisciplinary treatment plans, ultimately benefiting patients. The OMI also advocates for the roles of other professionals who treat various aspects of OMDs across the lifespan such as IBCLCs and occupational/physical therapists.

Influencing Policy and Legislation

Policy and legislation significantly impact the practice of speech-language pathologists and other allied health professionals. Advocacy efforts are crucial for influencing policies that affect the availability, accessibility, and quality of Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy services. The Oral Motor Institute actively engages with policymakers to promote regulations and standards that support the integration of Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy into healthcare and educational settings. This includes advocating for insurance coverage, appropriate reimbursement rates, and the inclusion of Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in educational service delivery models. In addition, we advocate for working within licensure boundaries and state regulations, ethical insurance practices and appropriate treatment modalities based on the age and cognitive status of the patient.

Current Advocacy Targets

Negating the Concept of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for Babies, Infants and Toddlers

The OMI supports early detection of OMDs by medical and/or dental professionals; however, this requires three important factors: 1) advocacy for the education of dentists and pediatricians to learn the early signs and symptoms of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders 2) appropriate training to identify these disorders through validated screening tools and 3) having the proper knowledge of professional scope of practice to make proper referrals. The OMI does not endorse feeding therapy by dental professionals, “baby myo”/ “mini myo”, nor does it agree with Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy with populations who cannot follow volitional directions. These populations require a special skill set which is related but requires different training than the training of orofacial myofunctional therapy via organizations who offer certification tracks. Newborns, infants, babies, and toddlers should be receiving oral motor, pre-feeding and feeding assessments and interventions via licensed Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists who have specialized training to work with these populations. In the cases of breastfeeding, an IBCLC should be consulted as they treat both mother and neonate. These licensed/certified professionals should be implementing the principles of suck training, oral sensory-motor mapping, tactile cues, positioning, therapeutic utensils, appropriate food choices, and in cases of articulation challenges, oral placement therapy. Oral motor, oral placement and feeding therapy modalities are not new, have been in place for decades, are evidence-based practices and should not be rebranded as Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy as it confuses professionals and the public.

Warning on “Wound Care” for Frenectomy Procedures

We as an organization want to protect our members from mishaps with liability and personal responsibility that may cause ethical complaints against our members, or sanctions by state licensing boards. Oral wound care is to be performed by licensed professionals who have wound care in their licensure bylaws. Unfortunately, many professionals performing active wound management or “stretching” after frenectomy procedures do not have clear delineation in their licensure or certification to do so. For example, active wound management is not taught within the trainings of a Certified Orofacial Myologist®, or within the scope of practice guidelines by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, nor is it listed in the scope of practice of speech-language pathologists as written by The American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  Registered Dental Hygienists as a part of their clinical role in dentistry may perform wound care, and some physical and occupational therapists may have a role in wound care though not specific to oral wounds according to the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Physical Therapy Association. The OMI warns professionals that just because wound care is often taught in interprofessional workshops, does not mean that every professional attending can perform wound care, and that professionals should investigate their roles and responsibilities with their state licensure and /or national advocacy association.

Commitment to Licensed Practice

The OMI strongly advocates for licensed practice. Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy often involves swallowing. There are risks in swallowing therapy such as aspiration and penetration. Speech-language pathologists under ASHA guidance must have specific training in pediatric dysphagia to assess and treat it, which is separate from training that teaches how to assess and treat Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders.

The OMI also does not support titles which confuse the public such as “feeding therapist”, “oral motor therapist” or “myofunctional therapist” as these are not nationally or locally recognized licenses but rather treatment specializations that fall under specific licensure scope. We advocate that speech and language pathologists can specialize in these areas of treatment, but encourage all SLPs to continue to designate themselves as their matriculated professions, the same way in which a physical therapist who performs various modalities is still designated as a PT. We encourage professionals to state their specialty certifications and accolades after identifying your licensed profession such as: “Jane Doe, MS, CCC-SLP, COM®, IBCLC” or “Dan Smith, OTR, C/NDT, CLC”.

ASHA Advocacy

Advocacy is a cornerstone of advancing the field of Oral Motor/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and supporting the speech-language pathologists who incorporate these techniques into their practice. The Oral Motor Institute is dedicated to championing the cause of SLPs by promoting awareness, securing resources, influencing policies, and providing comprehensive support. Through these advocacy efforts, the OMI aims to enhance the professional credibility of SLPs, and other allied professionals to ensure access to necessary resources and create a supportive environment for the delivery of high-quality oral motor therapy. By committing to advocacy, the Oral Motor Institute and its members can drive positive change, ultimately improving the lives of individuals with oral motor disorders.

Over the past decade, OMI Board Members have been actively involved in communications with the ASHA Continuing Education/Conference committee, ethics department, practice portal committee, coding committee and research division to assert our quest to see unilateral and equivocal representation of SLPs who specialize in oral motor on the ASHA website, and in continuing education. This ranges from submissions to the annual convention, inquiry letters and discussions on the use of appropriate codes for the assessment and treatment of oral motor dysfunction.