Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature that interfere with normal growth, development, or function of orofacial structures. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), these patterns can impact breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speech. Orofacial musculature dysfunction can occur at any stage in life. Understanding OMDs is the first step toward improving oral health, facial development, and long-term orthodontic stability. Let’s look more into oromyofunctional disorder and how skilled treatment can help. (ASHA, 2022).

Why Breathing and Tongue Posture Matter

Breathing, chewing, swallowing, and resting posture of the tongue and lips all play a critical role in how the face and teeth develop. When these functions are not working as they should, it can lead to issues. These issues can affect both oral health and orthodontic outcomes. Orofacial myofunctional therapy, often called OMT, focuses on correcting these patterns to support healthy breathing, facial development, and long-lasting orthodontic results.

One of the most common concerns addressed through oromyofunctional therapy is mouth breathing. While it may seem harmless, chronic mouth breathing can have a significant impact on facial growth, dental alignment, and overall health. When the mouth stays open at rest, the tongue often rests low in the mouth instead of against the palate. This lack of tongue-to-palate contact can affect how the upper jaw develops, often contributing to narrow arches, teeth crowding, airway challenges, allergies, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and habitual patterns that develop over time.

These functional changes are especially important for individuals who have had or are planning orthodontic treatment. Braces or aligners can straighten teeth, but they do not correct the muscle patterns that influence tooth position. If improper tongue posture, mouth breathing, or incorrect swallowing patterns remain, teeth are more likely to shift after orthodontic treatment is complete.

A Collaborative Approach to oromyofunctional disorder

Oromyofunctional therapy is often most effective when used as part of a collaborative approach. Dentists, orthodontists, speech-language pathologists, airway-focused providers, and ENT specialists may work together to ensure both structure and function are addressed. This team-based care helps ensure lasting results rather than temporary fixes.

For children, early intervention can support more favorable facial growth. It can reduce the need for extensive orthodontic treatment later in life. For adults, intervention can support improvement in nasal breathing which associates with increased oxygen intake, reduces snoring, and improves focus and energy levels. Oromyofunctional therapy is not about perfection or quick results. It is about building awareness, strengthening muscles, and establishing healthy habits that support lifelong oral and airway health.

References

1. “Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders.” American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/orofacial-myofunctional-disorders/.

January can be cold, snowy, and icy, making it harder for seniors to stay active and socially connected. For individuals living with dementia, these winter months can increase feelings of isolation and confusion. If you are a caregiver, finding safe, engaging winter activities for seniors with dementia is an important way to support cognitive health, emotional well-being, and quality of life.

The most meaningful activities are often simple, familiar, and focused on connection rather than performance. Below are several dementia-friendly winter activities that can be done at home with minimal preparation.

Indoor Winter Activities for Seniors With Dementia

One easy and comforting winter activity is hosting a small tea, coffee, or hot chocolate gathering with family members or close friends. Keeping the group small helps prevent overstimulation and creates a calm, familiar environment.

This activity offers more than just a warm drink. It encourages conversation, reminiscing, and social connection — all of which are essential for seniors with dementia. Involving your loved one in planning and preparing the beverages or snacks can help stimulate memory, promote problem-solving, and support daily routines. It also provides gentle movement and a sense of purpose.

Simple At-Home Activities That Support Memory

A mitten-matching activity is a simple and effective way to engage cognitive skills using familiar household items. Place mittens in a laundry basket and work together to match the pairs. If one mitten is missing, try to guess which family member it belongs to, encouraging conversation and recall. To increase the challenge slightly, add hats and scarves and sort them into matching sets. This type of activity supports attention, memory, and organization while remaining approachable and enjoyable.

Bird watching is a calming winter activity that promotes observation and connection to nature. Hang a bird feeder near a window that is easy for your senior to access and view comfortably. If your loved one enjoys birds or has prior interest, you can gently identify the birds that visit or keep a simple count of daily sightings. This activity encourages focus, routine, and conversation without being physically demanding.

Outdoor Winter Activities With Modifications

Weather permitting, building a snowman can be a joyful winter activity for seniors with dementia. If mobility is limited, your loved one can still participate. Allow then to choose the hat, scarf, or facial features before the snowman is built. Placing the snowman outside a window allows your senior to view it daily. Watching the snowman melt over time can also help with orientation to weather and the passage of time in a natural, gentle way.

Why Winter Engagement Matters for Seniors With Dementia

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, social engagement and meaningful activities can improve quality of life for individuals living with dementia. Remaining active and engaged during the darker, colder months enhances quality of life for seniors with dementia and their caregivers. The true value of these winter activities lies not just in the task itself, but in the social connection, shared planning, conversation, and anticipation they create. Providing opportunities to connect, reminisce, and look forward to simple experiences helps reduce isolation and supports emotional well-being throughout the winter season.

Feeding a baby is one of the most intimate parts of early parenthood, and it doesn’t always come easily. Many parents expect feeding to feel natural right away, but in reality it often comes with questions, uncertainty, and unexpected challenges. Whether you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding, pumping, or using a combination of methods, lactation support can be a valuable resource for you and your baby.

Lactation support begins by understanding the parent-child feeding relationship. A lactation consultant will begin taking a history to gain understanding of both the parent and child symptoms and difficulties. After obtaining a full history, the evaluation will transition to observations of a feeding, oral examination and more. Here are a few specific examples:

Lactation Support Benefits for Breastfeeding

Lactation consultation can support:

• Evaluate suckling strength and frequency
• Improving latch through mother’s and/or baby’s positioning
• Ensuring milk transfer is efficient without encouraging longer feeds
• Identify weight gain concerns relating to milk transfer
• Regulating supply through demand-based strategies
• Prevention of early weaning caused by unmanaged pain
• Education on hand expression, clogged duct and mastitis support
• Oral examination of the child to rule out concerns of weakness and/or tethered oral tissues, and more
• Support sucking pattern through demonstration of suck exercises that improve coordination and strength

Benefits for Bottle-feeding and Combination-Feeding Families

Lactation support can help bottle-feeding and combination feeding families with:

• Assess bottle-feeding mechanics and flow rate
• Determine appropriate bottle brand
• Demonstration and education on bottle-pacing
• Help families find the right routine between bottle and breastfeeding
• Oral examination of the child to rule out concerns of weakness and/or tethered oral tissues
• Support sucking pattern through demonstration of suck exercises that improve coordination and strength

Lactation consultation can also be helpful when questions or challenges come up around pumping and hand expression. Hand expression is a helpful tool during feedings and helping alleviate discomfort around clogged ducts. MOSAIC also offers breast ultrasound which can be an effective tool to treat clogged ducts. Consultation can answer questions around the right pump for you, evaluate for correct pump flange size, and help troubleshoot issues with pain, low supply, and pumping schedule. Consultants take all information into account to fit real lives – work demands, sleep needs, and mental health.

Lactation professionals provide a nonjudgmental space where parents can talk openly about their experiences. Being reminded that feeding struggles are common and that you are not doing anything wrong can be incredibly reassuring. When caregivers feel confident and supported, feeding tends to be calmer and more responsive. Babies often feed more comfortably when techniques are adjusted to match their cues and abilities. Whether they are breastfed, bottle fed, or both, a relaxed feeding experience supports healthy growth and development.

References

1. Cadwell, Karin, and Cindy Turner-Maffei. Pocket Guide for Lactation Management. 3^rd ed., Jones & Barlett Learning, 22 July 2016.

Most people don’t think about the “architecture” of the hand, but therapists know: the arches of the hand are the quiet powerhouses behind nearly every fine motor skill. When these arches are strong, flexible, and well‑refined, children can grasp, manipulate, and coordinate tools with ease. When they’re underdeveloped, even simple tasks can feel tiring or frustrating. Hand arch formation is critical for development of fine motor skills.

Understanding the Three Hand Arches

The palm isn’t flat by design. It’s shaped by three natural arches that create stability, mobility, and the “cupped” shape needed for efficient hand use.

• Longitudinal Arch — runs from the wrist to the fingertips; supports reach, grasp, and release.
• Distal Transverse Arch — spans across the knuckles; allows finger isolation and precise manipulation.
• Proximal Transverse Arch — sits near the base of the palm; provides stability for power grasps and weight‑bearing.

Together, these arches form the foundation for skilled hand function.

Why Hand Arch Formation Matters So Much

• They Provide the Base for Precision. Fine motor control depends on a stable yet adaptable palm. When the arches are refined, the fingers can move independently without the whole hand compensating. Children can adjust their grasp, modulate pressure, and use tools more efficiently.
• They Support Finger Isolation and In‑Hand Manipulation Skills like:
  • Shifting a pencil
  • Rotating a small object
  • Separating “worker fingers” from “helper fingers”
  • Turning pages or managing buttons
• They Improve Endurance. Refined arches reduce strain and allow children to work longer without discomfort. Weak arches force children to grip harder, use more effort, and fatigue quickly. You may see:
  • Tight or fisted grasps
  • Hand shaking
  • Pressing too hard or too lightly
  • Avoidance of fine motor tasks
• They Enhance Dexterity and Tool Control. From handwriting to scissor use to feeding, dexterity depends on the hand’s ability to stabilize some parts while moving others. Strong arches make movements smoother, more coordinated, and more efficient.

Signs a Child May Need Support

These are common indicators that arch development needs attention. You might notice:

• A flat palm with little cupping
• Immature or awkward grasps
• Difficulty with buttons, snaps, or utensils
• Reliance on whole‑hand movements
• Quick fatigue during writing or cutting

Play‑Based Ways to Help the Formation of Hand Arches

Kids can build strong arches through play. These experiences strengthen the intrinsic muscles that support the arches. Activities that naturally encourage cupping, squeezing, and finger isolation include:

• Play-dough, clay, or putty
• Squeezing sponges or spray bottles
• Clothespin games
• Tongs and tweezers
• Animal walks (bear, crab, gorilla)
• Climbing, hanging, and weight‑bearing play
• Holding small objects in the palm while using the fingers

Refined hand arches are not just an anatomical detail — they’re a cornerstone of fine motor development. When these arches are strong and flexible, children gain the precision, stamina, and confidence needed for everyday tasks at school, home, and play.

Handwriting can feel frustrating for kids — and confusing for parents. Questions like “Is my child holding their pencil correctly?” or “How can I help without making it a battle?” are incredibly common.

The good news? Handwriting skills develop over time, and with the right support, practice can be simple, fun, and effective. Let’s break down what parents need to know about pencil grasp development, fine motor skills, and easy handwriting practice at home.

Why Pencil Grasp Matters for Handwriting

Pencil grasp is simply how your child holds a pencil or crayon. It plays a big role in:

• Letter formation
• Writing speed
• Hand endurance
• Comfort and confidence with writing

A functional pencil grasp helps children write longer without tiring and improves overall handwriting quality. An inefficient grasp can lead to hand fatigue, messy writing, or avoiding writing altogether. There isn’t one single “perfect” grip. What matters most is whether your child’s grasp is comfortable, efficient, and allows good control.

How Pencil Grasp Develops

Children naturally move through stages of pencil grasp as their hands get stronger and more coordinated.

Early Stages (Toddlers & Young Preschoolers)

• Fisted or whole-hand grasps
• Large movements using the arm and shoulder
• Totally normal and expected

Middle Stages (Preschool)

• Fingers start to help control the pencil
• Grasps may look awkward or inconsistent
• Strength and coordination are still developing

Mature Grasp (Around 4-6+ Years)

• Fingers do most of the work
• Movements are smaller and more controlled
• Writing becomes smoother and more efficient

Every child develops at their own pace. Some kids use a slightly different (but still functional) grip and write beautifully — and that’s okay.

The Real Handwriting Key — Fine Motor Strength

Before worrying about pencil grip, it helps to focus on hand strength and coordination. These skills make holding and controlling a pencil much easier. Here are some simple ways parents can build hand strength.

• Playing with playdough or putty
• Squeezing sponges or stress balls
• Picking up small objects with fingers or tweezers
• Stringing beads or threading pasta
• Building with LEGO

These activities strengthen the small muscles of the hands — the same muscles used for writing. Handwriting practice doesn’t need worksheets or long sit-down sessions. In fact, kids often learn best when writing is part of play. Here are some fun parents-approved ideas.

• Write during games: Have your child write clues, scores, or silly questions
• Make mini books: Draw pictures and write a sentence for each page
• Write for a purpose: Notes, labels, shopping lists, or letters
• Use different surfaces: Chalk, dry erase boards, sidewalk chalk, or sand

Short, playful practice is far more effective than forcing long writing sessions. Here are some more helpful tips.

• Keep practice short and positive
• Praise effort, not perfection
• Watch for signs of hand fatigue
• Encourage breaks when needed
• Remember: progress takes time

If writing causes frustration, pain, or your child consistently avoids it, that’s a good time to ask for extra support.

When to Seek Extra Help

If handwriting continues to be difficult despite practice — or if your child complains of hand pain, tires very quickly, or struggles with daily fine motor tasks — a pediatric occupational therapist can help identify what’s getting in the way and provide targeted strategies.

Strong handwriting doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through development, play, strength, and encouragement. With the right tools and a little patience, parents can make handwriting practice a positive experience — and help their child feel confident every step of the way.

The school year is half done. Your child wakes up early, spends most of the day in class with their peers – listening and sitting, learning and writing, socially engaging, keeping their cool – and then comes home. Cue after school meltdowns.

Why do kids have after school meltdowns? How come they don’t engage and tell you about their day? Why can’t they seem to focus and follow instructions for tasks around the house? Why are they so grumpy and moody?

After School Restraint Collapse

Have you heard of this term before? After-school restraint collapse is everything just described above – when your child has been at school all day and they come home, they completely meltdown (throughout this article, ‘after-school restraint collapse’ and ‘after school meltdowns’ will be used interchangeably). They struggle emotionally. They can’t seem to keep it all together, because they just spent the entire day keeping it all together. This is seen more often in young children, but older children can experience it as well!

Think about how you feel after a long, stressful day at work. You come home and simply want to relax and unwind. You’re exhausted. You need some quiet time away from people. You need something to eat and drink. Maybe you even need to get some extra movement in – a nice walk outside – because you’ve been sitting at a desk all day. Or maybe you need to listen to some calming, classical music because you’ve been talking to people all day.

The same goes for your child. School is busy. There is a LOT of sensory input that your child has to filter through throughout the day:

• Visually navigating the school; visually navigating the playground; completing a variety of visual school-related tasks (reading, writing, etc.)
• Filtering out the noise in the classroom (fans, talking, pencil sharpener, etc.); filtering out the noise in the gym and/or playground and lunchroom (that’s a LOT of noise!); following auditory directions from their teacher (auditory input)
• Tolerating clothing and peers touching them (tactile input)
• Moving safely through their environment (vestibular and proprioceptive input)
• Eating lunch (gustatory and olfactory input; interoception)
• Identifying and managing emotions and basic needs – using the bathroom, drinking enough water, etc. (interoception)

For all children, it is a lot of work to manage all of that sensory input. For a child who struggles to process sensory input (perhaps a child with Sensory Processing Disorder), it will be even more difficult! Which means the meltdown after school may be even more intense!

Keep in mind – after school meltdowns are different than a tantrum. While a tantrum is an attention seeking behavior or a behavior due to not getting what the child wants, after school restraint collapse is not within the child’s control. During a tantrum, the child is in control and can change their actions based on the attention they receive from the tantrum. During an after school meltdown, the child does not have full control over their behavior and their emotions. Therefore, the strategies for a tantrum and the strategies for an after school meltdown should be different!

Let’s dive into some ideas and strategies for you to try if your child is struggling after school!

Sensory Diets

First and foremost, you need to know your child’s sensory needs. Are they a sensory seeker or a sensory avoider? Or are they somewhere in the middle? If you’re unsure, check out this free resource from Sensational Brain – it’s a sensory checklist that you can use to identify your child’s sensory preferences and get a better idea of what types of sensory activities they seek out and can benefit from.

Once you know your child’s sensory preferences/needs, you can create a personalized sensory diet. A sensory diet is a series of personalized sensory activities and strategies that is used during certain times of the day to help the child feel calm and focused. Sensory diets are a great tool to incorporate into the after school routine to help your child decompress after a long school day.

The after school sensory diet should start with a sensory activity that your child enjoys. If they enjoy jumping and crashing, incorporate it. If you know and understand your child’s sensory needs, you will know what to include into the sensory diet!

The after school sensory diet should also include sensory activities that help your child feel calm and regulated. This might be playing outside, reading a book, or even eating a snack.

Every sensory diet is different and unique to the child it’s designed for. Sensory diets will also change over time as the child’s sensory needs change. Be willing to experiment, try new ideas, modify to fit your child’s mood, and stay consistent. Additionally, teach your child how to identify their sensory needs and sensory diet strategies. This will help improve overall independence and help your child learn how to advocate for themselves! Check out The Zones of Regulation for ideas on how to teach your child about their sensory needs.

Sensory Diet Activities for After School

The first sensory activity you want your child to participate in is an activity that meets their sensory needs; while also making sure that their basic needs are met – water and a snack! If your child is a sensory seeker, provide jumping and running and crashing activities. If your child is more of a sensory avoider, provide more calming activities that they prefer, such as reading or listening to soft music.

Here’s a quick list of some sensory diet activities you can try with your child:

• Get outside to run, jump, or climb
• Somersaults
• Log rolling
• Animal walks
• Listen to music
• Play a metronome game – clap on the beat of the metronome
• Make a calm down bottle with water, oil, and glitter
• Diffuse essential oils
• Make an essential oil scrunchy-bracelet for your child to wear
• A crunchy snack
• A chewy snack
• Blow up a balloon and play balloon volleyball
• Messy play – sensory bin, shaving cream, etc.

Consistent morning and afternoon routines

Let’s take a look at the morning routine – is it chaotic and rushed? Or is it calm and fun? Is it a little bit of both? Ultimately, providing your child with a calm, fun morning routine will help them start their school day on the right track. This increases the chances that they will not only have a productive day at school, but also that they will feel more at ease after school.

Additionally take a look at the after school routine. Is it busy and rushed? Or is it calm and relaxing? If your child is melting down after school, attempt to provide a calm, relaxing afternoon routine. Use natural lighting in the house versus artificial lighting. Attempt to get outside in nature versus getting on the screen. Diffuse some calming essential oils. Play soft calming music. Eat a satisfying snack.

While not every morning or afternoon will always be calm, happy, and relaxed, you can have a goal to achieve those types of mornings and afternoons MOST of the time in order to help your child start and end their day on a calm note.

Calm down/cozy corner

Have you heard of this before? A calm down corner; a cozy corner; or a sensory corner. They all refer to the same thing – a space that is designed to be calm, comforting, and sensory friendly for the child to relax in. A cozy corner is the perfect place for your child to decompress and “get away” from the craziness of the school day. In fact, it may be the ideal place for your child to be in immediately after getting home!

Some ideas to use for your calm-down/cozy sensory corner:

• Have your child help build it! It’s for them, so they should participate if possible!
• Use a space that is off to the side, in a corner, or a quiet space in the house.
• Use a pop up tent or some type of covering to decrease the visual stimuli.
• Add calming sensory tools that your child enjoys using, such as weighted itemsand noise canceling headphones (those are just two examples!).
• Add calming visual input such as a lava lamp (if safe), a calm down bottle, or twinkle lights.
• Add fidgets – fidgets for hands and fidgets for mouths!
• Add preferred activities such as books, puzzles, or other non-screen related activities.

Once the calm down corner is created, create a plan with your child on when and how to use it. Discuss the benefits of the corner: it’s a good place to relax, decompress if you’re stressed, and to take a break. Incorporate it into the daily after school routine. Plan on how long your child will spend in the corner. Place boundaries so that the corner does not get used to “get away” from activities – instead, it should be a tool that your child uses to help feel calm and decompress when stressed, so that they can then return to daily activities.

Food and Drink

Take a look at the food and drinks your child is consuming throughout the day. Oftentimes if your child is not eating enough during the day, or if they are dehydrated, it can contribute to meltdowns after school. Their basic needs have not been met, causing them to have difficulty with emotional regulation. The term “hangry” comes to mind!

Having an after school snack can make a world of difference! What types of foods does your child enjoy? Crunchy foods, resistive foods, foods with lots of flavor – all great options due to the sensory components and the proprioceptive input they provide.

Additionally, be sure your child is hydrated! This can be done with water – but make it more motivating by using fun cups or water bottles and fun, twisty straws! Try adding frozen fruit to the water. Smoothies are also a great option for hydration and nutrition!

Less Talking

When you pick your child up from school, or when they return home from school, do you immediately engage them in conversation? Do you immediately ask them about their day? If so, you’re not alone! This is very common – as parents, we’re curious about our child’s day and want to know as many details as possible! But sometimes, your child might need a quiet moment after school.

Instead of immediately launching into your questions about their day, allow your child some quiet time. Let them lead the conversation – wait for them to talk and then follow their lead. If they don’t want to talk right away, wait until later in the evening. Dinner time might be ideal to engage in conversation about how the day went.

This doesn’t mean don’t say anything to your child after school! It just means try to ask fewer questions, and listen more. Some ideas of things you can say that might not be overwhelming to your child immediately after school:

• Hi! I’m so happy to see you!
• Welcome home!
• I’m so happy you’re home! What do you need right now?

Get Out in Nature

One study from 2021 reported health benefits of physical activity while out in nature. What exactly does this mean? Getting out in nature means being in open air, away from artificial lights and sounds, and walking on the ground – ideally barefoot! It means listening to the sounds of the wind, the birds, and the trees. Smell the grass and the flowers. It means visually taking in the different colors in nature.

If possible, go out in nature with your child after school. This can be a back or front yard – taking your shoes off and walking barefoot in the grass. It can be at a local park – walking, running, and climbing. This can be down at the river or a lake – walking barefoot in the sand and the water. Simply being outside, connected to the ground, can be regulating. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes after school!

Co-Regulation and Mindfulness

Co-regulation refers to our ability, as parents, to help our children feel more calm when they are struggling. If we can be calm and provide a safe space for our children, they are more likely to feel calm. This is, of course, easier said than done!

Mindfulness refers to our ability to be aware of our emotions, bodily sensations, and to be present in the moment. In order to co-regulate with our children, we must be mindful of our own feelings and actions.

Because your child watches what you do and learns from what they see, they are very likely to imitate what you do and say. If you yell when you are frustrated, they will yell when they are frustrated. The first step is identify your own actions. What happens if you feel upset? Do you use calming strategies that your child can observe and learn from? Do you talk openly about your calming strategies?

When your child is having a meltdown, it’s important for you to stay calm and attempt to help co-regulate. Again, easier said than done! However, it is possible! Identify what YOU can do when your child is having a meltdown – can you get down on their level and provide eye contact while you take deep breaths? Can you help provide them with some deep pressure while taking deep breaths? Can you calmly lead them to their calm down corner and sit calmly with them?

Because every child’s meltdown is different, every parent’s co-regulation and mindfulness techniques will be different!

Empathy and Validation

Ultimately, it’s helpful to provide empathy and validation to your child’s emotions. What they are feeling is real. Understanding why they are melting down is the first step to empathy. Then you provide validation. “I see that you’re upset; it’s been a really long day!”

Keep in mind that your child wants to do well, and will do well when they can! After empathy and validation, you can provide the tools and the skills necessary to help your child prevent after school meltdowns – using the ideas listed in this article or finding other strategies that work for your child!