Speech therapy, provided by a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP), addresses communication — how sounds, language, and voice are produced and understood. Myofunctional therapy addresses the underlying muscle function of the tongue, lips, and face — rest posture, breathing pattern, and swallowing. They target different layers of the same general area, which is why the more useful question usually isn’t which one is “better,” but which professional fits the specific concern you’re dealing with.
This article is for general education and isn’t a substitute for an in-person evaluation.
What Speech Therapy Actually Addresses
Speech therapy is a licensed medical and educational service provided by a speech-language pathologist. SLPs complete a graduate-level degree, supervised clinical training, and hold a license or certification specific to their state or professional board. Their scope of practice centers on:
- Articulation — correctly producing specific speech sounds
- Language — vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure
- Fluency — including stuttering
- Voice quality and social communication
- In some clinical settings, swallowing safety (dysphagia)
Speech therapy addresses what is being communicated and how clearly it comes across.
What Myofunctional Therapy Actually Addresses
Myofunctional therapy — also called orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) — retrains the resting posture and movement patterns of the tongue, lips, and facial muscles, independent of speech sound production specifically. Common goals include:
- Encouraging nasal breathing over chronic mouth breathing
- Establishing a resting tongue position against the palate rather than low and forward
- Building a natural lip seal at rest
- Correcting a forward or atypical swallowing pattern (tongue thrust)
Unlike “speech-language pathologist,” the term “myofunctional therapist” is not a single licensed or legally protected title. Providers who deliver myofunctional therapy come from a range of professional backgrounds — including dental hygienists, dental assistants, and speech-language pathologists — who have completed specific orofacial myofunctional training and certification, commonly through organizations like the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM). This matters practically: a myofunctional therapist’s training qualifies them to address muscle function and habit patterns, but it does not, by itself, make them a licensed speech-language pathologist unless they hold that separate credential.
Comparing the Two Directly
| Speech Therapy | Myofunctional Therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider credential | Licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) | Trained and certified myofunctional therapist (background varies — may or may not also be an SLP) |
| Primary focus | Speech sound production, language, fluency, voice | Rest posture, breathing pattern, swallowing pattern |
| Typical methods | Articulation drills, language practice, fluency techniques | Oral muscle exercises, breathing and swallowing retraining |
| Example concern addressed | A lisp, a language delay, stuttering | Chronic mouth breathing, tongue thrust, low tongue posture |
| Regulatory status | State-licensed profession | Certification-based; not a licensed profession itself |
Where the Two Genuinely Overlap
A forward tongue-thrust swallowing pattern can contribute to a lisp or an articulation difficulty involving sounds like “s” and “z.” In a case like that, myofunctional therapy addresses the underlying muscle pattern driving the swallow, while speech therapy addresses the resulting sound production directly. Similarly, chronic mouth breathing and low tongue posture can influence both speech clarity and facial development in a growing child, which is why either professional might notice signs relevant to the other’s scope during their own evaluation.
This overlap is exactly why coordination between the two, rather than choosing one instead of the other, often produces the clearest plan. Myofunctional therapy does not replace speech therapy when a genuine speech, language, or fluency disorder is present, and speech therapy on its own does not necessarily resolve an underlying muscle or breathing pattern that keeps reinforcing the original problem.
Which Professional Should You Start With?
| If the main concern is… | Consider starting with… |
|---|---|
| Trouble pronouncing specific sounds, language delay, stuttering, or social communication | A speech-language pathologist |
| Chronic mouth breathing, tongue thrust, snoring, or a resting open-mouth posture | A myofunctional therapist |
| Speech sounds that haven’t fully resolved with prior speech therapy alone | A myofunctional evaluation, potentially alongside continued speech therapy |
| Uncertainty about which applies | A comprehensive evaluation that screens for both |
A comprehensive evaluation — whether conducted by a myofunctional therapist, an SLP, or a dentist trained in airway-focused screening — can identify which patterns are present and determine whether one provider is sufficient or whether coordinated care between both makes sense.
How Coordination Works in Practice
When both a myofunctional and a speech-language concern are present, providers typically don’t work in isolation. A myofunctional therapist may address rest posture and swallowing pattern first, or concurrently, while an SLP addresses specific speech sound production — with each provider aware of what the other is working on. According to a review of orofacial myofunctional therapy’s use within speech pathology, OMT has increasingly been incorporated by SLPs themselves as part of broader treatment for swallowing, breathing, and speech production concerns, reflecting how closely the two fields already intersect in clinical practice rather than functioning as competing approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a myofunctional therapist diagnose a speech disorder? Generally, no — diagnosing a speech, language, or fluency disorder falls within a speech-language pathologist’s licensed scope of practice. A myofunctional therapist can identify muscle function or habit patterns and recommend a referral to an SLP when a speech concern is present.
Do I need to choose one or the other? Not necessarily. Many patients benefit from both, either at the same time or in sequence, particularly when a muscle pattern like tongue thrust is contributing to a speech sound difficulty.
Is myofunctional therapy a substitute for speech therapy? No. It addresses a different layer of function — muscle posture and movement rather than sound production and language — and doesn’t replace speech therapy when a genuine speech-language disorder is present.
How do I know if my provider is a licensed SLP or a certified myofunctional therapist? Ask directly. These are separate credentials, and a provider may hold one, both, or neither in combination with other dental or healthcare training. Confirming credentials up front helps set accurate expectations for what a given evaluation can and can’t determine.
Getting Started
If you’re trying to determine which professional fits your situation — or your child’s — a comprehensive evaluation is a reasonable starting point rather than guessing based on the term that sounds closest to the concern. Our Frenectomies & Myofunctional Therapy page covers our approach to myofunctional evaluation and coordination with outside providers, including speech-language pathologists, when indicated. Contact us with questions about which type of evaluation makes sense for you.
References
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders. ASHA Practice Portal. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/orofacial-myofunctional-disorders/
- Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and Myofunctional Devices Used in Speech Pathology Treatment: A Systematic Quantitative Review of the Literature. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33472011/
