Elaine was twelve and had been on my mind around the clock for three years. She was a student of mine who never smiled or responded with more than two words during my sessions with her. My traditional therapy was not working, and I was frustrated. I desperately wanted to support her and her family, but I could not find the way to do so. I could not live with myself if I let this continue. As time went by, she was becoming more isolated and unhappy. I could not stop until I found the answers I knew had to be there.

 

She could not show emotion because she could not adequately move the muscles in her face. Her upper jaw and teeth stuck out past her lips. She was not able to produce her sounds correctly even when she did try to talk. Her case was consuming me emotionally. I started searching for information that would help me help Elaine. I ran across a virtual myofunctional therapy course. I did not have a lot of faith in myofunctional therapy but figured, “What could it hurt? More knowledge is always good.” To my surprise, that course opened my eyes to a world that I did not know existed. After my experience with Elaine, orofacial myofunctional therapy—with its new rationales, vocabulary, and approaches—made so much sense to me. There were so many concepts and techniques that I could put into place to start helping Elaine. It opened my eyes and my mind to a whole new universe of treatment.

 

Elaine’s family moved a few months after I started myofunctional therapy with Elaine, so I was not able to finish her treatment. I often think about Elaine and her family, and about other families who are looking for solutions but do not know where to find information about myofunctional therapy. Now, nothing gives me more satisfaction than helping kids restore missed milestones; seeing the light in a child’s eyes when I see them learn to chew, swallow, and talk correctly gives my life meaning that I never thought it could have. My life’s passion is not just about working through therapy goals, it is about changing lives. I envision a world in which my students grow up and are able to: have a delicious meal at a restaurant and catch up with a friend, go home and get a great night’s sleep next to the one they love, then confidently give a presentation in college, or run a meeting at their place of work. I cannot tell you how many people I run across who have challenges with breathing, eating, sleeping, or talking, and are not even aware of the root causes and interconnectedness of these issues. All because of a girl named Elaine who I never thought I would be able to treat successfully.

 

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I am looking for children and adults who have not yet been successful in finding a resolution for their speech, breathing, chewing, or swallowing problems. I am certain that treatment paths and solutions exist. I love helping those with challenging and thought-provoking symptoms change the trajectory of their lives.