Specialized Care for Adults: Which Services at Mequon Speech Apply to You?

While many of our services at Mequon Speech and Learning Connection / Milwaukee Myo focus on developmental milestones in children, we provide several specialized therapies that are crucial for adults. These services address functional, structural, and communication issues that can impact your health, comfort, and quality of life.

Based on the services Mequon offer, here are the key areas of adult therapy provided by our licensed Speech-Language Pathologists and trained Orofacial Myologists:

1. Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD) Therapy

OMD therapy is perhaps our most prominent adult service. Orofacial Myology relates to the function of the muscles in the face and mouth as they relate to breathing, chewing, and swallowing.

Why it affects adults: Incorrect muscle patterns established over a lifetime can lead to significant adult health issues. We address long-term dysfunction and incorrect patterns that can cause or contribute to:

• TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) pain.

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

• Reflux (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - GERD).

• Orthodontic Relapse (teeth shifting back after braces).

• Dental issues like cavities and even the loss of teeth.

We work closely with other professionals, like your dentist or sleep specialist, to ensure the best course of treatment for correcting these muscle patterns, such as open mouth posturing at rest and tongue thrust swallow.

2. Swallowing (Tongue Thrust)

A common swallowing disorder seen in adults is a tongue thrust swallow (also known as a Myofunctional Disorder).

Why it affects adults: If you have an abnormal tongue resting posture or an improper swallow pattern, it can be closely related to ongoing dentition problems (dental alignment) and speech problems. Our swallowing therapy works in conjunction with OMD therapy and, often, with orthodontics to correct these issues, which can help stabilize your dental and jaw health.

3. Voice Disorders

If the pitch, loudness, or quality (such as hoarseness, breathiness, or nasality) of your voice is inappropriate, or if speaking or singing causes discomfort, you may have a voice disorder.

Why it affects adults: Voice disorders are often acquired in adulthood due to various factors:

• Straining or excessive use of the voice (e.g., professional voice users like teachers or speakers).

• Dehydration.

• GERD (reflux).

• Irregular breathing patterns.

• Allergies.

We can help assess the functional causes of your voice issues and provide therapeutic intervention.

4. Fluency (Stuttering)

While most stuttering begins in childhood, we offer services for adults who continue to experience dysfluencies.

Why it affects adults: Ongoing stuttering impacts social and vocational communication. Our therapy can help break the "bad habits that promote stuttering" and provide effective strategies for smoother, more confident communication.

5. Social Communication and Executive Functioning

These services focus on the higher-level cognitive skills needed for successful adult interaction and professional life.

• Executive Functioning (EF): These are the cognitive skills that help you plan, prioritize, organize, and self-regulate. Weaknesses in these areas can impact how effectively you use your language skills for verbal and written communication in complex work or social settings. We offer interventions that establish functional strategies for managing time, materials, and expressing complex thoughts cohesively.

• Social Communication: Cultivating a strong "social radar" and developing appropriate behaviors that help you "follow the group plan" are strong predictors of vocational success. Therapy can refine these skills for better professional and social outcomes.

If you suspect you have difficulty in any of these areas, we offer screenings, evaluations, and individual therapies to determine the appropriate treatment plan.