Function is our focus.
Welcome to Smart Mouth Therapy
Dedicated to providing exceptional services for oral myofunctional disorders:
Mouth breathing, picky eating, speech difficulties, sleep breathing issues, infant and toddler feeding (breastfed or bottle fed), drooling, lingual dysfunction and more!
Oral myofunctional disorders
When soft tissue of the face, mouth, neck, and jaw aren’t working optimally, dysfunction and compensations can result. This dysfunction can lead to problems like mouth breathing, poor sleep, feeding, chewing, or swallowing issues, speech sound disorders, and ADHD-like behaviors. Some children develop thumb sucking or pacifier habits, or an immature swallow pattern called a tongue thrust. Long term, these can impact physical and mental health: sleep and airway problems, anxiety, depression, heart disease, brain health, cognitive functioning, behavioral health can often be linked to oral myofunctional disorders.
Treatment involves 1:1 in-person oral myofunctional therapy, breathing training, manual therapy, and lots of education and collaboration with an Ohio licensed and certified speech pathologist.
Understand the root cause.
Infant Feeding
Skill development to promote airway growth.
Yes, we work with babies all the time!
For starters, whether baby is breast feeding or bottle feeding, lactation support is an important step if you’re struggling.
We offer next level support! We look closely at nervous system regulation and function which can be impacted by baby’s early environment, the birthing process, and anatomical differences like tongue tie. Smart Mouth Therapy can offer extra, targeted support to families on their feeding journeys.
Got a picky eater?
Let’s look at function: It’s the foundation.
As oral motor experts, Smart Mouth Therapy can assess and guide treatment to ensure your child is on a great path for exploring and enjoying a variety of foods. We work with babies and children of any age, addressing oral function, body tension, and nervous system regulation.
Hot off the press!
Smart Mouth Therapy presents a 37 page e-book about oral resting posture, what it is and why it matters. This guide answers common questions, covers the basic of optimal oral resting posture, and how it relates to health and wellness for your child. Just $9.99 - click the link below to purchase.
About me.
I’m Laura Uhl, MA, CCC-SLP, founder of Smart Mouth Therapy.
MA in Speech-Language Pathology, University of Akron
BS in Russian Translation, Kent State University
BS in Mathematics, University of Dayton
CCC-SLP: Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA, the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association
SLP licensure in the State of Ohio.
With extensive training and experience as an orofacial myology-focused speech pathologist I have a unique view of oral function and how it relates to the whole body. Speaking, chewing, swallowing, feeding, and breathing are rooted in the orofacial complex but connected to the whole body. Additional training includes:
AOMT, IAOM, Simon Says oral myofunctional training
Buteyko Breathing Method
AEIOU Approach to Pediatric Feeding and When Baby Can’t Suck
Beckman Oral Motor
Gillespie Approach (Foundations and Infant), Craniosacral therapy, The Vaughn Approach Pediatric Bodywork
Myomunchee Baby Practitioner
I have had the privilege of serving as a clinical supervisor to graduate students in the School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Akron, and guest lecturing on the topic of oral myofunctional disorders to Speech Pathology graduate students at the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and Case Western Reserve University.
Have any questions? Please reach out via email or text. I would be happy to help guide you and your family as you embark on this journey. Collaboration is key and I love sharing with other speech pathologists, parents, and professionals - it’s an integral part of my practice.
