Skip to content
  • Services
    • Speech & Feeding and Lactation Services
    • Insurance vs Self-Pay FAQs
    • Does My Plan Cover Speech Therapy?
  • About Us
  • Testimonials
  • SITC BLOG
    • SPEECH
    • FEEDING
    • AAC
    • Orofacial Myology
    • ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
    • LANGUAGE
    • Practice News
    • ESPAÑOL
  • Resources
    • Client Login
    • ADVOCACY
    • Boom Store
    • TPT Store
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Therapy Resources
    • Employment
  • Contact
  • Services
    • Speech & Feeding and Lactation Services
    • Insurance vs Self-Pay FAQs
    • Does My Plan Cover Speech Therapy?
  • About Us
  • Testimonials
  • custom-logo
  • SITC BLOG
    • SPEECH
    • FEEDING
    • AAC
    • Orofacial Myology
    • ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
    • LANGUAGE
    • Practice News
    • ESPAÑOL
  • Resources
    • Client Login
    • ADVOCACY
    • Boom Store
    • TPT Store
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Therapy Resources
    • Employment
  • Contact
Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing and Speech Sound Errors
Orofacial Myology

Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing and Speech Sound Errors

April 22, 2021April 22, 2021 speechinthecity Comments Off on Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing and Speech Sound Errors

As a practicing orofacial myologist in NYC I have observed various reasons for pediatric speech sound errors in children. One in particular I see which coincides with speech sound error is sleep disordered breathing resulting from an obstruction to the child’s airway. Enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or other anatomical differences in the mouth can disrupt a child’s speech sound production.

During our assessment, the child’s tonsils are measured to determine if an appropriate referral should be made. Children who have one or both enlarged tonsils according to either Brodsky or Mallampati Scoring Guide are referred out to a pediatric ENT for further assessment of function.

Enlarged Tonsils

Enlarged tonsils may effect a child’s speech by limiting the movement and space of the tongue within the mouth. Many times these children have frontal lisps and other speech sound errors. The enlarged tonsils also facilitate an open mouth breathing posture, resulting from pushing the tongue forward and out of the mouth. Overtime this creates restrictive airflow, which is correlated with many negative effects on the body such as poor sleep and cognition. We see an anatomical change in the face of the child overtime as mouth breathing perpetuates throughout childhood.

An indicator of enlarged tonsils might be seen in scalloping of the tongue as well. When scalloping is noted, the tongue is resting and pushing against the teeth, resulting in ridges (scallops) on the tongue. These ridges could be a result of several factors including tonsil size, collapse of the jaw, teeth grinding and/or other possible oral motor dysfunctions which all should be assessed.

Scalloped Tongue

Tori Palatini or Palatal Tori are growths on the bone within the mouth. Depending on the size and place of these tori, the tongue may be resting forward and out of the mouth causing an open mouth breathing posture.

Palatal tori in the midline of palate

These are some of the more common issues we see impacting children’s intelligibility resulting from obstruction to the airway. It is important that before speech therapy starts, these are ruled out and treated as to provide the best possible care and consideration for our clients.

Written by Rebecca Taskin MS, CCC-SLP

cranial oral facial myology

Related Posts

When Should My Child Stop Thumb Sucking?
When Should My Child Stop Thumb Sucking?
Is non-orthodontic intervention with prolonged thumb sucking possible?
Is non-orthodontic intervention with prolonged thumb sucking possible?
Speech Therapy for Lisps
Speech Therapy for Lisps
Orofacial Myology for Speech and Swallowing Impairments
Orofacial Myology for Speech and Swallowing Impairments

Post navigation

Orofacial Myology for Speech and Swallowing Impairments
Is non-orthodontic intervention with prolonged thumb sucking possible?
Hey, There!

Hey, There!

Welcome from Rebecca
Welcome to Speech in The City's blog. Here you'll find out lots of resources to help you or your child in speech and/or feeding therapy. We are always looking for new families to meet and professionals to learn from -Rebecca

CATEGORIES

  • AAC
  • ADVOCACY
  • ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
  • ESPAÑOL
  • FEEDING
  • LANGUAGE
  • ORAL MOTOR
  • Orofacial Myology
  • Podcasts and Interviews
  • Practice News
  • SPEECH
  • Testimonials
  • Therapy Resources

Join Us

Get the latest speech news, home therapy ideas and practice updates.

More Posts

<em>Speech Therapy Activities Parents Can Do at Home in 10 Minutes a Day</em>
LANGUAGE ➤ August 26, 2025

Speech Therapy Activities Parents Can Do at Home in 10 Minutes a Day

To support your child's language development, focus on incorporating a few simple, effective strategies into your daily routine. By using these Speech Therapy Activities Parents Can Do at Home in 10 Minutes a Day, you can make a significant impact. First, make reading time interactive with repeated-line books like "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." Use different voices and pause to let your child fill in the blanks, which helps build their vocabulary and memory. Second, get down to your child's eye level to talk. Holding objects at your eye level encourages them to watch your mouth, which helps them learn how to form words. Third, respond to every sound your child makes—coos, babbles, or even grunts. Attribute meaning to their sounds and "serve it back" by turning their sounds into full sentences. Finally, use simple gestures while you talk to your child to give them a way to communicate before they have words, and consider creating a quiet play space, like a tent, for them to feel safe and calm.

Read More
<em>Articulation vs. Language Delay: How to Tell the Difference</em>
SPEECH ➤ August 22, 2025

Articulation vs. Language Delay: How to Tell the Difference

A parent’s excitement to hear their child’s first words can quickly turn to concern if those words are hard to understand. As children grow, their communication skills develop at different paces, and it can be...

Read More
The Power of “Let’s”: Unlocking Communication for Gestalt Language Processors
AAC ➤ July 22, 2025

The Power of “Let’s”: Unlocking Communication for Gestalt Language Processors

As parents and speech-language pathologists, we’re constantly searching for ways to unlock communication for our children, especially those who learn language in unique ways. If you have a child who is a Gestalt Language Processor...

Read More

Instagram

  • Contact
  • Client Login
  • Employment
  • Newsletter
© 2025 | Made in New York City