Introduction to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
January 2025 Cohort
Enrollment is OPEN
(see schedule below)
Registration will open to allow students to complete modules prior to live course launch
LIVE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION DATES
January 2025 Cohort
Opening Weekend: January 24th, January 25th, January 26th (9:05am - 1:15pm US Pacific Time)
Saturday, 2/1/25 9:05AM - 11:35AM Pacific Time
Saturday, 2/8/25 9:05AM - 11:35AM Pacific Time
Saturday, 2/15/25 9:05AM - 11:05AM Pacific Time
Saturday, 2/22/25 9:05AM - 11:05AM Pacific Time
Saturday, 3/1/25 9:05AM - 11:05AM Pacific Time
Saturday, 3/8/25 9:05AM - 11:05AM Pacific Time
Saturday, 3/15/25 9:05AM - 11:05AM Pacific Time
Saturday, 3/22/25 9:05AM - 11:05AM Pacific Time FINAL WRAP UP
We also hold two OPTIONAL events: On Tuesday1/28, and 2/4 we have a "Catch Up & Clarify Session at 6pm Pacific Time should anyone miss any part of the previous weekend's lectures.
**All these sessions are on Zoom and recorded and housed in an online library, available for further viewing at any time.**
Any questions?
Reach out to me: [email protected]
Introduction to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
A unique, in-depth, interactive, and thorough educational experience. Experts in the field of orofacial myofunctional therapy teach every aspect of this therapeutic approach. Intended for Speech Language Pathologists, Dental Providers, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists and allied health professionals.
Presented by the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT)
The AOMT is the leading post-graduate training academy for allied health professionals who want to treat orofacial myofunctional disorders.
- We are committed to providing the strongest foundation in the field of orofacial myofunctional therapy.
- Our curriculum is based in the latest evidence-based research
- We have taught more than half of the myofunctional therapists practicing in North America
- We have an extensive referral network, so that you can receive new patients from doctors in your local area
- Ongoing support in our mentorship program which meets weekly online
Meet Our Instructors
Samantha Weaver, MS, CCC-SLP, AOMT-C
As the lead teacher of this course, Samantha brings her innate passion for story telling, case study development, and a desire to empower clinicians with tools that treat orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) to the program. She developed the Myo Coffee Klatsch, and runs that programming along with Office Hours as additional weekly benefits that come with being a member of the AOMT community. As the director of the AOMT, she has designed the courses offered, helping to facilitate the latest evidence based research which touches on breathing reeducation, sleep disorders, TMJ disorders, posture, fascia-release, and frenulum inspection and surgery. She holds two Bachelors, one in Performance Studies (Northwestern University) and one in Communicative Disorders and Sciences, and a Masters of Science in Communication Disorders and Sciences. Samantha is a founding board member of the Academy of Applied Myofunctional Sciences (AAMS) which has led the world with conferences focusing on this dynamic niche field.
Licia Paskay, MS, CCC-SLP
Licia graduated from Padua University (Italy) in speech therapy, from Antioch University, Los Angeles with a BA in Gerontology and from Cal. State U. Northridge with a Masters Degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences, but she never stopped learning and pursuing education.
Licia is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist in California (with an emphasis in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and the management of cognitive disorders) treating patients of all ages, mostly affected by dysphagia or orofacial myofunctional disorders, but also by Multiple Sclerosis, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
She found the perfect mixture of inspiring professionals at the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional therapy (AOMT) where she is currently a Board Member and lecturer and where she has the chance to collaborate and exchange ideas with some of the most remarkable professionals in the world.
Joy Moeller, BS, RDH, AOMT-C
Joy Moeller, BS, RDH, AOMT-C is a dental hygienist, author and formally an associate professor at Indiana University, who has worked as a myofunctional therapist for many years and currently has a private practice in Pacific Palisades, California.
Joy is founding lecturer with the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT) and a founding board member with the AAMS. She has taught post- graduate courses in Myofunctional Therapy at universities and hospitals world-wide. Joy wrote a chapter in Sleep Medicine Clinics, a chapter in Sleep-Disorders in Pediatric Dentistry, a chapter in Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a textbook for Oral Surgeons in 2021 and a children’s book on tongue position as well as many published studies and other chapters in textbooks.
Joy has lectured world-wide and was invited to speak at Grand Rounds at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to Stanford Sleep Residency program and was the first myofunctional therapist to be on staff at the Pankey Institute. She currently teaches with the Palo Alto school of sleep medicine and taught for 7 years with UCLA dental sleep post-graduate program and the Pedo-Ortho residency. Joy received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the AAPMD (American Academy of Physiologic Medicine and Dentistry) and the Louis Pasteur Award from the AAMS (Association of Applied Myofunctional Sciences) in Rome in 2013.
Doris Waite, RDH, AOMT-C
Doris graduated Dental Hygiene from George Brown College in Toronto in 1978 and moved to Owen Sound in 1979 to start working for a certified specialist in orthodontics. She has worked in general practice until 1992. A graduate of the AOMT Myofunctional therapy course in 2012, and later, Buteyko Breathing Educator certificate in 2012, Doris retired from ortho practice in 2013 and began private practice doing myofunctional therapy and Buteyko Breathing Education ever since. She has lectured in China for two weeks in November 2019, speaking to dentists and orthodontists on myofunctional therapy, tongue restrictions and TOTs. Doris is the first student to be certified at the AOMT. She loves gardening, photography, travel, professional basketball and baseball.
Marc Moeller, BS
Marc Richard Moeller, Managing Director of the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT), and Executive Director and Founding Board Chair of the Academy of Applied Myofunctional Sciences (AAMS), has spoken on Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) in 28 countries to date and supported the facilitation of research, public health projects, clinical protocols, and curriculum development in OMT with over 50 universities, hospital groups, and governments around the world.
Marc is also a Director of Communications of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center. Since 2011 Marc has been on a Public Health Committee of the Teste de Linguinha (Frenulum Inspection Protocol) organized out of Brazil that has helped medically validate frenulum inspection protocols for infants (Martinelli) and adolescents/adults (Marchesan) that has passed 18 laws (including a national law in Brazil effective since January 2015) requiring frenulum inspection at birth for newborns.
Introduction to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Our course has been expanded to support our students with extensive learning in Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology centered around the orofacial complex. We are committed to providing the best foundational knowledge available with ongoing mentorship in our weekly meetings. Our students are loving the expanded learning and the community which is centered around finding solutions for patients with orofacial myofunctional disorders.
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What Is Included in the On-Demand Course
Our program is a hybrid between an on-demand (self paced) course with modules described below.
Introduction & Overview
What is a myofunctional disorder? How does this impact function over the life span? What are the key tenets in understanding the impact soft tissue has on bone?
In this section, Samantha will walk you through how Myofunctional Disorders progress if left untreated. She uses a real case study to follow the impact oral breathing has on the entire body over the life span.
Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology
With 11 modules dedicated to the physical structure of the orofacial complex, Licia Coceani Paskay outlines all the parts one needs to know when treating an orofacial myofunctional disorder. Come away with a deeper dive into Craniofacial bones, muscles, functions, and occlusion. Learn the functions around chewing and swallowing and early feeding. As an expert in the field, Licia's passion is sure to inspire.
Assessment
How does one evaluate for an orofacial myofunctional disorder? What validated tools can we use as clinicians? In this section, Samantha outlines how to observe tongue function, restriction, and how to gain more confidence in speaking with patients about what you observe.
Treatment
No one person is the same, so how does one begin the process of treatment? With so many functions at play in a myofunctional disorder, how can we begin to treat atypical swallowing, open mouth posture, or noxious oral habits such as thumbsucking? This module outlines dozens of therapeutic techniques which are applied in a systematic approach to the treatment of OMDs. Come away with an accessible approach to treat patients, and a clear guideline of the goals and objectives of exercises as they are scheduled in a full year of treatment.
CoMorbidities
So many patient cases come with complex comorbidities, so how does the therapist address these while working on treatment for a myofunctional disorder? In this section, Joy Moeller reviews the dos and don'ts in cases where TMD, OSA and other conditions are present. You'll learn via case studies and how to focus on the OMD as you apply treatment.
Practice Management
Foundations of knowledge are critical, but so is the business of doing treatment. In this section you will hear how Joy started, how she collaborates, what she has learned in the 40 years of doing therapy, and how you can be the very best therapist you can be by following clear business and practice management guidelines to be a viable and sustainable business.
Current Research
In the last 10 years, the research in myofunctional therapy has been remarkable: with one paper in 2009 that looked at oropharyngeal exercises, Brazil set the stage and the world of sleep medicine took notice. In this section you will review key papers and how to review research. As an AOMT student you will have access to a curated collection of papers that are cornerstones of myofunctional therapy and sciences that gets updated with new publications as they emerge.
Live Instruction
Each cohort has an opening weekend, during which we meet LIVE for three days to workshop Assessment Principles. Following the opening weekend we meet every week on Saturdays to work through the Treatment techniques taught in our program. Our mission is to empower you to be the best therapist you can be, while applying the techniques you learn in real time over the course of our cohort schedule, with individual assignments meant to build a case study.
See the schedule below.
Pricing Options
When it says "Live Instruction" is that In Person?
Does this course qualify me for certification?
Who is qualified to train as a myofunctional therapist?
How long do I have to finish the Intro Course?
Our Goal is Your Success
Our program aims to build confidence through repeated exposure to the course material with an invitation to join in at any time in a future cohort session on zoom. We are dedicated to updating our material with clinical findings and research so that your foundation in myofunctional therapy is constantly up to date and on the edge of science. As passionate clinicians and educators, we are committed to your ability to treat patients and help others!
Your Practice Before This Program
- Lost in a clear approach to treatment
- Isolated from other clinicians doing this therapy
- Unable to build the right team around me so I can deliver the care my patients need
- Unclear of my role as a therapist or clinician
- Lacking confidence as I go out to connect with other providers
- Unable to create a referral system within my community
Your Practice After This Program
- A systematic approach I can use to treat orofacial myofunctional disorders
- A community I trust, grow, learn with and laugh with! True friendships and professional alliances are formed.
- I have been connected with providers I may work with, via the community I am now a part of.
- I understand my role as a therapist and how I can help patients and business colleagues
- I feel inspired to bring my knowledge forward, as the science and community supports this growing field
- I know doctors, dentists, and others I am collaborating with now that I have inroads and introductions.
Answers To Your Questions
How long do I have access to the on demand course?
What course materials do I receive when I enroll?
What is the time commitment to complete this course?
Does this course offer CEUs?
If I want to apply for Certification with the AOMT, where and how do I do that?
What is the Myo Coffee Klatsch?
How else does the AOMT support students?
How do I get started?
Are You Going To Join Us?
Myofunctional Therapy and Sciences is proving to show enormous benefits with more and more research that supports its treatment. You are coming to the table at the right time!
Now with our expanded online program, you will gain the benefit of ongoing mentorship and a community to support you as you apply what you learn in class to your patient population.
We invite you to dive in as soon as possible! This is the first step in what is sure to be a dynamic and gratifying career as you help so many people.
Join us today to get the answers you need and the knowledge to support your journey in Myofunctional Therapy and Sciences! You will NEVER look back!
