SLP in Dubai needs Orofacial Myology information and help

Dear Sandra, I hope this message finds you well. You don’t know me personally but I have of course heard plenty about you! I am an SLP who currently lives in Dubai. I was exposed to Orofacial Myology when I worked at my previous clinic in Chicago. I was, however; never officially trained in it. Recently I have had so many cases of oral motor disorders – especially unstable jaws and tongue thrusts and I feel as if my knowledge is limited and there really aren’t too many people to refer to in Dubai. How can I expand my knowledge being so far away? If Orlando was easy access, I’d be there in a heartbeat. Do you offer an online course? Are there articles, research, blogs, that would recommend? I feel particularly lost with the unstable jaw situation. I know how to take the clients so far but then I find it difficult to know where to go after tongue-jaw and lip-jaw dissociation have been achieved on structured tasks. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you in advance!  

Hi, There are no acceptable online courses as of yet.  I do have videos on our site at www.orofacialmyology if you click the media button at the top.   Here is the link directly to the page:     https://orofacialmyology.com/myo-media/  The tongue-jaw and lip-jaw differentiations are what I target first and I am glad to hear that you focus on that.  I use 2 or 3Way Mouth Props to stabilize the mandible/jaw so that the tongue can learn to make the independent movements/excursions needed for maximizing speech production, chewing, swallowing, etc.  Once the mandible is stabilized, they practice in-out movements without dragging upon the lip or lower teeth; just a smooth horizontal movement in and out.  Then, with the jaw stabilized once again, I move to lateral movements, lip corner to lip corner without involving anything but the tongue and the tip should not be way outside, but rather right on the lip corners.  Lastly is the tongue to spot/incisive papilla and downward.  This is the tricky one since the tongues should fall naturally downward into the floor of the mouth.  Usually the patient will try to MAKE it move and that is not acceptable.  It must become natural.  Each of these must first be done with assistance such as the 3Way Mouth Props or someone stabilizing the mandible.  Then, slowly they must master the movement as the assistance is removed.  Beyond this, I have many exercises to ease them into the higher levels.  Do you have the Myo Manual?  If so, I can guide you as you move along. Sandra