Pediatric Speech Therapy for Tongue Thrust
Does your child tend to stick their tongue out when they are speaking, eating, or even just relaxing? This is a sign of tongue thrust, a way of placing the tongue that can affect a child’s speech and feeding skills.
At Fluens Children’s Therapy, our Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) have experience teaching children the skills they need to overcome tongue thrust. With our support, we can help your child achieve clear, confident communication and improved feeding skills.
What Is Tongue Thrust?
Tongue thrust happens when the tongue pushes forward against the teeth while speaking, swallowing, or even at rest. This placement can affect speech clarity and, over time, may even lead to dental issues like an open bite or tooth alignment problems.
Tongue thrust can also make certain sounds harder to pronounce, particularly sounds like “s” and “z.” Our expert therapists work with children to retrain their oral muscles so they can build healthier speech patterns and habits for the long term.
Common Signs of Tongue Thrust in Children
Recognizing the signs of tongue thrust early is important. Common signs of this condition include:
- Pushing the tongue forward between the teeth during speech or swallowing
- Lisping or struggling to pronounce “s” and “z” sounds
- Having an open bite (noticeable space between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed)
- Breathing with an open mouth
- Maintaining habits like thumb sucking past early childhood
What Causes Tongue Thrust in Children?
Tongue thrust is actually a reflex (called the extrusion reflex) that babies are meant to have from birth. This helps protect babies from choking when they nurse from the breast or bottle. However, it’s supposed to integrate (or stop being a reflex and start being a controllable action) by the time babies are about 6 months old.
Habits like using a pacifier or sippy cups, allergies that make it hard to breathe through the nose, and some other physical and neurological conditions can all cause babies to retain this reflex longer than necessary. Addressing tongue thrust with targeted therapy can help reduce its long-term effects and create healthier habits for clear speech and safe feeding.
How Pediatric Speech Therapy Can Treat Tongue Thrust
At Fluens Children’s Therapy, we provide effective therapy for children with tongue thrust. Our Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) use specialized exercises and techniques to help children learn to reposition their tongue correctly for speech and swallowing.
Through a series of engaging activities, your child will build new, healthy movement patterns that improve their speech clarity and oral function. Whether you visit us in-person or choose our convenient online therapy option, we’re here to empower your child with clear communication and a bright, confident smile!