The Marielly Method

Doctor Marielly’s expertise in sensory processing, cranial nerve integration, and orofacial myofunctional therapy ensures you’ll see results for a wide range of mood, behavioral, and attention problems.

The “Marielly Method” starts by looking at the airway, tongue movement, and mouth structure in order to determine if orofacial factors are contributing to dysregulation, behavioral, or feeding challenges. 

From there, our therapists are able to map out the best path forward from a more traditional occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech therapy perspective. This approach is especially important for those with a history of tongue-tie, feeding issues, mouth-breathing, and/or poor sleep. 

Each of our therapists have been extensively trained in the Marielly Method with special emphasis placed on training in orofacial myofunctional therapy so they can provide your child with the most effective, holistic care possible!

Signs Your Child Could Benefit From Pediatric Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

Many of the warning signs of airway dysfunction go unnoticed or become normalized.

If your child displays any of the following symptoms, they can greatly benefit from Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy:

• Tongue thrusting when swallowing

• Tongue tie, especially prerelease or after reattachment

• Snoring

• Waking up fatigued

• Teeth grinding

• Enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids

• Dark circles or “allergic shiners”

• Mouth breathing

• Sleep Disordered Breathing

• Sleep apnea

• Frequent colds

• Allergies

• Sensitive gag reflex

• Extreme oral sensitivity 

• Frequent ear infections

We highly recommend early intervention for those with a history of tongue-tie, frequent ear infections, reflux, “colic”, and/or tongue thrust. 

The Impact of Airway and Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders on Daily Life

Take a deep nasal breath. If you feel yourself becoming calmer, that’s because of the relationship between breath and the nervous system. Each part of our oral and nasal function is integrally connected to our nervous system, including where the tongue sits in your mouth.

When a child has an issue such as an open mouth posture or anatomical symptom such as a tongue tie, it can have a ripple effect on multiple systems in the body, varying from sensory processing to acquiring the oral motor skills necessary for feeding and speech production. 

How challenges with airway and face posture show up in everyday life: 

• Tantrums, meltdowns, etc.

• Poor emotional regulation

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep

• Sensory dysregulation (oversensitivity or seeking behaviors)

• Inability to concentrate

• Motor delays

• Academic challenges 

• Speech delay

• Trouble eating and swallowing 

• Picky eating

• Prolonged attachment to pacifier or bottle

• Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)

• Teeth grinding

• ADD/ADHD symptoms

• ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)

Our therapists can treat the root cause of your child’s symptoms so they don’t spend years in therapy or on medications with little to no reduction in their symptoms.

Orofacial Skills Our Therapists Work On