Infant and Toddler Services

Oral Motor Coaching

Lactation Counseling

Craniosacral Fascial Therapy (CFT)

Chelsea Madison (0-3.5 yo clients)

Infant Oral Motor Coach and/or CFT

Franklin, Mt. Juliet, and Murfreesboro

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Rachel Owens (0-6 month clients)

Franklin, Mt. Juliet, and Home Visits

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Lactation Counseling and/or

Infant Oral Motor Coaching

Lindsey Lotito (0-3.5 yo clients)

Lactation Counseling and/or

Infant Oral Motor Coaching

Virtual

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Oral Motor Coaching for Infants & Toddlers

What Is Oral Motor Coaching?

Oral motor coaching focuses on the muscles of the mouth, tongue, cheeks, and lips. These muscles play a big role in feeding, swallowing, and speech. When they don’t work together as they should, children may experience challenges such as:

Difficulty breastfeeding or bottle feeding
Problems transitioning to solids
Picky eating or gagging on textures
Drooling beyond typical age
Delays in speech sound development

Through individualized coaching, we help your child build the right patterns and strength for more successful feeding and clearer speech.

How Oral Motor Coaching Helps

By improving oral motor skills early, we set the foundation for lifelong healthy habits. Oral motor coaching can:

Support breastfeeding or bottle-feeding by improving latch and sucking
Ease the transition to solid foods and broaden food acceptance
Promote proper swallowing and reduce gagging
Encourage nasal breathing over mouth breathing
Prepare the oral muscles for clearer speech as your child grows
Prevent compensations that could lead to myofunctional issues later on

What to Expect in a Session

Our sessions are gentle, play-based, and always tailored to your child’s age and needs. A typical session may include:

Assessment & Observation: We begin by watching your child feed, chew, or play to see how their muscles are working.
Hands-On Coaching: Using safe, gentle exercises, we guide your child through activities that strengthen and coordinate the mouth, tongue, and jaw.
Feeding Strategies: We may introduce tools, positioning tips, or strategies to make feeding easier and more comfortable.
Parent Coaching: You’ll learn how to continue the exercises and techniques at home so progress continues between sessions.
Frequency: For infants, you can expect to see us every 1-3 weeks and for toddlers every 2-8 weeks depending on what we find in our initial appointment until you have graduated from our care.

Sessions are designed to be positive and encouraging—often incorporating toys, songs, and play to keep little ones engaged.

Why Choose Oral Motor Coaching with a Myofunctional Approach

As part of a myofunctional therapy practice, our approach goes beyond just the momentary challenge—it looks at the bigger picture of oral development. We connect feeding and oral motor skills with breathing, posture, and long-term oral health. This whole-child perspective ensures that your child is not only feeding and speaking better now, but also set up for a healthier airway, dental growth, and communication in the future.

Lactation Counseling with Oral Motor Evaluation

If you are a lactating mom, we often recommend including Lactation Counseling to your Oral Motor Evaluation. In many cases, lactation services are more likely to be reimbursed by insurance, which makes the combined visit more accessible financially. Combining lactation counseling with an oral motor evaluation is powerful, because it supports both the baby’s functional skills and the mother’s feeding experience. There are many benefits for both mom and baby:

For the Baby

Improved Feeding Efficiency
Better Milk Intake & Weight Gain
Reduced Feeding Struggles
Supports Long-Term Development

For the Mom

Comfort & Pain Relief
Confidence in Feeding
Personalized Plan
Insurance Coverage
To check insurance coverage, click the two links below.

Wildflower

TLN

Craniosacral Fascial Therapy (CFT)

What is Craniosacral Fascial Therapy (CFT)?

CFT is a gentle, hands-on therapy that works to release tension in the body’s craniosacral and fascial systems. This therapy helps improve mobility, reduce restrictions, and support the body’s natural healing processes.

It’s especially effective for infants, children, and adults experiencing tension-related issues, feeding difficulties, sleep challenges, or post-tether release healing.

By addressing strain patterns in the head, neck, and fascia, CFT promotes better overall function and long-term wellness.