Next course: Make The Connection — Atlanta, September 24–26, 2026 Register & pay →info@function-focus.com

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Intermediate · Hybrid · 3 days live

Make The Connection

The foundational course in orofacial myofunctional disorders.

$2,8003.6 ASHA CEUsHybrid · 3 days live
Register & pay — AtlantaSee dates & cities
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36hours total
of learning

Register for Make The Connection

At a glanceUp to 3Level: IntermediateHybrid · 3 days live
Overview

What this course is

Make The Connection is the course that started it all. Since 2012, it has trained thousands of clinicians to identify, assess, and plan care for orofacial myofunctional disorders through a function-first, interdisciplinary lens.

You'll complete 15.25 hours of foundational video on your own schedule before you arrive — covering anatomy, physiology, and the research base — so that every minute of the three days together is spent on what you can only learn in a room: hands-on assessment, live demonstration, and supervised practice with real cases.

By the time you leave, you won't just understand OMD theory. You'll have a framework for documenting function, planning therapy within your scope, and knowing when the case needs dental, ENT/allergy, sleep, medical, or other referral support.

By the end, you'll be able to:

  • Define orofacial myofunctional disorders and common clinical presentations
  • Identify oral structures and document function vs. dysfunction
  • Explain how nasal airway, oral resting posture, swallowing, speech, and feeding may interact in OMDs
  • Screen oral frenula and document functional impact, including when to refer
  • Build treatment plans and referral pathways through real case studies
The curriculum

Day by day

Review the published course outline below.

Before you arrive

Pre-course video (15.25 hrs, self-paced)

  • Foundations of orofacial myology and the evidence base
  • Anatomy & physiology of the orofacial complex
  • Nasal breathing, airway considerations, and oral resting posture in OMD care
  • Screening and intake essentials
Day 1

Assessment & the orofacial exam

  • Identifying oral structures and landmarks hands-on
  • Function vs. dysfunction: what to look for and document
  • Screening oral frenula and functional impact
  • Live demonstration and partner practice
Day 2

Treatment planning & technique

  • Building a treatment hierarchy from assessment findings
  • Core therapy techniques and progressions
  • Referral decision-making and co-treatment
  • Supervised lab time with instructor feedback
Day 3

Case studies & application

  • Real case studies across ages and presentations
  • Troubleshooting the cases you'll actually see
  • Documentation, billing, and getting started
  • Q&A, next steps, and your 30-day plan
The details

Everything that comes with it

What's included

  • 15.25 hours of pre-course video, yours to keep
  • Three days of in-person, hands-on instruction
  • Up to 3.6 ASHA CEUs (36 contact hours)

Prerequisites

None beyond an active professional license. Make The Connection is designed as your entry point into orofacial myology.

CEU credit

Up to 3.6 ASHA CEUs (36 contact hours): 15.25 hours of pre-course video plus 20.75 hours of in-person instruction. Intermediate level, Professional area.

Who it's for

Licensed SLPs, OTs, PTs, dentists, physicians, and osteopaths who want a clinically usable foundation in OMD assessment, treatment planning, and referral decision-making.

Policies & disclosures

Before you register

ASHA notice: ASHA CE Provider approval and use of the Brand Block does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedures.

Cancellation policy: For cancellations 30 or more days before the course, the published policy applies a $500 fee for course materials and supplies, plus merchant charges. Within 30 days, funds may be credited toward a future Make The Connection course at the instructors' discretion.

Financial disclosures: Mary Billings is the owner of Billings Speech Pathology Services, LLC and receives compensation as a course instructor. Patricia Fisher receives compensation as a course contributor or instructor.

Nonfinancial disclosures: The published course disclosures identify Mary Billings with the Oral Motor Institute Board of Directors and state that Patricia Fisher has no relevant nonfinancial disclosure.

Accommodations and complaints: Email info@function-focus.com to request an accommodation or describe a concern about purchasing, website use, course quality, or an examination. The published complaint process states that a response will follow within seven days of receipt.

Upcoming dates

Published dates

Choose an open cohort below to register and pay securely through Ruzuku.

Confirm the venue and travel details with the registrar before booking.

Your instructors

Taught by

Portrait of Mary Billings

Mary Billings

MS, CCC-SLP

Founder & Lead Instructor

A speech-language pathologist who has shaped orofacial myology education since 2007. Mary chaired the IAOM's first Mentoring Committee, launched Make The Connection in 2012, and has trained thousands of clinicians across the globe with her interdisciplinary, function-first approach.

Portrait of Patricia Fisher

Patricia Fisher

MA, CCC-SLP

Co-Instructor

Co-instructor and private-practice owner in Ohio, Pat brings decades of clinical depth in proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and hands-on therapy techniques to every course.

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