Making Connections LLC

04/02/2026

📚✨Early Literacy & Phonological Awareness Mini Bootcamp✨

We’re excited to introduce our Early Literacy & Phonological Awareness Mini Bootcamp, led by Lauren, a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in early reading development for preschool and early elementary children.

This bootcamp is designed to strengthen the foundational skills needed for reading success—helping children learn to hear, identify, and work with sounds in words while building language and pre-reading skills that make reading and spelling easier.

💡 What to expect:
• Engaging, play-based, and developmentally appropriate sessions
• Personalized support tailored to your child’s needs
• Collaboration with families and educators to support strong outcomes

🗓️ Session Details:
• 30-minute sessions
• Held twice weekly (Mondays & Thursdays)
• Starting in June
• Additional July session may open based on interest

Give your child the tools they need to become a confident, successful reader! 📖💬

📩 Message us to learn more or reserve your spot!

03/19/2026

Spring Break looks a little different over here this year 💼💕

I’ve got a very special “assistant” joining me at the office today — my daughter Ella! She’s trading in her school desk for mine and getting a behind-the-scenes look at what mom does all day 🗂️✨

From helping me stay organized to meeting some of the amazing families I get to work with, she’s already making herself pretty useful (and way more fun to have around 😄).

There’s something extra special about sharing this part of my world with her ❤️

03/17/2026

Feeling extra lucky this St. Patrick’s Day 🍀

Not because of four-leaf clovers or pots of gold—but because of the incredible families and clients we get to serve every single day.

Watching your children grow, communicate, sleep better, eat with confidence, and thrive is the real treasure. 💚

Thank you for trusting us to be part of your journey. We truly hit the jackpot with you all.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🌈✨

03/13/2026

Hypermobility isn’t just about flexible joints — it can also impact the airway, breathing, and oral function.

Conditions associated with joint hypermobility such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Marfan syndrome affect the body’s connective tissue — including the structures that support the jaw, palate, tongue, and airway.

When connective tissue is more lax, we may see:
• High or narrow palates
• Mouth breathing
• Tongue instability at rest
• Forward head posture
• Increased airway collapsibility during sleep
• Higher risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

These patterns can influence:
🗣 Speech sound development
🥣 Feeding and chewing efficiency
😮‍💨 Breathing patterns
👄 Oral rest posture
😴 Sleep quality

This is why a whole-body perspective matters. Posture, airway, breathing, and oral function are deeply connected.

For many individuals with hypermobility, addressing breathing patterns, oral rest posture, and functional stability of the orofacial muscles can make a meaningful difference.

Speech-language pathologists trained in orofacial myofunctional therapy often collaborate with orthodontists, ENTs, and other providers to support airway health and function.

Because sometimes what looks like “just speech” is actually an airway story. ✨

03/11/2026

So excited for Dr. Lacey Mays and her new practice. She offers chiropractic care, functional nutrition support, and primitive reflex integration in mid-Mo!

03/08/2026

Here’s to strong women, empowered voices, and helping the next generation speak up with confidence.

Happy International Women’s Day! 🌸

03/05/2026

📚 Now Hiring: School-Based SLP Contractor

📍 Jefferson City, Missouri & Surrounding Areas

I am seeking a passionate Speech-Language Pathologist (CCC-SLP or CF) to join my private practice as an independent contractor providing school-based services in and around Jefferson City, MO.

This position is ideal for an SLP who:

✔️ Values flexibility and autonomy
✔️ Wants clinical respect and collaborative leadership
✔️ Is confident with IEPs & school documentation (or eager to grow in this area)
✔️ Enjoys working with pediatric populations
✔️ Is looking for a supportive, clinician-led environment

✨ CF Supervision Available
I am able to provide ASHA-approved supervision for Clinical Fellows who are looking for strong mentorship within a flexible contracting model.

What I Offer:
• Flexible scheduling
• Competitive contract rate
• Support from an experienced pediatric SLP & private practice owner
• Professional collaboration when you want it — independence when you don’t
• Opportunity to expand into specialty areas (feeding, orofacial myofunctional therapy, airway-focused care) if desired

Whether you're an experienced school SLP ready for more autonomy or a CF seeking quality supervision, I’d love to connect.

📩 Message me directly or email info@makingconnectionsjcmo.com to learn more.

Please share with an SLP friend who may be interested!

02/27/2026

I’m so excited to collaborate with Busy Bins Co. to bring simple, parent-friendly communication guides right into your home through their Subscription Club boxes!

As a Speech-Language Pathologist, one of my biggest goals is helping families feel confident supporting their child’s communication during everyday routines — especially through play.

Together, we created guides that show you how to:
✨ build language during sensory play
✨ support communication naturally at home
✨ turn playtime into meaningful connection moments

Because communication doesn’t just happen in the therapy room — it happens on the living room floor, at the kitchen table and during play.

This is play with purpose 💜

This collaboration is so close to my heart! 💜

I’m beyond excited to partner with Heather from Making Connections LLC, a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, to bring communication guides to every Busy Bins Co. Subscription Club box.

As an autism mama, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful communication support and speech therapy can be — not just for language growth, but for connection, confidence and play. That’s why this project feels extra meaningful.

Together, we created simple, parent-friendly guides that help you:
✨ build language through sensory play
✨ feel confident supporting communication at home
✨ turn everyday play into intentional connection moments

I truly cannot wait for families to experience these. This is play with purpose — and a collaboration rooted in passion, expertise and heart. 💜

02/26/2026

Ever feel like your child is always hungry… no matter how much they eat?

It might not be a growth spurt.
It might be their sleep.

When children have sleep-disordered breathing — such as mouth breathing, snoring, or airway restriction — their body doesn’t just feel tired. Their hunger hormones can become dysregulated.

Poor quality sleep can lead to:

⬆️ Increased ghrelin (the “I’m hungry” hormone)
⬇️ Decreased or disrupted leptin (the “I’m full” hormone)

When this happens, the brain may not receive strong signals that your child is full — even after a complete meal.

You might notice:
• Constant grazing
• Carb and sugar cravings
• Emotional meltdowns when hungry
• “Never full” behavior
• Rapid weight gain
• Fatigue-related eating

This isn’t always behavioral. It may be physiological.

Children who mouth breathe, snore, sleep restlessly, have enlarged tonsils, or show poor tongue posture may not be getting the deep, restorative sleep needed to properly regulate appetite hormones.

The good news? Improving nasal breathing, tongue posture, and airway health through orofacial myofunctional therapy may also support:

✨ Better sleep
✨ More regulated hunger cues
✨ Improved daytime energy
✨ Healthier metabolism

Sometimes addressing the airway helps the appetite, too.

If your child is always hungry AND snores or mouth breathes, it may be time to look beyond the plate and toward their airway.

📩 Message us to learn more about airway-focused myofunctional therapy.

02/19/2026

Is your child eating a lot… but still not chewing well? 👀

Many toddlers and young children are GREAT eaters — but may still be using immature chewing patterns that affect more than you realize.

Chewing is not just about getting food down. Efficient chewing supports:

• Food variety
• Digestion
• Speech development
• Jaw growth
• Airway health

🚩 Signs your child may not be chewing efficiently:

– Swallows food quickly without chewing much
– Uses their tongue to mash food instead of their teeth
– Prefers soft carbs (crackers, puffs, bread, pasta)
– Avoids meats or tougher textures
– Overstuffs their mouth
– Food falls out while chewing
– Frequently drinks to wash food down
– Open-mouth posture during meals

Efficient chewing should include side-to-side jaw movement, the tongue moving food to the molars, lip closure, and nasal breathing during meals.

When chewing skills are immature, children often compensate in ways that can impact feeding and overall orofacial development.

The good news? Chewing is a skill — and skills can be taught.

If you have concerns about your child’s feeding or oral motor development, a feeding evaluation can help identify what’s going on and how to support it early.

📩 Reach out to learn more or schedule an evaluation.

02/12/2026

🧩 Still working on feeding, mouth breathing, or oral habits — but something feels “stuck”?

The missing piece may not just be in the mouth.

Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns we are born with to help us suck, swallow, breathe, and move. These reflexes are meant to integrate as the nervous system matures. When they don’t fully integrate, they can continue to influence oral function, airway development, posture, and muscle coordination long after infancy.

Retained primitive reflexes may contribute to:
• Difficulty chewing and transitioning textures
• Tongue thrust and open-mouth posture
• Gagging, picky eating, or fatigue during meals
• Mouth breathing and poor nasal airflow
• Challenges maintaining a stable tongue-to-palate rest posture

In feeding therapy and orofacial myofunctional therapy, we look beyond symptoms. If the body is still operating in reflex-driven patterns, it can be harder to:
✔ Maintain lip closure
✔ Establish consistent nasal breathing
✔ Stabilize the jaw for chewing and speech
✔ Sustain correct tongue posture

That’s why we assess retained primitive reflexes alongside feeding and myofunctional evaluations. By combining reflex integration exercises, functional movement support, oral motor strategies, and airway-centered goals, we help build a stronger foundation for safer feeding, better breathing, and long-term progress.

If your child has made progress but continues to struggle with feeding, oral habits, or mouth breathing, reflex integration may be part of the solution.

📩 Reach out to schedule an evaluation and learn more.

02/09/2026

As one of the first practices in Columbia to provide laser frenectomies, Thomas Family Dental is a trusted provider for infant and toddler tongue- and lip-tie releases, often working alongside pediatricians, ENTs, and lactation consultants throughout the region. With advanced tools like the LightScalpel CO₂ laser, Dr. Thomas ensures treatment is gentle, precise, and promotes faster healing.

We are also proud to offer airway evaluations for children under 6, giving young patients the best possible foundation for healthy breathing, sleep, and facial growth. In addition to these specialty services, we provide restorative care, general family dentistry, and wellness-based treatments like cold sore therapy and red light therapy.

Our proactive, whole-health approach helps families stay ahead of dental issues and feel confident in their care. 🦷