What are oral-facial praxies and why are they important?

Oral-facial praxies are voluntary and coordinated movements of the muscles of the face, mouth, tongue, lips, and cheeks. They are essential for articulation, feeding, and facial expressions. These movements are crucial for precise sound production, proper chewing and swallowing, non-verbal communication through facial expressions, and breath control.

What are some examples of tongue praxis exercises?

Tongue praxis exercises include sticking out the tongue, pointing it, raising it towards the nose, lowering it towards the chin, moving it laterally, clicking, doing the horse sound, and sweeping the palate. These movements help develop coordination and strength of the tongue muscles.

What types of lip movements are included in oral-facial praxies?

Lip praxis movements include smiling, pouting, projecting lips (as in kissing), stretching, pinching, vibrating the lips, and alternating between smile and pout positions. These exercises help improve lip coordination and muscle control.

How do oral-facial praxies relate to speech articulation?

While oral-facial praxies are non-verbal movements distinct from articulation, they underpin speech production. Precise movements of the tongue and lips developed through praxis exercises are necessary to produce clear sounds and improve overall articulation skills.

What cheek exercises are part of oral-facial praxis therapy?

Cheek praxis exercises include inflating both cheeks, hollowing them out, and inflating one cheek at a time. These movements help strengthen the cheek muscles and improve overall oral motor control.

Who can benefit from oral-facial praxis exercises?

Oral-facial praxis exercises are beneficial for individuals with speech articulation difficulties, feeding and swallowing problems, facial muscle weakness, or those who need to improve their oral motor coordination. Speech therapists commonly use these exercises in their treatment plans.

Bucco-facial practices: complete guide for speech therapists

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Oral-Facial Praxies: Complete Guide for Speech Therapists

Oral-facial praxies are the voluntary and coordinated movements of the muscles of the face, mouth, tongue, lips, and cheeks. They are essential for articulation, feeding, and facial expressions. This guide presents the different types of praxies, their assessment, and exercises to develop or rehabilitate them.

👅 Download Our Praxies Exercises

Illustrated sheets, tongue games, progressive exercises

Download the praxies →

Definition and Importance

The term "praxis" comes from the Greek "praxis" (action). Oral-facial praxies refer to the ability to perform voluntary and coordinated movements of the oro-facial structures: tongue, lips, cheeks, jaw, soft palate. These non-verbal movements are distinct from articulation but underpin it.

Why Praxies Are Important

Articulation: precise movements of the tongue and lips are necessary to produce sounds
Feeding: chewing, swallowing, managing the bolus
Facial Expression: non-verbal communication
Breathing: breath control

Types of Oral-Facial Praxies

Area	Examples of Movements
Tongue	Stick out the tongue, point it, raise it towards the nose, lower it towards the chin, move it laterally, click, do the horse, sweep the palate
Lips	Smile, pout, project lips (kiss), stretch, pinch, vibrate, alternate smile/pout
Cheeks	Inflate cheeks, hollow them, inflate one cheek then the other, hold air
Jaw	Open wide, close, move laterally, push forward, pull back
Soft Palate	Yawn, blow, say "ah" with mouth open

Assessment of Praxies

The assessment of oral-facial praxies is part of the speech therapy evaluation of articulation, oral language, swallowing, or voice. It includes:

Observation

At rest: position of the tongue, lips, mouth opening, symmetry
In spontaneous movement: during speech, feeding

Requested Tasks

By imitation: the child reproduces the shown movement
By verbal instruction: the child executes on command ("stick out your tongue")
Isolated movements then chained (sequences)

Analysis Criteria

Amplitude: is the movement complete?
Precision: does the movement reach its target?
Coordination: is the movement fluid?
Speed: is the movement performed in a normal time?
Holding: can the movement be maintained?
Dissociation: are unwanted movements controlled?

Indications for Praxies Work

Articulation Disorders: difficulty producing certain sounds due to lack of motor control
Verbal Dyspraxia: disorder of speech movement programming
Cerebral Palsy: motor impairments affecting the oro-facial area
Oral Sensitivity Disorders: chewing difficulties, hypersensitivity
Dysphagia: strengthening muscles for swallowing
Facial Paralysis: rehabilitation of mobility
Lingual Dysfunction: poor tongue position at rest or during swallowing

Examples of Exercises

👅 Tongue Exercises

The Cat: lap like a cat (tongue movements forward)
The Broom: sweep the palate back and forth with the tip of the tongue
The Horse: click the tongue against the palate
The Clock: move the tongue left to right like a pendulum
The Suction Cup: stick the tongue to the palate and hold it
The Snake: stick out and retract the tongue quickly

💋 Lip Exercises

The Smile: stretch the lips as much as possible
The Kiss: project the lips forward
Alternate: smile → kiss → smile (quickly)
The Rabbit: curl the upper lip
The Motor: vibrate the lips (brrrr)
Hold a Pencil: keep a pencil between the nose and the lip

😊 Cheek Exercises

The Balloon: inflate both cheeks and hold
Ping-Pong: pass air from one cheek to the other
The Explosion: inflate then release suddenly
The Vacuum Cleaner: hollow the cheeks as much as possible
Hold Water: keep water in the mouth with inflated cheeks

💡 Tips for Exercises

Mirror: always work in front of a mirror for visual feedback
Short and Frequent: 5 minutes several times a day rather than one long session
Playful: present exercises as games, especially with children
Progressive: start with simple movements before complex ones
Modeling: show the movement, do it together

Practical Tips

Make Exercises Fun

Use stories: "The tongue is going for a walk..."
Incorporate foods: lick honey, Nutella, catch cereals
Mirror Games: imitate grimaces
Fun Apps and videos
Rewards and encouragements

Precautions

Do not force if there is pain or fatigue
Respect neurological or anatomical difficulties
Adapt to the child's abilities
Work in connection with other areas (articulation, swallowing)

Our Downloadable Praxies Tools

👅 Oral-Facial Praxies Exercises

Illustrated sheets with all tongue, lip, and cheek exercises. Playful format.

Download

🌬️ Breathing Exercises

Activities to work on breath control. Complement to praxies.

Download

🔤 Sound/Phoneme Cards

To link praxies and articulation of sounds.

Download

📊 Texture Chart

For working on praxies in relation to feeding.

Download

Frequently Asked Questions

📌 Do praxies exercises improve articulation?

This question is debated in the literature. Praxies exercises alone generally do not suffice to improve articulation as speech movements are different from non-verbal movements. However, they can be useful in preparation (warm-up, awareness), to develop basic motor skills when deficient, or in certain specific pathologies (dysarthria, paralysis). Direct work on sounds remains necessary.

📌 At what age can praxies exercises be done?

Games of grimaces and imitation can be offered as early as 2-3 years in a playful manner. More structured exercises are possible around 4-5 years when the child can follow instructions and maintain attention. With toddlers, prioritize functional activities (varied feeding, blowing bubbles, making funny noises) rather than analytical exercises.

📌 How long per day should exercises be done?

It is better to do little but often: 5 minutes 2-3 times a day is more effective than a long weekly session. Regularity is key. Integrate exercises into daily routines (tooth brushing, bath) to facilitate adherence. Adapt according to the child's fatigue and motivation.