Pediatric Speech, Language, & Myofunctional Therapy

About Us

K.O. Speech & Myo - Chicago provides high quality, individualized, and thoughtful therapy services in various neighborhoods of Chicago, IL. Our services are available in a variety of settings, including in-home, daycare, and private schools, as well as teletherapy sessions to best meet each family’s needs and preferences.

We offer a comprehensive range of services, including myofunctional therapy, speech sound production therapy, early language therapy, and feeding/swallowing therapy. With our specialized and comprehensive approach, we strive to empower our clients to achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.

If your child is struggling with their oral motor function, speech clarity, language development, or feeding/swallowing patterns, we are here to provide you with the support and guidance they need to succeed!

 Meet the Owner

Kristen (Opsahl) Walor is an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist and orofacial myofunctional therapist with a strong passion for impacting the lives of children and families through a holistic approach using her guidance and expertise.

Kristen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Univeristy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed her Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Northwestern University. Since 2017, Kristen has been evaluating and treating children of all ages with a variety of speech, language, feeding/swallowing, and orofacial myofunctional disorders across clinical, school, daycare, and home settings. Kristen has worked with children as young as 9 months old through 16 years old, and also has experience with young adults between the ages of 26 and 36.

Kristen has a special interest and expertise in the area of orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) with 40+ hours of continuing education in the area of orofacial myofunctional disorders, including extensive training in the Tethered Oral Tissues Specialty (TOTS). She has a passion for diagnosing and treating OMDs, with her primary goals including determining the root cause, collaborating using a team approach to address underlying issues, and improving the affected areas of functioning, all while keeping therapy sessions fun, motivating, and productive.

What are Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)?

OMDs are abnormal patterns of the muscles of the mouth and face that can negatively impact normal growth, development, and/or function of these structures.

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Mouth breathing

  • Open mouth resting posture

  • Drooling

  • Protruded tongue position

  • Snoring

  • Audible breathing

  • Tongue tie

  • Dental malocclusion

  • Speech errors

  • Tongue thrust swallow pattern

Causes:

  • Airway Obstruction

    • Enlarged tonsils/adenoids

    • Deviated septum

    • Allergies

  • Noxious Habits

    • Thumb sucking

    • Finger sucking

    • Prolonged pacifier use

  • Tethered Oral Tissues

    • Ankyloglossia or “tongue tie”

Our Services

Testimonials

  • Kristen has a special ability to connect with kids at their level. She is endlessly supportive and encouraging, while also helping them to set and reach their speech goals. Our family is deeply grateful for her dedication and willingness to go above and beyond in helping us navigate the intersection of speech therapy, myofunctional therapy, and orthodontia.

    -Samira N., Parent

  • Kristen is amazing! She is always calm and respectful. She has helped me grow so much over the past few years. She helped me understand what my tongue needs to do for my speech to be perfect. I am so grateful to have her.

    -Lila N., Pediatric Speech Client

  • Kristen was such a positive guiding force in this complicated world of myofunctional disorders. Our son struggled with saliva management, open mouth posture, mouth breathing and speech concerns. Kristen calmly led us through this journey with excellent dentist recommendations as well as focused exercises to strengthen our son’s lips and mouth muscles. Between orthodontic palate expansion and Kristen’s speech and myo work with him, our child has improved dramatically. We couldn’t be happier!

    -L.L., Parent

  • I can’t recommend Kristen highly enough for parents searching for a wonderful speech therapist for their child. Our daughter was a late talker and struggled to communicate verbally with words. Kristen expertly guided our daughter through this crucial chapter, helping her develop the foundational skills needed to unlock the delightful babbler we always knew was within her. Kristen’s kind and energetic demeanor was a stabilizing force throughout the process, uplifting and enriching the journey for us all.

    -Ali B., Parent

  • We are so grateful for the incredible support our son has received from Kristen. She has not only helped him improve his speech and language skills but also built his confidence in ways we hadn’t imagined. Her warm, encouraging approach made every session something he looked forward to. She generously shares her knowledge with us, making it easy to understand and practice at home. Thanks to her, our son is now a more confident and capable communicator.

    -Sarah G., Parent

  • My 6 year old daughter has been under Kristen’s care for nearly a year and the results have been profound. Kristen has worked with my daughter for speech and myofunctional therapy (pre and post tongue tie release), tongue posture, and oral function. Not only does my daughter absolutely love her time with Kristen (and truly does not want to end her therapy sessions with her) but I do too. Having been referred to Kristen was a blessing, she cares, she listens, she is patient, engages with them, captures their attention, and establishes a relationship. My daughter really enjoys and looks forward to Kristen’s activities and makes the time feel more like play, while generating a great outcome. I would recommend her time and time again, and as a Mom, I am so happy with the amount of growth my daughter has made under her guidance.

    -Lauren R., Parent

  • Kristen has been my son's SLP for over a year working with him on an articulation disorder. We have seen tremendous improvements in his speech under her care. Kristen is knowledgeable, energetic, and patient. She is able to meet him at a developmentally appropriate level to make the sessions engaging and fun. As a parent, it is wonderful to see how much he looks forward to working with her each week. We would recommend Kristen to any of our friends or family members.

    -Alexis T., Parent

  • I highly recommend Kristen for your child’s speech and myofunctional needs! While working alongside Kristen, she always stood out as a leader in the field of myofunctional therapy. Kristen goes the extra mile to stay up to date on best practices and readily imparts that knowledge on colleagues and families. Kristen curates speech therapy sessions that are individualized, fun, engaging and effective. Kristen empowers her families with the tools necessary to carry over home practice in between weekly sessions. If you are looking for expert-level care, Kristen will not disappoint!

    -Julie M., Speech-Language Pathologist

  • Kristen worked in our classroom last year with one of our students. During this time, she demonstrated her deep understanding of speech-language pathology and provided excellent care for our student. Kristen was sure to spend time checking in during every session to provide us with resources and the education needed to support our student in the classroom. She was also intentional about creating space to connect with our student’s family, furthering his progress throughout the school year. Kristen is exceptional. She is a compassionate, knowledgeable, and comprehensive therapist who exceeds expectations of care. She is truly wonderful and the best of the best! 

    -Cassidy G., Teacher

  • Kristen is one of the most competent, compassionate and hardworking speech pathologists that I've had the opportunity to collaborate with. She is extremely dedicated to her families and well-versed in all things related to orofacial myofunctional therapy. I've observed her first handedly go above and beyond for her clients and families. Kristen creates fun and engaging sessions for her clients and communicates effortlessly with her families to ensure carryover of skills. I would highly recommend Kristen to any family looking for a speech pathologist for their child.

    Sam Q., Speech-Language Pathologist

  • I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Kristen and witnessing firsthand her knowledge, passion, and dedication within the area of orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). She brings an exceptional level of clinical expertise to her clients, always staying current with the latest research and best practices. What truly sets Kristen apart is her evidenced-based, patient-centered approach. She has a remarkable ability to connect with clients of all ages, making them feel heard, supported, and empowered throughout evaluations and treatment sessions. It is clear that Kristen leaves a meaningful and lasting impact on every client she serves. I highly recommend Kristen to any family seeking an experienced speech-language pathologist with deep expertise and a true passion for treating OMDs.

    -Sarah H., Speech-Language Pathologist

  • Kristen is one of the most helpful and collaborative colleagues I have ever worked with! She takes the time to explain myofunctional therapy in a digestible way that is directly applicable to the client or case. I have collaborated with Kristen on so many of my clients and have seen the direct impact and growth that can be made when you target all aspects of speech and embed myofunctional treatment practices within typical speech sound production treatment! Kristen always goes the extra mile to support her clients and her colleagues! She’s an AMAZING SLP who approaches her clients and their families with kindness, a wealth of knowledge and experience, and compassion. When it comes to myofunctional therapy, Kristen is and always will be my first call! I would highly recommend Kristen to any family searching for support in speech and myofunctional therapy!

    -Steph O., Speech-Language Pathologist