The first fully English basic course of OMFT.info abroad, has been successful. The participants appreciated the three-day course in Denmark with a high score: a 9.2. Striking was the large number of osteopaths that participated and the lack of speech therapists.
The course took place on Wednesday 15, Thursday 16 and Friday 17 August in the Danish city of Odense. Instead of the usual two days in which the material from the basic course is treated and the practical exercises are done, the theory and exercise material in the English version of the course was spread over three days and supplemented with some parts from the advanced course. Fourteen people participated. Mainly osteopaths and – for the first time as participants in our courses – two occupational therapists and a dietitian. All very interested and with the desire to become a myo-functional therapist.
Missing puzzle piece
Each discipline looks with its own eyes at a ‘problem/complaint’ of a client. After attending the course, the students indicated that they had now found the missing piece in their own field. Especially when it comes to the knowledge about a good tongue position at rest and during swallowing. And the importance of a good mouth closure. What deviant mouth habits do with the outgrowth of the oro-facial skeleton and how this is related to postural abnormalities, was an eye opener for the group. There was a great deal of interest among the participants in too short tongue ties and its consequences and treatment.
Practice weekly
In addition to the theoretical framework, there was a lot of attention for practice exercises as well. The entire OMFT protocol was completed and practiced, learning to measure the barrel, performing the Payne technique and using the force scale. The weekly practice as OMFT speech therapists do in the Netherlands was new ground for this group of students; they normally see their clients less frequently.
No speech therapists
Because of the composition of the group, during this course no specific attention was paid to articulatory problems of the client. This is the speech therapist’s area. That no speech therapist from Denmark had registered for this course surprised us. Apparently there is still insufficient attention in Denmark for myofunctional problems in the field and at the speech therapy training. We hope to change that in the coming period by publishing a few articles in Danish journals.
Great enthusiasm
The participants in the course are eager to work with the OMFT in their own practical situation, they indicated afterwards. Some reactions from the participants were:
- ‘A lot of answers have been received: everything is clear to me now’.
- ‘I had high expectations and they have been fully realized’.
- ‘Very good balance between theory and practice’.
- ‘I had already started looking for all kinds of videos on Youtube, because I was looking for answers for certain problems. Everything is well explained and demonstrated in this course. The cause of all kinds of problems has also become clear to me now. “
‘Have a lot of new knowledge and exercises now’. - ‘Structured and very professional. Perfect!’
Again in 2019
Also in view of the enthusiastic reactions we look back on three very successful course days in Odense. The course was organized in consultation with Lebahn Events, who will also take care of the applications for the same course in August 2019. Because of the success, a three-day English-language course has been recorded on Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 August 2019. Again in Odense. You can register via the Lehban Events website or via info@lebahn.dk.
Gaining position for OMFT
Earlier, OMFT.info provided some English language courses and lectures abroad. But with the three-day course that has now been developed, there is a solid foundation for the provision of theory and practical exercises anywhere in the world. “That is not an end in itself”, says Liset Maas-Houtekamer of OMFT.info. “But where we have the opportunity to propagate oro-myofunctional therapy abroad, we will certainly not fail to do so. Where the level of knowledge about the therapy is increased (particularly with orthodontists, dentists, speech therapists, oro-facial therapists and osteopaths), the multidisciplinary collaboration and thus the results that can be achieved for clients are improved”.
