The Untethered Podcast™

Latest Episodes:

Episode 25: Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP Nov 18, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie talks to feeding specialist and author Melanie Potock. They discuss Melanie's books and some of her tips and tricks for getting children to develop healthy eating habits. They also talk about the most stressful things about having a picky eater and what both parents and professionals can do to help.

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Episode 24: Michelle Emanuel, OTL/R Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie continues her conversation with Michelle Emanuel, OTL/R. They talk more about optimal timing of tongue-tie release and new research about the relationship between apraxia and sleep apnea as it relates to tethered oral tissues. They also discuss how torticollis and tongue ties are related and what makes a good myo program.

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Episode 23: Michelle Emanuel, OTR/L Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie talks to Michelle Emanuel, OTR/L. Michelle specializes in working with pre-crawling babies affected by tethered oral tissues. They discuss tongue tie release timing with regard to symptoms and severity of cranial nerve dysfunction. Michelle also explains why she developed the Tummy Time Method and how it is helpful for both parents and their babies.

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Episode 22: Chris Norton, DDS Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie talks to Dr. Chris Norton about the Myobrace system. Chris explains the various Myobrace appliances and how his practice uses a combination of Myobrace, Buteyko breathing exercises, and myofunctional therapy to treat patients. He compares Myobrace to ALF and other appliances and shares various patient success stories.

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Episode 21: Ken Hooks, RRT, RPSGT Oct 21, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie talks to Ken Hooks, RRT, RPSGT. Ken is a registered respiratory therapist and the founder of True Sleep Diagnostics. He talks about the importance of sleep and the many ways in which lack of sleep can affect the body in both adults and children. He also explains how his method of looking at sleep study results differs from the norm and how important it is to look at the raw data instead of averages.

Get a copy of the show notes here.

Please visit untetheredpodcast.com for more episodes or to submit a request for future episodes.

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Episode 20: James Ryan, DDS, MS Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie talks to James Ryan, DDS, MS. Dr. Ryan has been working with other providers on a research study to determine a standard for diagnosing and releasing tongue ties in infants aged 0-6 months. He and Hallie also discuss reattachment prevention and the importance of collaboration and communication between various providers dealing with tongue ties.

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For more episodes or to submit a request for future episodes please visit, www.untetheredpodcast.com.

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Episode 19: MaryFrances Gonzalez, MA, CCC-SLP/COM Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie talks to MaryFrances Gonzalez, MA, CCC-SLP/COM about oral habits. They discuss various oral habits, nutritive vs. non-nutritive sucking, why children develop oral habits, the long-term effects of certain oral habits, and when/how to eliminate them.

MaryFrances Gonzalez, MA CCC-SLP/COM, is an ASHA certified, Virginia licensed Speech Language Pathologist and IAOM Certified Orofacial Myologist. She is the owner and director of TeachSpeech LLC in Loudoun County, Virginia which specializes in early intervention speech and language disorders. This past year she opened a Thumbsucking Clinic, the first of it’s kind in the United States, to help remediate prolonged oral habits in children and orofacial myofunctional disorders in teens and adults.

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For more episodes visit www.untetheredpodcast.com

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Episode 18: Dr. Monika Buerger Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Hallie talks to Monika Buerger, Exercise Physiologist, Doctor of Chiropractic. Dr. Buerger explains how tethered oral tissues and restrictions in the mouth affect the entire body. She and Hallie discuss the developmental windows of opportunity and the potential neurological challenges associated with TOTs.

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Episode 17: Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI - Part 2 Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

This is the second half of Hallie’s conversation with Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI. In this episode, Diane talks about feeding methods and when to introduce straws, cups, and spoons. They also discuss tongue function technology as it relates the IOPI and SmartPalate devices.

Key Topics & Takeaways

Speech vs. Feeding Mechanics: While speech and feeding share common muscle groups, clinical research demonstrates little functional movement crossover; targeting improvements requires direct work on specific functions like eating, drinking, or speaking.
Collaboration with Pediatricians: Pediatricians serve as general medical practitioners and often lack specialized checklists for subtle oral motor or airway issues; therapists can support them by constructively bridging clinical knowledge gaps.
The Problem with Sippy & 360 Cups: Sippy cups hold the tongue in a downward position and promote front-to-back jaw movement, whereas open cups and proper straw drinking encourage up-and-down jaw stability and active lip drawing.

Quotes & Soundbites

“We don’t want to tell pediatricians what to do; we want to walk beside them and just fill in some of those blanks for them.”

“In order to get eating, drinking, and speaking, you need to work on eating, drinking, and speaking.”

“When you thrust your tongue, you open your airway—it’s often a structural compensation, not just a habit.”

Topics Discussed & Timestamps

00:00 – Episode Introduction & Guest Overview
01:14 – Medical Disclaimer & Podcast Intro
01:51 – Early Vowels, Consonants & Speech Sound Milestones
02:51 – Introducing Solids: AAP vs. WHO Guidelines (4–6 Months vs. 6 Months)
03:41 – Proper Spoon Feeding, Open Cups & Safe Baby-Led Weaning Foods
04:12 – Open Cup Drinking Research & Tube Feeding Considerations (NG vs. G-Tube)
06:05 – Intraoral Pressure, Soft Palate Function & Case Case Studies
07:05 – Cerebral Palsy vs. Autism Misdiagnoses & Motor Movement Shifts
08:14 – Full-Body Reflexes, Moro/Startle Response & Back-to-Sleep Safety Observations
09:47 – Supporting Pediatricians with Specialized Functional Checklists
11:00 – Medical System Disjointedness & Building Airway-Centric Multidisciplinary Care Teams
12:55 – Personal Reflections: Tonsils, Turbinates, and Airway Interventions
14:26 – Tongue Thrust Red Flags, Airway Compensations & Jaw Protrusion
16:03 – Epigenetics & Lower Jaw Retrusion in Modern Infants
16:53 – Why Sippy Cups & 360 Wow Cups Are Problematic for Tongue Posture
18:18 – Proper Straw Drinking Progression, Lip Blocks & Honey Bear Cups
20:25 – Jaw Grading for Vowels, Speech, and Feeding Mechanics
21:03 – The Non-Speech Oral Motor Exercise Controversy & Research Overview
22:20 – Muscle Cross-Over Research & Task Analysis in Therapy
22:58 – Smart Palatometry (SmartPalate) & Biofeedback Applications
25:21 – Palatometry for Tongue Tie Identification & Swallow Mechanics
26:11 – Mentorship, Life-Long Learning, and Professional Development
29:16 – Ray Kent’s Narrative Review Research & Oral Exercise Frameworks
31:02 – Historical Influences: Bosma, Weyson, Morris, and Clinical Mentors
32:38 – Closing Remarks, Contact Info & Episode Wrap-Up

Links & Resources

Diane Bahr’s Website: agesandstages.net (Free downloadable checklists & topic guides)
Free E-Course: Email Diane directly at dibahr@cox.net to request her free course on newborn/infant mouth development.
Books & Publications Mentioned:
Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right by Diane Bahr
Nobody Ever Told Me (or My Mother) That! by Diane Bahr
Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment: Ages and Stages by Diane Bahr
Jaws: The Hidden Epidemic by Sandra Kahn & Paul Ehrlich

Worth a Listen: Catch Up On Part 1

Episode 16: Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI – Part 1

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Episode 16: Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

In Part 1 of this two-part series, SLP and infant massage instructor Diane Bahr joins Hallie Bulkin to break down the foundational physiology of infant mouth function, swallowing, and motor speech mechanics.

This discussion explores the physiological differences between breastfeeding and bottle feeding, the critical role of lateral jaw stability and cheek pads, and why pre-operative care is essential before tethered oral tissue (TOTs) releases. Diane also discusses how gross motor alignment drives oral control, red flags for swallowing disorders, and practical strategies for supporting optimal feeding development.

Key Topics & Takeaways

Breastfeeding vs. Bottle Feeding Mechanics: Breastfeeding involves active jaw movement and an anterior tongue response drawing the breast into the mouth, whereas bottle feeding relies heavily on cheek and lip movement.
The Sucking Reflex vs. True Suck: Research shows infants are born with the suck they will have for life, requiring proper intraoral pressure and up-and-down jaw movement to draw the breast in effectively.
Sucking Pads & Lateral Stability: Sucking pads (fat pads in the cheeks) provide necessary lateral stability; infants lacking these pads often struggle to latch.
Pre-Op Care & Compensatory Patterns: Releasing a tongue tie without pre-operative therapy forces the infant to transition motor plans without proper training. Preparing the parent and infant beforehand ensures significantly better post-release results.

Quotes & Soundbites

"Feeding is a full-body experience—if you do not get the quality of movement in the body, you are not going to get it in the mouth."

"We have to make our own teams—pulling together people in our community where we all know each other's work so we know how to refer and work with one another."

"It's unfair to expect parents to know how to do this without support; pre-op preparation prevents traumatizing both the parents and the babies."

Topics Discussed & Timestamps

00:00 – Episode Introduction & Diane Bahr’s Background
01:18 – Disclaimer & Podcast Intro
02:13 – Breastfeeding vs. Bottle Feeding: Physiological Differences & Research
05:18 – Free E-Course Overview & Breastfeeding Challenges in Term Infants
06:14 – Identifying Sucking Pads & Lateral Jaw Stability
07:44 – The Science of the Infant Suck & Intraoral Pressure
09:05 – The "Dancer Hand" Position for Cheek & Jaw Support
10:05 – Pace Bottle Feeding, Nipple Types, and Pacifier Guidelines
11:08 – Historical Perspective: Feeding Patterns in Hunting & Gathering Societies
12:20 – Feeding Development in Children with Special Needs & Down Syndrome
18:13 – Tongue Cupping, Lateralization, and Research-Based Assessment Guidelines
20:23 – The Importance of Postural Development & Tummy Time Quality
26:15 – Red Flags for Swallowing & Feeding Disorders Across Ages
28:35 – Oral Discrimination Sequence & Developmental Mouth Toys
30:11 – Speech Delays, Hyoid Bone Compensation, and Tongue Ties
32:20 – Managing Older Children with Tongue Ties, Sutures, and Apraxia
35:05 – Why Release Isn't Always the First Step (Palatal Expansion & Airway Work)
36:12 – Closing Remarks & Part 2 Teaser

Links & Resources

Diane Bahr's Website: agesandstages.net (Free age & topic guides available)
Free E-Course: Email Diane directly at dibahr@cox.net to request her free course on newborn/infant mouth development.
Books by Diane Bahr:
Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right
Nobody Ever Told Me (or My Mother) That!
Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment: Ages and Stages

STAY CONNECTED

💬 Join the Conversation: Connect with Hallie for weekly clinical takeaways, case study breakdowns, and program updates on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.