Kathleen Elder, COM opened her private practice (Digits and Spots Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy) in 2003, offering myofunctional therapy to the Greater Kansas City area. As an IAOM Board Certified Orofacial Myologist she assists individuals to correct tongue, lips, and jaw postures related to open mouth/breathing postures, and to create correct chewing and swallowing patterns along with habitual nasal breathing. She works with both medical and dental professionals to assist in the correction of temporal mandibular joint disease symptoms, and TMJD and sleep disordered breathing (SDB) issues and postures. Therapy includes developmental skills related to pre and post release of tethered oral tissues (TOT's). Special programs are available for the emimination of oral habits and behaviors such as digit (thumb and finger) sucking, lips, cheeks, tongue chewing and chronic nail biting that can alter normal orofacial growth and development.

Kathleen has completed extensive studies in primitive reflex integration through the Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration-MNRI, cranial sacral therapy through the Upledger Institute along with independent studies, and the Buteyko International Institute studying with Patrick McKeown. Over the years she has studied with many of the renowned therapists of the IAOM and beyond. Kathleen is a firm believer that there is always more to learn in developing her best protocols in meeting the needs of her patients.

Kathleen's background comes from 33+ years as a licensed Kansas registered dental hygienist. Throughout the years she served in many organizations to increase awareness of the importance of dental health. Kathleen became a COM in 2008, the first certified myologist in the State of Kansas. She serves on the Board of Examiners of the IAOM (2020-present) and is a member of the Board of Directors (2024-present). She served on the Mentorship Committee of the IAOM (2013-14) and as Co-chair to the 2022 IAOM Convention, held in Kansas City. She also served as a member of the planning committee for the Annual IAOM Convention in 2023, 2024 and 2025. She was a Co-author to: "The Essential Role of the COM in the Management of Sleep Disordered Breathing, a Literature Review and Discussion", IJOM 2014, and she was a speaker at the 2023 UMKC Midwest Dental Conference, Kansas City, MO on "What's AIR Got to Do with It?"