ASHA Learning Pass

SLPs who work with people with dysphagia face the challenge of identifying food textures and liquid consistencies that will optimize swallowing safety and efficiency while minimizing negative consequences on quality of life and nutrition. This session features case-based opportunities to practice the skills involved in determining when and how texture modification can be used to improve swallowing outcomes.

This course is a recorded session from the 2022 online conference “Controversies and Consensus in Dysphagia Management.”

Learning Outcomes
After completing this session, you will be able to:

• Compare videofluoroscopic measures of swallowing physiology of different liquid consistencies to reference values to determine which values are typical or atypical
• Explain how thickened liquids influence penetration-aspiration and related physiological parameters
• Teach a patient or caregiver how to determine the consistency of a food or liquid using standardized texture testing methods

Contents

• Brief history of texture modification
• What does the evidence say? How does consistency impact swallowing function and physiology?
• The great debate: Compensation, rehabilitation, or clinician comfort?
• Deciphering "normal" from "abnormal" swallowing, and how to use reference values
• Applying this knowledge to reveal mechanisms of impairment
• Resources and tools for patients, caregivers, and clinicians
• Take-home messages 

Presenter Information

Catriona M. Steele, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a professor and clinician scientist working in the area of swallowing and swallowing disorders. She has a background as a medical speech-language pathologist, and is Director of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory (www.steeleswallowinglab.ca) at the KITE Research Institute, the research arm of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network. Dr. Steele is a Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto.

Financial Disclosures:

• Salary from University Health Network, Toronto
• Grant funding from NIDCD
• Consulting fees from Nestle Health Science; Benitec Biopharma
• Royalties from MedBridge, Northern Speech Services
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this and other presentations

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative board member
• Developer of the ASPEKT and ASPEKT-C Methods of Videofluoroscopy Analysis
• Associate Editor of Dysphagia Journal
• Councilor at Dysphagia Research Society

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete the learning assessment by April 30, 2027.

Program History and CE Information

Content origination date: March 2022
End date: April 30, 2027

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).

Related Courses

View all courses from the Controversies and Consensus in Dysphagia Management online conference.