To be able to accurately assess and develop a treatment plan for dysphagia, it is of the utmost importance to understand the system, including the muscles, central nervous system and cranial nerves. The ability to understand the neuro-anatomy and physiology of a normal swallow will enable clinicians to more accurately complete their assessment, diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia. Understanding the normal swallow, variations of normal and disordered swallows is key for all members involved in the dysphagia plan of care. Understanding compensations, maneuvers, strategies and when to request instrumental assessments is a large part of our daily job.
Assessment of dysphagia is not standardized but that doesn’t mean you can’t standardized your evaluation. Learn to enhance your assessment skills using evidence-based assessment strategies and tips for a more complete chart review. After review of assessment techniques, learn treatment strategies that are evidence based, effective and won’t break your budget. Learn to utilize assessment and treatment strategies across a continuum of settings including skilled nursing facility, outpatient, hospital or in the home health field.
Occupational therapists and students, speech language pathologists and students, radiology students, dietitians.
Tiffani L. Wallace, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, LSVT Certified Clinician, MBSImP Registered Clinician, has been assessing and treating patients of all ages with dysphagia. She has held her Board Certified Specialty in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S) for 5 years. She is certified in Vitalism, Deep Pharyngeal Neuromuscular Stimulation (DPNS), McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP), LSVT Loud and is a Modified Barium Impairment Profile Registered Clinician (MBSImP). Tiffani currently works home health assessing and treating adults with dysphagia, cognitive impairment and various speech deficits. She also works PRN in an acute care hospital assessing inpatients and completing Modified Barium Swallow Studies. She has learned how to work on a limited budget to provide the best, evidence based treatment for her patients.
Tiffani writes a blog, Dysphagia Ramblings (www.dysphagiaramblings.com), about various aspects of swallowing and swallowing disorders. She is very involved in social media and is on the public relations/social media committees for American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders and for the Indiana Speech and Hearing Association (ISHA). Tiffani has started 3 dysphagia groups on Facebook: Dysphagia Therapy Group, Dysphagia Therapy Group Professional Edition and Dysphagia Support. Tiffani is also an active SLPeep on Twitter. You can follow her @apujo5 or @dysphagiarmblng.
Lunch and all break refreshments are included. Certificates of attendance will be issued to all participants.