$149.00 USD

93% rating - reviews

1.2  ASHA CEUs

Dysphagia Practice: Moving Toward More Comprehensive Treatment Protocols #e07


Presenters: multiple experts

This clinically focused course brings together six master clinicians to discuss evidence-based interventions that can contribute to a more comprehensive intervention approach when working with persons with dysphagia. Interventions discussed will include the benefits of electrical stimulation, effects of lung volume and subglottic air pressure on swallow function, appropriate use of water protocols, strategies to successfully manage persons with dementia, and counseling techniques to address negative emotions and attitudes that block successful treatment outcomes. Offered for 1.2 CEUs – 12 contact hours.

Run Time: 12:29:46

  • When Exercise Programs Are Appropriate for Persons with Dysphagia: Diagnostic Groups Examined. Cathy Lazarus
  • Using Maneuvers and Positioning Strategies in the Current Healthcare Environment: Who Can Benefit? And Which Patients Benefit from Sensory Therapy? Cathy Lazarus
  • Electrical Stimulation: Finally, Something Good To Say About Using It! Ianessa Humbert
  • Rational Emotive Therapy Techniques To Address Psychological Barriers To Successful Swallowing Therapy: Patient Disappointment and Depression Related to Changes in Swallowing Behavior. Robert Arnold 
  • Special Considerations for Persons with Cognitive Loss: Memory Strategies and Environmental Adaptations. Jennifer Brush
  • Water Protocols: Rationale and Patient Selection Criteria. Kathy Panther
  • Esophageal Conditions Relevant To Dysphagia Practice. Robert Arnold
  • Interventions for Respiratory Disorders: Effects of Lung Volume and Subglottic Air Pressure on Swallow Function, Including Clients with COPD and Trachs/Vents. Roxann Diez Gross

Content Disclosure: The content of this online CE course does not focus exclusively on any specific proprietary product or service. Presenter financial and non-financial disclosures may be found in the Presenter & Disclosures area.

Course Format:

Audio course with downloadable handout that follows along with the lecture (can be listened to online or downloaded as mp3 files). Supplementary videos are also provided when prompted throughout this online course. Audio recorded in front of a live audience in October 2011.

Reviews

"I felt like this had some wonderful material for clinician to think about. Good job"  S.W. (Dec. 2021)

"Very knowledgeable presenters, useful review of anatomy/disorders, provided relevant research, gave considerations and ideas about interventions."  Y.A. (Nov. 2021)

“I enjoyed the wide range of therapeutic topics to give a completely comprehensive look at the whole picture when treating our patients.” – S.C. (Dec. 2020)

“I thoroughly enjoyed the Course lecture on Rational Emotive Therapy Techniques. I do think this aspect of treatment is lacking, and it was refreshing to learn more on how we can help and support our patients who are struggling psycho-emotionally with their communication/swallowing deficits.” – S.C. (Dec. 2020)

“I enjoyed the exercises to improve swallow function.”  P.M. (Aug. 2020)

"I really liked the review of different swallowing maneuvers (mendelsohn, supraglottic, etc.)" – C.R. (Jun. 2020)

"The information re: memory strategies was most beneficial as I work in a long term care setting. I felt that the course was very well organized and that the speaker was very knowledgeable and clearly had many years of experience." – K.S. (Apr. 2020)

"I feel as though the rational emotive therapy techniques (section 5) and memory strategies (section 6) will be the most useful to me in my continued treatment of Pt's in the SNF and long term care facility in which I am currently employed. I like how each section was broken down and was only an hour and a half each. I had thought more dysphagia exercises would be covered and more in depth discussion regarding the literature and outcomes." – E.H. (Mar. 2020)

"The presenters were exceptional! I found this to be one of the best CEU courses I have ever taken. I learned info that I can immediately apply in my everyday practice." – K.B. (Jan. 2020)

"I especially appreciated going over the benefits of tongue exercises and which exercises to use to target what specific deficits. I liked the breakdown/layout of information." – A.G. (Dec. 2019)

"I've been a regional director for years now, so getting a refresh on all these topics from a 'base' starting point is very helpful." – C.W. (Dec. 2019)

"I will benefit the most from Brush's lecture on memory strategies and techniques to embed into therapy sessions to improve recall for swallowing and communication techniques. I liked how the course was divided into sections and organized accordingly. This helped to better store and process the information. It was also nice having multiple clinicians presenting information from various viewpoints." – H.P. (Dec. 2019)

"The rational emotive therapy lecture as well as the esophageal conditions lecture were both good and helpful." – M.L. (Nov. 2019)

"Discussing the case studies were helpful because I would try to think what I would do, then hear what they suggested and why and see if it matched ideas or not. There was a lot of relevant information about dysphagia treatment." – A.M. (Oct. 2019)

"I enjoyed the Rationale Emotive Counseling; I had not heard of this before and it helps to provide a basis for effects one intuitively knows to be true - i.e., developing a more positive/realistic expectation." – M.T. (Sept. 2019)

"I enjoyed all the topics that were presented in this course. I felt that there was a nice variety of functional information and take aways that I will be able to use with my patients. I liked that the course was self paced. I thought that 1:30 minute increments were a perfect length to listen to at home. I thought there was a great variety of information dysphagia. I was pleased with the content of this course." – L.K. (June 2019)

"I liked the expert presenters. They are absolutely the very best of us." – J.S. (June 2019)

"The practical information discussed throughout this course has been wonderful. The presenters were extremely knowledgeable and captivating throughout the entire course. I can honestly say, this has been the best online class that I have taken in the last 10 years. I have already made several changes in the way I am approaching dysphagia patients, which will help them achieve their goals more quickly." – N.W. (June 2019)

"Going over when exercise programs are appropriate for persons with dysphagia was most beneficial. I liked the variety of topics." – K.B. (Apr. 2019)

"I liked how comprehensive the course is. It's a great overall review of everything that is available to me as a therapist in dysphagia treatment. I also liked that there were several new topics introduced as well so I was gaining new knowledge (specifically in the areas of counseling, esophageal dysphagia, and respiratory). – S.S. (Feb. 2019)

"I learned/refreshed information about patients with head/neck/oral cancer. I liked that the course covered many different topics under the dysphagia umbrella." – J.D. (Nov. 2018)

"Each subject was of interest to me. I particularly enjoyed the segments on counseling and with esophageal function." – D.R. (Nov. 2018)

"The use of water in patients on thickened liquids was new knowledge to me. The presentation of various compensatory techniques was helpful. However, I had difficulty reviewing the videos of the various compensatory swallowing techniques following the audio presentation." – V.M. (Oct. 2018)

"Very lengthy course, however, I did like the esophageal dysphagia section the best." – P.G. (May 2018)

"I liked the expertise of the presenters. I was most interested in the e-stim research for patient education and also how the Frazier Water Protocol would benefit my patients." – A.B. (Apr. 2018)

"The discussions on exercises and esophageal dysphagia were most beneficial. Informative course." – C.G. (Mar. 2018)

"Informative, practical course. The discussions of oral phase swallow exercises and hydration issues were especially helpful." – B.L. (Feb. 2018)

"I enjoyed the discussions of frazier water protocol and swallowing exercises. I like that the course covered multiple areas of dysphagia." – K.F. (Jan. 2018)

"I liked hearing about the different treatment protocols and the review on stimulation techniques." – H.H. (Dec. 2017)

"I appreciated the varying types of exercise programs because it was a thorough review and also provided new techniques. I liked the overall accessibility and that I could stop and start as my schedule permitted." – R.A. (Dec. 2017)

"Esophageal Dysphagia was absolutely the best course online and live that I have received. Functional and helpful. Will be applicable daily for my job." – L.S. (Oct. 2017)

"I felt all the topics are beneficial as an acute therapist; we do a little of everything from assessment to treatment. I liked the presentations and the evidence-based practice behind the presentations. Being able to see the speakers as they did some demonstrations would have been nice. Essentially, if it would have been videotaped instead of just audiotaped, it would have been better." – L.W. (Aug. 2017)

"The sections on Water protocols and Esophageal conditions relevant to dysphagia tx were very helpful. I liked the easy access to the course and how well organized the information was." – D.L. (June 2017)

"I really enjoyed the counseling portion and reinforcing the fact that it is a vital part of our role. I was glad spaced retrieval technique was discussed and that she clarified that using that technique to teach dysphagia recommendations can still be billed under dysphagia rather than cognition. I learned a lot from the esophageal dysphagia portion too. I would have enjoyed a video rather than an audio file." – H.L. (Jan. 2017)

"Cathy Lazarus' new information regarding treating head and neck cancer patients is most beneficial. I liked the ease of use and expertise of the presenters offering evidenced based current therapeutic information." – M.G. (Dec. 2016)

Course Objectives

Section 2 (1:35:25)

  1. Identify a treatment appropriate for a patient with head and neck cancer.

Section 3 (1:34:29)

  1. Describe a sensory intervention appropriate for a delayed pharyngeal swallow.
  2. Describe a swallowing maneuver that can be used to improve airway closure.
  3. Describe when it is appropriate to use the Shaker Exercise.

Section 4 (1:29:13)

  1. Describe how using electrical stimulation can improve swallow function.

Section 5 (1:29:04)

  1. Apply the basic principles of Rational Emotive Counseling with persons who have dysphagia.

Section 6 (1:35:28)

  1. Describe an appropriate intervention for a person with dementia who suffered a stroke and now has a delayed swallow.

Section 7 (1:33:35)

  1. Identify and discuss patients who can benefit from water protocols.

Sectio8 (1:39:32)

  1. Describe an esophageal disorder that can present as a false positive pharyngeal disorder.

Section 9 (1:31:02)

    10.  Describe the effects of lung volume and subglottic air pressure on swallow function in persons with COPD.

Presenter & Disclosures

Robert J. Arnold, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is the Chief Clinical Officer for Southeastern Biocommunication Associates, LLC. Dr. Arnold has over 20 years of experience in medical speech-language pathology as a diagnostician, therapist, clinical research scientist, author, inventor, and adjunct professor. He has made numerous presentations at the state, regional, and national level. Dr. Arnold has been twice presented with the Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award by the Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama and he is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. In addition, Dr. Arnold is the inventor of the Oromotor Dynamometer.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial — Robert Arnold is the presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Financial — Robert Arnold is the inventor of Oromotor Dynamometer; holds the patent.

Financial — Robert Arnold is the author of the CSA Endoscopy differential diagnostic algorithm for the upper aerodigestive tract; holds copyrights & trademark.

Financial — Robert Arnold is a co-owner of Southeastern Biocommunication Associates, LLC; ownership interests. 

Nonfinancial — Robert Arnold has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Jennifer A. Brush, MA, CCC-SLP, is an award-winning Dementia Educator, author, and consultant. Passionate about enriching the lives of people with dementia, Jennifer is on a mission to put the focus of care on the person’s preferences, interests, and abilities. With her 25 years of industry experience, including leading countless live national and international trainings, facilitating ground-breaking research, and managing innovative person-centered care projects for The Mayer-Rothschild Foundation, Jennifer flawlessly bridges the gap between care communities and the individuals they serve. Jennifer serves on the Association Montessori International Advisory Board for Montessori for Aging and Dementia and is the only person in the US teaching this international program.

Jennifer is the author of 5 nationally recognized books on dementia including the silver-medal winning Creative Connections in Dementia Care and I Care, the gold-medal winning work that also received a 5-star rating as a Reader Favorite. Jennifer is widely known for her revolutionary work in the Spaced Retrieval memory intervention, pioneering this area of study and publishing 2 books on the subject.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial — Jennifer Brush is a presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Financial — Jennifer Brush is the author of "Meal Time Matters" and "Meal Time Matters at Home"; receives royalties.

Financial — Jennifer Brush is the author of "A Therapy Technique for Improving Memory: Spaced Retrieval" and "Environment and Communication Assessment Toolkit"; receives royalties.

Financial — Jennifer Brush is an editor and author for IDEAS Institute; receives consulting fees.

Financial — Jennifer Brush is the owner of Brush Development; ownership interests.

Nonfinancial — Jennifer Brush has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Roxann Diez Gross, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, is a leading expert, accomplished researcher, and frequently invited national and international lecturer. Her areas of expertise include swallowing function, esophageal dysphagia, and management of patients with tracheostomy tubes and speaking valves.

Currently, Roxann is Director of Research at The Children's Institute in Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to this position, she was Director of the Swallowing Disorders Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology in the School of Medicine. She is now an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh.

Roxann has published several scientific papers and clinical book chapters. Her primary area of research examines interactions between breathing and swallowing in neurologic and respiratory disease. Over the past 7 years, Roxann has expanded her clinical work and research to include non-pathologic forms of esophageal dysphagia.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial — Roxann Diez Gross is a presenter of online CEU courses by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Financial — Roxann Diez Gross is the author of "Quick Pocket Reference for Tracheostomy Tubes and Speaking Valves" published by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Nonfinancial — Roxann Diez Gross has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Ianessa A. Humbert, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an accomplished scientist, professor, and highly sought-after speaker with expertise in swallowing and swallowing disorders. Her research has studied the effects of electrical stimulation on hyo-laryngeal movement in healthy and dysphagic adults. Dr. Humbert has been on faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the University of Florida, and the University of Iowa.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial — Ianessa Humbert is presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Financial— Ianessa Humbert is author of "The Swallowing Pocket Guide" published by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Financial — Ianessa Humbert is an inventor for Passy Muir, Inc; holds a patent on equipment.

Nonfinancial — Ianessa Humbert has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Cathy L. Lazarus, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, has conducted research and lectured internationally for over 40 years on swallowing disorders and quality of life in the head & neck cancer population. She is an ASHA Fellow.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial — Cathy Lazarus is presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Nonfinancial — Cathy Lazarus has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Kathy Panther, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIST, spent her career at Frazier Rehab Institute in Louisville, Kentucky. Kathy was a member of the team at Frazier that hatched the earliest of the free water protocols, the Frazier Water Protocol (FWP). Kathy and team, over more than three decades, managed thousands of patients with dysphagia on the FWP. Beyond her clinical work, Kathy became a leader at Frazier Rehab serving as the Inpatient Rehab Director and the Director of the Brain Injury Program. Kathy played a unique role in formally facilitating culture shaping training with colleagues in her organization while navigating health care mergers and every-present operational changes. Kathy greatly enjoyed educating health care professionals on acquired brain injury, oral care practice, hydration management, and implementing free water protocols.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial — Kathy Panther is presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Nonfinancial — Kathy Panther has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Intended Audience / Accreditation

asha ce approved provider

This program is offered for 1.2 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level; Professional Area).

Intended Audience

  • Speech-Language Pathologists

ASHA CEUs: NSS online courses are registered with ASHA and are offered for ASHA CEUs. The number of ASHA CEUs is noted above. Note that 0.1 ASHA CEU = 1 contact hour = equals 1 CEE.

ASHA CE Registry: During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.

ASHA CEUs: Attendees must meet at least one of the following conditions in order to be eligible to earn ASHA CEUs:

  • Current ASHA Member
  • ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) Holder
  • Licensed by a state or provincial regulatory agency to practice speech-language pathology (SLP) or audiology
  • Credentialed by a state regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
  • Credentialed by a national regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
  • Engaged in a Clinical Fellowship under the supervision of an individual with their ASHA CCC
  • Currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral program in SLP or audiology

If an attendee is not an ASHA member or CCC holder but meets any of the above criteria, they may inform the ASHA CE Registry of their eligibility by visiting this site.

Licensing Boards: Most state licensing boards DO accept CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some state boards do, however, place a limit to the number of credits that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any credit limits related to home-study courses prior to registering for this course.

Additional accrediting agencies by which Northern Speech is an approved CE provider:

  • California: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the California Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Board. Provider #PDP4. Online CEU limits may apply; please contact SLPAHADB for current online CEU acceptance policies.
  • Iowa: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the Iowa Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology Examiners. Provider #169.
  • Kansas: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Provider #LTS-S0005.

Frequently Asked Questions



Customer Support: Please phone 888.337.3866 or email info@northernspeech.com.

Course Completion Timeframe:

You have unlimited time to complete our online courses. You may log off and log on as often as you’d like to in order to complete all sections of a course.

However, completion dates are based on Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, if you need your CEUs by a certain date, be sure to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on that date. For example, if you need CEUs before January 1st, you will need to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on December 31st.

Content Access:

Access to course materials and content does not expire, even after completing the post test. You may continue to review course material by logging into your NSS account, clicking the My Online Courses tab, and then viewing your desired course.

Certificate of Completion:

On successful completion of the post test (80%), a certificate will be immediately available for download and/or printing. This certificate will include your name, date of completion (based on Eastern Time Zone, USA/Canada), and number of contact hours (CEUs / CEEs). Please note that CEUs are awarded on the date of successful test completion, not the date of course enrollment. Please ensure that you successfully complete the post test prior to any licensure renewal dates.

ASHA CE Registry Submission:

During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.

Purchase Orders:

Purchase orders are currently not accepted for online orders, if you wish to submit a purchase order please do so at info@northernspeech.com or fax to 888-696-9655.

What is an Online Course?

Our Online Courses consist of video, audio, and/or text content and are offered for ASHA CEUs. Unlike a webinar, which requires participants to be logged on and at a computer at specific times, our Online Courses are available to you at any time, from any device, via your NorthernSpeech.com online account. You may work at your own pace and start and stop your course as you wish. Your course will conclude with a short post test. On successful completion of the post test (>80%), a printable certificate of completion is presented to you.

Receiving CEUs:

Northern Speech is an ASHA CE Provider and our online courses are registered with ASHA and offered for ASHA CEUs. Please note that successful completion of the online post test is required prior to the awarding of CEUs. Please contact your state licensing board for acceptance policies related to CEUs earned online. Please note that courses offered for university students are not applicable for CEUs.

Registering for an online course:

You may browse all online courses by clicking the Continuing Education tab above, then Online Courses. Once you find a course, click Enroll Now, and you will be asked to either log into your existing Northern Speech account or create a new online account. Once you’ve entered your account information and provided your credit card payment, your course will be immediately available to you.

Accessing your purchased course or returning to a purchased course:

You will be able to access your online course by logging into your Northern Speech account and then clicking the My Online Courses tab on your profile screen. Click the course you would like to start or to resume. From there, proceed through the course sections until you are ready to complete the post test. You do not have to complete your course all at once. You may log on and off as you wish.

Testing requirements:

Each online course concludes with a post test consisting of multiple choice or true & false questions. Scores of 80% or greater are required for successful course completion and awarding of CEUs. You may revisit course materials and retest as needed to achieve a passing score.

Number of CEUs offered:

We offer courses from 1 to 21 contact hours. Each course will note the number of CEUs offered. Please note that 0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour = 1 CEE.

State licensing boards and online CEUs:

NSS is an ASHA CE Provider and most state licensing boards DO accept ASHA CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some boards do, however, place a limit to the number of CEUs that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any CEU limits related to home-study courses prior to enrolling in an online course.

Course formats:

Our course formats include: text, audio, video, and PowerPoint with author narration. Each course will note the format on the course description page. Most courses include closed captioning.

Course handouts:

Most of our online courses provide a link to download the accompanying handout as a PDF file. 

Group discounts:

Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a 20% discount on each registration on most of our online courses. To receive this discount, registrations need to be processed together via the "Group Rates" tab on the Online Course of your choice.

Computer requirements:

For our online courses to function best, we recommend that you update your computer to include the newest version of your Internet browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, etc.) and newest version of your computer's operating system. Also a high-speed Internet connection is recommended (cable or DSL). Speakers or headphones will be required for many of our courses as many contain audio components.

Course Cancellation Policy:

A purchased online course can be exchanged, refunded, or transferred to another individual if contact is made with NSS (via phone or email) within 30 days of purchase and the course materials have not been viewed or downloaded. 

Special Needs:

Please click here for any special needs requests, and we will do our best to accommodate them. 

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