Course Description

Recent data indicate that SLPs practicing in dysphagia received insufficient training in their formal academic education on fundamentals of normal and disordered swallowing physiology. The goal of the Normal Swallowing 101: Clinical Workshop is therefore to train clinicians to: (a) differentiate among normal, functional, and dysfunctional swallowing physiology and (b) directly apply this knowledge to the diagnosis and treatment of swallowing disorders. Note: clinicians must pass the post-test with an 80% in order to successfully complete this course.

Learning Objectives: 

  • Identify insufficiencies in traditional SLP training in swallowing anatomy and physiology.
  • Describe the normal variability in oropharyngeal swallowing
  • Differentiate between normal, functional and disordered swallowing.
  • Describe objective metric based clinical measures to establish a diagnostic baseline and to track treatment gains in dysphagia management.
  • Learn medical documentation that differentiates normal, functional, and dysfunctional swallowing in diagnostics
  • Learn medical documentation that differentiates normal, function, and dysfunctional swallowing in treatment
  • Learn to plot the course of change in therapy using objective physiologic outcomes.


Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Ianessa Humbert

Dr. Humbert is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She has expertise in swallowing and swallowing disorders. Learn More

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Modules

    • Understanding Normal Swallowing Overview

    • Why We Need to Understand Normal Swallowing? A Primer to Your Missing Graduate Course

    • The Missing A&P Course Overview

    • The Missing A&P Course: Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional Swallowing

    • Distinguishing Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional in Clinical Evaluations Overview

    • Distinguishing Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional in Clinical Evaluations with Applications to Report Writing

    • Distinguishing Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional Swallowing in Instrumental Evaluations Overview

    • Distinguishing Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional Swallowing in Instrumental Evaluations with Applications to Report Writing

    • Plotting the Course of Change in Therapy Overview

    • Plotting the Course of Change in Therapy and How to Avoid Treating Functional Behavior
  • 2

    Course Handouts

    • Why We Need to Understand Normal Swallowing: A Primer to Your Missing Graduate Course.

    • The Missing A&P Course: Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional Swallowing (Parts 1 and 2)

    • Distinguishing Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional in Clinical Evaluations with Applications to Report Writing

    • Distinguishing Normal, Functional and Dysfunctional Swallowing in Instrumental Evaluations with Applications to Report Writing

    • Plotting the Course of Change in Therapy and How to Avoid Treating Functional Behavior
  • 3

    Wrapping Up

    • Post-Course Quiz

    • Evaluation Form

Reviews

5 star rating

Worth every penny

Sherrill Oates

Great course. Very helpful.

Great course. Very helpful.

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5 star rating

Great Course!

Tracy Klugger

Overall this course was Fantastic. Certain portions were slow, pending on the speaker.

Overall this course was Fantastic. Certain portions were slow, pending on the speaker.

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5 star rating

Excellent

Debbie Fontenot

I love their back-to-the-basics / evidence based approach!

I love their back-to-the-basics / evidence based approach!

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5 star rating

a Must for newbies and oldies

nilsa perez

Wonderful review of anatomy, clinical and instrumental exams, current research and treatment considrations. Best money you will spend for an online course! ...

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Wonderful review of anatomy, clinical and instrumental exams, current research and treatment considrations. Best money you will spend for an online course! Thank you Drs. Humbert and Plowman!

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5 star rating

Great!

Angela Belmarez

Great comprehensive information on dysphagia! I plan to take more courses offered by you!!

Great comprehensive information on dysphagia! I plan to take more courses offered by you!!

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4 star rating

Helpful

Lindsay Athens

This course provided a nice review of swallowing anatomy and physiology and encouraged me to think about swallowing and it’s specific impairments versus what...

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This course provided a nice review of swallowing anatomy and physiology and encouraged me to think about swallowing and it’s specific impairments versus what is a normal variant of swallowing. I have begun implementing the knowledge I gained from this course in my practice.

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