Dysphagia: An Overview for Occupational Therapists

Course overview

While swallowing evaluation and treatment are considered entry level skills for occupational therapyprofessionals, they may not have many opportunities to practice these skills. It is important to review yourfoundational knowledge of dysphagia evaluation and treatment. This information is critical for an occupationaltherapist to integrate into their treatment plan and to ensure successful interprofessional care to help promotebetter patient outcomes. This course provides a short review of the anatomy and physiology of normal swallowingand an in-depth discussion of typical impairments resulting in dysphagia. Learners will be able to recognize theclinical presentation of dysphagia, integration of clinical presentations into treatment, intervention strategies tosupport SLP treatments and diet modifications, and interprofessional collaboration strategies for the team tosupport and reinforce patient adherence and compliance with safe swallow strategies.