Assessment and Intervention for Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

 

A two-day workshop with instructor
Catriona M. Steele, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, SLP(c), Reg CASLPO, BRS-S, ASHA Fellow

Halifax -DATE CHANGE - Please note that the event date has changed.
February 2 and 3, 2012
Four Points by Sheraton Halifax
1496 Hollis Street, Halifax

Toronto - January 19-20, 2012
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Auditorium, South Tower, Second floor

To register for the Halifax event, please click here now.

To register for the Toronto event, please click here now.

Download the brochure

Course Description

This intermediate-advanced 2-day workshop takes a physiological and evidence-based approach to videofluoroscopic assessments of oropharyngeal swallowing as a tool for understanding the nature of a patient’s dysphagia and for intervention planning.  Synthesis of the literature on swallowing physiology suggests that the swallow can be broken down into three primary functional components: oral bolus control and transport (tongue); airway protection (respiration, hyoid and larynx); pharyngeal transport and clearance (tongue, hyoid and upper esophageal sphincter). For each of these, recent literature suggests specific interventions when impairment is identified. In this workshop, each functional component will be reviewed. We will discuss what the literature tells us about function of each component in normal versus disordered swallowing. Practical exercises will enable participants to rate videofluoroscopies showing different degrees of impairment for each functional component. We will then discuss evidence-based approaches to intervention that are indicated for each type of impairment, and identify expected responses to these interventions. Examples and case scenarios will primarily feature adults with acquired neurogenic dysphagia.

Learning Outcomes

• Participants will review current evidence regarding the physiology of oropharyngeal swallowing.
• Participants will review clinical (non-instrumental) methods for the assessment of oropharyngeal swallowing, and apply this to the discussion of several different case scenarios.
• Participants will understand the indications and contra-indications for using videofluoroscopy as an instrumental procedure for evaluating oropharyngeal swallowing physiology.
• Participants will critically evaluate the steps involved in the videofluoroscopy procedure and explore the issue of using standardized protocols.
• Participants explore the issue of customizing videofluoroscopy based on clinical bedside assessment, including the selection of compensatory manoeuvres to be trialled.
• Participants will understand the current evidence behind compensatory interventions for oropharyngeal dysphagia, including risks and benefits.
• Participants will practice rating oropharyngeal swallowing physiology from videofluoroscopy recordings for several cases, and will be able to benchmark their own identification and severity ratings against those of the instructor and other participants.
• Participants will critically evaluate the implications of videofluoroscopy findings for treatment planning.
• Participants will understand current evidence behind different rehabilitative approaches to oropharyngeal swallowing treatment.

Who Should Attend

The course is intended for practicing Speech-Language Pathologists. Other professionals who wish to register for the course need to support their online registration with a letter of confirmation from the Speech-Language Pathology Department at the facility where they practice. The letter should confirm that they work interprofessionally with SLPs. The letter can be sent to Conference Services at Toronto Rehab by fax: 416-597-6202 or by email: conferences@torontorehab.on.ca.

 

Speaker Biography

Catriona M. Steele, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, SLP(c), Reg CASLPO, BRS-S, ASHA Fellow
Affiliations: Toronto Rehabilitation Institute; University of Toronto

Dr. Steele is a scientist and Director of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. She teaches in the Graduate Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Prior to completing her Ph.D., Dr. Steele worked as a medical speech-language pathologist for 10 years.

Dr. Steele is known for her commitment to pursuing theoretically driven research that will underpin clinical interventions with sound empirical evidence. She has received particular recognition for her research on tongue movements and tongue pressure in swallowing and has developed a reputation as an expert on the use of texture modifications as an intervention for dysphagia. Dr. Steele holds a prestigious New Investigator award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and a major research grant from the National Institutes of Health in the United States, to explore the interface between tongue motor function and oral sensory functions in swallowing. She is also leading a Heart and Stroke Foundation funded trial of tongue-pressure resistance training interventions for dysphagia post stroke.

Dr. Steele is known across Canada and internationally as an outspoken advocate of evidence-based practice by speech-language pathologists. She has a particular interest in mentoring and supporting front-line clinicians to develop strong skills in critically evaluating literature and incorporating good scientific evidence into their day-to-day practice. Dr. Steele has been invited to participate on several national and international expert panels regarding standards of practice in the area of swallowing evaluation and treatment and is frequently invited to be a speaker at professional development courses on this topic. She is known for her commitment to “active learning”, and incorporates practical hands-on assignments into her lectures and workshops. Her teaching experience includes face-to-face and web-based University courses and many workshops and invited lectures across North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

Dr. Steele is a past president of the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and past board member of the Dysphagia Research Society. She served as the coordinator of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association’s Special Interest Division 13 (Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders) from 2008-2010.

 

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