Clinical Assessment of Swallowing, Part 2 - The Oral
Mechanism & Laryngeal Function

Presented by Angela Mansolillo

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Video Runtime: 212 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 53 Minutes

Clinical assessment of swallowing is the foundation on which appropriate dysphagia treatment plans are built. This course will provide clinicians with up to date approaches for the completion of a clinical swallow evaluation. Components of the evaluation, including cognitive assessment, examination of the oral mechanism and oral hygiene, swallow trials, and identification of appropriate compensations will be explored. Strategies for management of care-resistant behaviors, which can interfere with assessment, will be provided. A review of esophageal disorders will be provided, and the impact of esophageal disorders on pharyngeal swallow function will be discussed.

Meet your instructor

Angela Mansolillo

Angela Mansolillo is a speech-language pathologist and board-certified specialist in swallowing disorders with more than 25 years of experience. She is currently a senior speech-language pathologist at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she provides evaluation and treatment services for adults and…

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Chapters & learning objectives

Positioning, Respiration, and the Oral Mechanism

1. Positioning, Respiration, and the Oral Mechanism

The participant will describe three strategies for assessment of potential for effective cough response, describe the role of pulse oximetry in dysphagia assessment, and discuss options for assessment of the impact of dyspnea on speech and swallow function.

Oral and Laryngeal Function

2. Oral and Laryngeal Function

The participant will identify three to four components of a comprehensive oral mechanism examination, and describe three strategies for assessment of laryngeal function.

ID of Aspiration and Pneumonia Risk Factors

3. ID of Aspiration and Pneumonia Risk Factors

The participant will develop a protocol for swallow assessment that includes a variety of bolus types, identify symptoms of dysphagia, identify appropriate compensatory strategies, and differentiate between risk factors for aspiration and aspiration pneumonia.

Esophageal Dysphagia

4. Esophageal Dysphagia

Participants will describe the impact of esophageal disorders on pharyngeal swallow function, differentiate between mechanical inflammatory, and neuromuscular esophageal disorders, and describe interrelationships between the respiratory and gastro-intestinal systems.

Case Studies

5. Case Studies

Demonstrate principles and techniques from lecture with two real world case studies.