Foundations of Swallowing Therapy and Dysphagia Management

Dysphagia management requires understanding the anatomy and physiology of swallowing, the conditions that cause dysphagia, and the structure of clinical and instrumental assessment. This foundational course provides that base. By the end of this course you will be able to describe the phases of swallowing and the relevant anatomy, recognize common causes of dysphagia across populations, identify the structure of clinical and instrumental swallowing assessment, and understand the principles of intervention. What you will learn: - The anatomy and physiology of swallowing across the oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal phases - Common causes of dysphagia including stroke, neurodegenerative disease, head and neck cancer, and aging - The principles of clinical swallowing examination - The principles of instrumental assessment including modified barium swallow study and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation - The role of dysphagia diet modification including IDDSI framework - The principles of compensatory and rehabilitative intervention - Ethical considerations including informed risk and feeding decisions The course uses readings, anatomy summaries, case examples, and reflection questions. Each module ends with applied exercises. This course is written for speech-language pathologists, dietitians, nurses, and other professionals involved in dysphagia management. It does not replace supervised clinical training or specialty certification. By the end you will have a structured foundation in swallowing therapy and dysphagia management.