| Description |
The causes of feeding and swallowing difficulties in children are always multifaceted, sometimes misdiagnosed, and often difficult to assess and treat appropriately. Respiratory difficulties, gastrointestinal function, oral-motor skills, and behavioral issues are just a few of the elements that can influence feeding and swallowing, limit response to treatment, and result in significant health issues. To maximize effectiveness, clinicians must resist the temptation to assess and treat feeding and swallowing disorders in isolation; instead, they must develop management plans that take into account interactions between and among oral-motor, gastrointestinal, and respiratory systems.
This essential course describes complex feeding and swallowing disorders as they manifest themselves in children who have a variety of diagnoses. Attendees gain successful strategies for identification of the underlying etiology of the dysphagia. The evidence base for specific therapies, including oral-motor techniques, behavioral interventions, nutritional interventions, and strategies for respiratory control, are evaluated. Participants leave this course armed with practical suggestions and tactics for improving function in these challenging children, as well as strong evidence to support those strategies.
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