Establishing a Public School Dysphagia Program: A Model for Administration and Service Provision

Abstract

SLPs should be proactive in providing dysphagia services to students in the schools. A procedure that is adopted by a school system for all of its employees to follow will offer direction and guidance. This system-supported procedure may provide assurance that dysphagia services are being provided in a professionally acceptable manner. Ongoing staff development and training is essential. A system can implement dysphagia services using existing staff, when possible, and policies and procedures that have been approved by the system.

Feeding Problems of Children With Autism

“…To be able to overcome to feeding problems of children with autism, speech and language therapists have taken important roles. As well as working with the swallowing and feeding disorders of different populations, speech and language therapists work with feeding behaviors of children with autism (Twachtman-Reilly, Amaral, & Zebrowski, 2008;Homer, 2008). Table 2 lists the team of people that work with the feeding problems of these children.…”

Dysphagia Management in the Schools: Past, Present, and Future

“…Efforts through this program, spearheaded largely by Emily Homer, SLP, have produced essential steps for instituting dysphagia programs in the schools. [8][9][10] This work has also been disseminated in the form of articles and a recent book. [8][9][10][11] The process includes identifying an interdisciplinary team (including the family, SLPs, occupational therapists, nurses, dieticians, and others), creating and implementing policies and procedures for identification, evaluation and treatment of students with dysphagia, and the creation of forms to help standardize these procedures.…”

Swallowing and Feeding Services in the Schools: From Therapy to the Dinner Table

“…A swallowing and feeding procedure in the schools should include the following: (a) referral for identifying students; (b) method of evaluating swallowing and feeding skills; (c) interview of parents/guardians; (d) a swallowing and feeding plan to be followed by classroom staff; (e) a system for working with school cafeterias; and (f) therapeutic intervention. The result is that school staff members are aware of the procedures to follow when a child has swallowing or feeding concerns (Homer, 2008). Case Profile: Student with Dysphagia and Behavioral Feeding Disorders in the School Setting Mike is a 5 year-8 month old male with a diagnosis of Down syndrome and a special education classification of mild mentally handicapped.…”

“…Each member brings specific expertise and work together to identify and treat swallowing and feeding disorders in the school setting. In addition, the school team works closely with the student's parents who also are members of the team, as well as, the medical team to ensure that the student is safe when eating at school (Homer et al, 2000;Homer, 2008). The SLP on the team functions as the case manager for the student and works to coordinate the team procedure and document the process (Homer, 2003).…”

“…The goal for the school swallowing and feeding team is twofold. The first and foremost goal is for the child to receive adequate nutrition and hydration at school in a safe manner (ASHA, n.d. ;Homer, 2008;Homer, Bickerton, Hill, Parham, & Taylor, 2000). The second goal is for students to tolerate optimal diet textures.…”