This collection of SIG 13 articles addresses popular topics in dysphagia care throughout the life span regarding thickening practices, family-centered care, and early intervention. Jane Mertz Garcia, Edgar Chambers IV, and Anna Boyer utilized a survey to re-examine practice patterns for thickened liquids and provided a comparison of past practices with current to provide insight into contemporary themes that have previously not been considered. Doreen Benson and George Barnes explore the utility of a mathematical prediction model (Bayes theorem) in dysphagia management. Samantha E. Shune, Deanna Linville, and Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald address maximizing treatment effectiveness by using an approach with family resiliency and adaptation. Drawing from the principles of family systems theory and the biopsychosocial-spiritual framework, they use a case study as a tutorial to explore the application of family-centered care models to dysphagia management. Stephanie C. Cohen and Karen Dilfer focus on the definition of pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and the multifaceted needs of families and children in early intervention, support for use of responsive feeding in treatment of PFD, alignment of responsive feeding strategies with early intervention principles, and barriers limiting access to consistent, high-quality early intervention services for children with PFD.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• summarize two to three findings about updated practice patterns of speech-language pathologists for thickened liquids in clinical practice
• state two clinical applications of calculating the statistical probability of developing pneumonia that may help improve outcomes
• list at least two unique strategies or tools to implement in assessment/treatment when managing dysphagia from a more wholistic perspective
• list three characteristics of family-centered treatment of pediatric feeding disorder in early intervention

Assessment Type
Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

Articles in This Course

1. Perspectives of Speech-Language Pathologists About Customary Practices, Knowledge of Thickening Process, and Quality Control of Thickened Liquids by Jane Mertz Garcia, Edgar Chambers IV, and Anna Boyer, published in SIG 13, Volume 7, Issue 3, June 13, 2022
2. To Thicken or Not to Thicken: Exploring the Use of Math-Based Clinical Decision Making by Doreen Benson and George Barnes, published in SIG 13, Volume 7, Issue 3, June 13, 2022
3. Integrating Family-Centered Care Into Chronic Dysphagia Management: A Tutorial by Samantha E. Shune, Deanna Linville, and Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald, published in SIG 13, Volume 7, Issue 3, June 13, 2022
4. Pediatric Feeding Disorder in Early Intervention: Expanding Access, Improving Outcomes, and Prioritizing Responsive Feeding by Stephanie C. Cohen and Karen Dilfer, published in SIG 13, Volume 7, Issue 3, June 13, 2022