Management of Swallowing and Feeding Disorders in Schools

Management of Swallowing and Feeding Disorders in Schools provides information on the most significant issues in swallowing and feeding facing school-based SLPs. Many students in school districts across the United States exhibit the signs and symptoms of dysphagia. Topics covered are unique to a school setting ranging from organizing a team procedure in a district to serving children with complex medical issues, behavioral feeding disorders, and neurological feeding disorders. Ethical, legal and cultural issues are also addressed.Children who are originally treated for dysphagia in hospitals, etc., often begin attending public schools at 3 years old. The difficulty that they had with swallowing and feeding frequently follows them to the school setting. In addition, there are many students who develop swallowing and feeding disorders as a result of traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders and syndromes, behavioral disorders, etc. The range of students needing services for swallowing and feeding disorders in the school setting ranges from 3 to 22 years and from mild dysphagia to tube feeding.The identification and treatment of swallowing and feeding in the schools is relatively new. There remain many districts in the U.S. and internationally who do not address the needs of children with dysphagia. As school-based SLPs take on the challenge of this population there is a need for information that is current, accurate and thorough. University programs include very little training, if any, at this time in the area of swallowing and feeding in the school setting. This book is an appropriate text for both the dysphagia course, as well as courses that train SLP students to work with school-aged students.