Evaluating swallowing disorders: The speech-language pathologist's perspective

A comprehensive evaluation of swallowing is critical for identifying the presence of a dysphagia, the stage of dysfunction, and the underlying cause of difficulty, as well as for determining the risk for aspiration. This article reviews the procedures of the evaluation, typically conducted by a speech-language pathologist. The evaluation includes a complete history of the problem, a clinical swallowing evaluation, and a video-fluorographic assessment (or other instrumental assessment) of the swallowing mechanism. The results of the evaluation allow the clinician to determine an appropriate individualized management plan.