Swallowing and communication: Are we eating our words?

Abstract

University staff are in the unique position of having access to knowledge regarding the “cutting edge” of clinical practice issues and also the concerns and challenges faced by speech pathologists at the “coal face” of clinical practice. This article describes a recent workshop organised by the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, at the University of Sydney, to address a number of concerns evident in the field of lifelong disability. By listening to the needsof clinicians in this area, we identified there was a need to provide professional development opportunities related to dysphagia management. We also heard that clinicians were worried about ensuring best practice in dysphagia and communication management. Finally, we heard that clinicians often felt unsupported in their work as they faced daily ethical challenges in the area of dysphagia management. The 1-day workshop was organised to begin addressing these needs. This article reports on the issues raised during the workshop and gives an evaluation of the workshop.