[Dysphagia] Swallowing workshop 2

[eripley at yahoo.com (Irene Campbell-Taylor)]

The original comments need to be said for the following reasons:
  If practicing SLPs need something so basic, there is a serious gap in training.
  SLPs are not "singled out". Other professions take upgrading courses - emphasis on "Upgrading" - not the basic stuff they learned in medical school etc. "Continuing" education implies that there is something new to be offered/learned, not acquired for the first time.  Does anyone compare what they were taught/have learned with what they are supposed to know according to the ASHA position papers?  Does anyone truly believe that they possess the knowledge and skills required? After two decades of teaching dysphagia related materials to physicians, nurses, SLPs, OTs, nurses and others, I find that the knowledge base remains woefully lacking.. 

Staci Otto <OTTO at email.chop.edu> wrote:
  Nicely said, Pam. 

One of the many things I love about this field is that you can change
careers within a career- as SLPs we not only find ourselves in the
fluoro department but in schools, early intervention, long term care
facilities, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation, acute
care, etc. and while I have 10+ years of pediatric dysphagia experience,
should I desire a change of venue or to expand my horizons, I would
certainly be looking at basic level courses for outpatient therapy or
nursing homes, or school based therapy, etc.
Let's also not forget the nationwide shortage of SLP's right now, which
DOES often result in hiring of staff that we will eventually provide
training to in specific areas, where the original course in question
would be helpful.

Outside of that, I m not sure why the original comment needed to be
made....?

Staci Otto MS CCC-SLP
Senior Speech Pathologist
Center for Childhood Communication
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
215-590-7636
fax # 215-590-5641


>>> 03/05/07 7:17 AM >>>
Attempting to shelve the sarcasm, here are a few thoughts....

1. Potential employers expect the SLP to have the appropriate
knowledge, skills and expertise when they hire them to work with a given
population.
2. SLPs are ethically bound not to practice in areas where they are
not adequately trained.
3. It would be better for the SLP to obtain training in an area where
they feel they need it, whether as a refresher or to make up a
deficiency, than to practice in an area where they are NOT adequately
trained.
4. Practice patterns vary greatly among SLPs, and are often not
evidence based. 
5. There is evidence that SLPs, as a group, are not as well versed in
the respiratory and infectious disease literature as we should be, if we
are going to participate in management of conditions thereof. I believe
we're getting better, though.
6. A lot of time is spent convincing graduate students that no matter
how much they have learned, they cannot know everything when they finish
their degree.
7. Continuing education is required for maintenance of certification
and, in most states, for licensure.

All that said, I'm sure we are all aware that ASHA has no requirement
that CEU activities be evidence based. The language included with every
activity states that the content has not been endorsed. "ASHA CE
Provider approval does not imply endorsement of course content, specific
products, or clinical procedures." Attending CEU activities does not
absolve the clinician from personal responsibility to thoughtfully and
carefully evaluate the evidence behind the content and/or clinical
approaches. (In other words, we shouldn't adopt a practice pattern just
because someone, somewhere said it sounded like a good idea and that it
seemed to work for someone they worked with somewhere.)

If you've never read the ASHA Knowledge and Skills document with
regard to swallowing/swallowing disorders, you really should do so.
Compare it to the KASA (Knowledge and Skills Assessment) that students
complete, and you'll see gigantic differences. Differences the size of
our Pennsylvania potholes.

Pam Smith, Ph.D.
Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg, PA 
-----Original Message-----
From: bsonies at comcast.net 
To: eripley at yahoo.com; tfix1 at cfl.rr.com 
Cc: dysphagia at b9.com 
Sent: Sun, 4 Mar 2007 10:50 PM
Subject: Re: [Dysphagia] Swalowing workshop

I guess then that physicians and dentists and psychologists are all
so
highly trained once they get their degree that there is no need for
them to
get any continuing education either. Maybe they never forget anything
they
have learned and are totally up to standards at every moment during
their
professional lives. Why single out the SLP?


On 3/4/07 9:41 PM, "Irene Campbell-Taylor" wrote:

> Perhaps you would be so kind as to share what it is you believe me to
be
> missing. My understanding is that these workshops are attended by
practicing
> SLPs and I fail to see why that should be necessary if they are
already
> adequately trained and educated as ASHA's position papers indicate
they should
> be. It seems like a very basic course to me as well as missing some
important
> material so that I should be grateful for your explanation.
> 
> "Todd R. Fix" wrote: Yes Irene. You are missing
something.
> If you yourself were an SLP, you'd
> have answered your own question.
> 
> 
> Todd R. Fix MA CCC/SLP
> 297 Woodgreen Lane
> Winter Springs, FL 32708
> 
> (407) 312-0213
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dysphagia-bounces at b9.com [mailto:dysphagia-bounces at b9.com] On
Behalf
> Of Irene Campbell-Taylor
> Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 9:03 AM
> To: dysphagia at b9.com 
> Subject: [Dysphagia] Swalowing workshop
> 
> Someone recently poste a notice about a swallowing workshop as
follows:
> 
> 
> 
> This workshop is designed to provide:
> 
> --knowledge and hands on experience with radiographic and clinical
> 
> techniques for evaluation of swallowing problems in a variety of
patients
> 
> (including neurological and cancer patients)
> 
> --strategies for knowing when and how to implement interventions
during
> 
> radiographic studies and in therapy
> 
> --Guidelines for discontinuing alternate feeding techniques
(gastrostomy and
> 
> 
> nasogastric)
> 
> --observation and participation in evaluation of treatment of
patients.
> Extensive review of video-taped x-ray swallowstudies will be
provided.
> 
> I must be missing something but, aren't these the very things that
> practicing SLPs are supposed to already know - according to the ASHA
> position papers?
> 
> 
> Dr I Campbell-Taylor
> Clinical Neuroscientist
> Exclusive Distributor:
> www.interactivetherapy.com 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dr I Campbell-Taylor
> Clinical Neuroscientist
> Exclusive Distributor:
> www.interactivetherapy.com 
> _______________________________________________
> Dysphagia mail list: Normal and disordered swallowing information
> Dysphagia at b9.com 
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> Visit the new Dysphagia Web Forum: http://dysphagia.com/forum 


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Dr I Campbell-Taylor
Clinical Neuroscientist
Exclusive Distributor:
www.interactivetherapy.com