Dysphagia
Overview
Dysphagia is defined as having difficulty in swallowing, either partially or completely. Quality of life and safety issues arise when one cannot completely or safely swallow liquids, foods, or saliva. Head trauma, stroke or the effects of brain degeneration from a variety of diseases are all causes for the development of this swallowing impairment.
Team Leader
Dr. Catriona M. Steele, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BRS-S, S-LP(C), Reg. CASLPO.
Dr. Steele is a Senior Scientist and Director of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. She is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Over the past 6 years she has received particular recognition for her research on tongue movements in swallowing and has developed a reputation as an expert on the use of texture modifications as an intervention for dysphagia. Dr. Steele is known across Canada and internationally as an outspoken advocate of evidence-based practice by speech-language pathologists. Dr. Steele currently serves as Coordinator of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association’s Special Interest Division 13 (Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders). She is Past President of the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and a past board member of the Dysphagia Research Society.
Education & Software
Dysphagia by Dr. Catriona Steele
A team of clinicians, led by Dr. Steele, created this surface electromyography (sEMG) biofeedback rehabilitation tool for swallowing reeducation and training dysphagia. It’s based on the latest research and experience of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Lab at the Toronto Rehab Institute in Ontario, Canada. This suite implements the protocol that is described further below. Purchase of the suite includes 6-hours of recorded instruction by Dr. Steele in the use of the software and implementation of her protocol.
