Course Learning Objectives: After participating in this workshop the participants will be able to:

1. Identify medical conditions that impact successful feeding performance in the infant and young child.
2. Understand the components of a comprehensive clinical feeding evaluation for the infant and young child.
3. Utilize a clinical decision making framework to develop a therapy plan for a patient with complex dysphagia.
4. Identify signs and symptoms of aspiration in the pediatric patient.
5. Identify clinical indicators for a modified barium swallow study (Videofluoroscopy).

Course Content/Description:
This conference will provide a foundation and framework for management of the complex dysphagia patient across all settings.  Children with dysphagia often present with competing medical conditions, many of which impact their success with oral feeding development. The course will present an overview of medical conditions and comorbidities that impact oral feeding efficiency in the pediatric patient.  Content will include a clinical decision making framework to increase success in therapy in varied settings.  Dysphagia management and therapy strategies for patients with tracheal aspiration and acute respiratory illness will be addressed.  Emphasis will be placed on preparing the oral and non-oral client for instrumental examination e.g. the modified barium swallow study.  Therapy planning will be discussed through a case management model. Participants are encouraged to bring cases to discuss.

Instructor Information:
Pamela Clarke, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Pamela Clarke has specialized in pediatric dysphagia for 20 years.  Her clinical practice has included working with acute care inpatients including neonates in the NICU and pediatrics with emphasis on acute respiratory/pulmonary, neurological, and gastrointestinal disorders.  Her experience includes outpatient rehabilitative management of varied communication, feeding and swallowing disorders in the pediatric population.  Ms. Clarke has been a lecturer and consultant in complex dysphagia management and feeding program development for over 15 years.  She has provided numerous lectures, workshops and conferences on assessment and treatment of this specialized population.  Ms. Clarke is a Speech Pathologist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  She was recently awarded a clinical scholars scholarship and is completing therapy and research in the area of dysphagia and aspiration management in children.  Ms. Clarke works in an interdisciplinary and collaborative model with a multispecialty team at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Ms. Clarke was previously the Speech Pathology Team Lead and Coordinator of a multispecialty Swallowing Rehabilitation Team at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  She also served as Coordinator of the Feeding & Swallowing Disorder Team and Senior Speech Pathologist at Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami, Florida.  Ms. Clarke was an Adjunct Instructor at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  She is certified in VitalStim Therapy and Neuro-Developmental Treatment.  Ms. Clarke is a graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Disclosure: Pamela Clarke is receiving an honorarium for this presentation.  She has no other financial or non-financial relationships to disclose.