Swallowing Assessments

Braithwaite Speech & Learning Clinic conducts swallowing assessments for people who experience difficulty swallowing. Here is a quick guide on how a swallowing assessment works, why you might need one, and what to expect if you need to undergo this assessment.

What is a swallowing assessment?

Who might need a swallowing assessment?

What happens in a swallowing assessment?

Non-instrumental swallowing assessment

Instrumental swallowing assessment

How can a swallowing assessment help me?

Where can I receive a swallowing assessment?

Swallowing assessments and cultural sensitivity

What is a swallowing assessment?

A swallowing assessment is a way of assessing what swallowing difficulties a person has, and the best way to intervene and offer them support.In Australia, this assessment is conducted by a qualified speech pathologist in a range of places, including aged care facilities, group homes and in the comfort of a person’s own residence.

Who might need a swallowing assessment?

Swallowing assessments (sometimes known as a ‘dysphagia assessment’) are for people who have dysphagia – the medical term used to describe having difficulty swallowing.

People may experiencedysphagia for all sorts of reasons: if they are seniors with weakening muscles; those living with dementia; those with poor cognitive function, poor muscle control and coordination; and those with other medical conditions that impact their ability to swallow.

Other clinical conditions that might cause dysphagia include stroke, head injury, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, cerebral palsy or achalasia (a condition that affects your oesophagus).

What happens in a swallowing assessment?

In a swallowing assessment, a speech pathologist will observe how you swallow, along with looking at your medical health, cognitive status, nutrition, communication ability and any environmental and behavioural factors that may be causing you to have trouble swallowing.

Two types of swallowing assessments may be conducted to help diagnose your problem: a non-instrumental swallowing assessment (an examination conducted without the use of implements, often called a ‘bedside swallowing assessment’) and an instrumental swallowing assessment, which uses instrumental techniques.

Non-Instrumental swallowing assessment

A clinical bedside swallowing assessment is when a qualified speech pathologist closely observes your swallow function, taking into accountother factors such as whether you experience fatigue during a meal, your posture and position while eating,and what your environment is like.

During the bedside swallowing assessment, the speech pathologist will look for signs and symptoms of dysphagia, and how severe they may be. They may do the following tasks:

• Take a case history based on a comprehensive review of your medical records
• Interview your carer, family members and other health professionals associated with your care
• Assess your overall health in relation to your swallowing ability
• Ask you about how you perceive your function, and if you’ve experienced any changes in your functional status and quality of life
• Assess your communication, speech and vocal quality
• Monitor your physiological condition (e.g. your heart rate and breathing)
• Look at your ability to secrete saliva, (e.g. the frequency and adequacy of spontaneous saliva swallowing, and your ability to swallow voluntarily)
• Observe how you typically eat or are fed food items
• Assess how well you can keep your lips sealed, whether food spills from your mouth and evidence of oral control (e.g. how you chew)
• Identify signs of food possibly entering your lungs (e.g. throat clearing, coughing when you swallow)
• Assess your ability to clear your airways and your cough strength
• Conduct an oral mechanism exam, including:

A cranial nerve assessment
An assessment of your face, jaw, lips, tongue, palate, oral pharynx and the mucous inside your mouth
A functional assessment of the muscles you use to swallow

An assessment of your head-neck control, posture, oral reflexes and any involuntary movements you may make while you eat

Instrumental swallowing assessment

Coming Soon

How can a swallowing assessment help me?

A swallowing assessment is an important step towards finding the best treatment to help you swallow more safely and effectively.

The speech pathologist will evaluate your condition by putting together your case history, medical records, their physical examination, previous screenings you may have undergone, and information from your other caregivers and health professionals.

This helps them to:

• Diagnose your swallowing disorder, if you have one
• Understand your swallowing function, including any breakdowns.
• Work out the safest, most efficient way for you to drink and eat
• Identify any interventions and supports that can help you
• Develop a prognosis for your improvement
• Refer you to other services or professionals who can help you
• Provide counselling, education and training for you, your carers and your healthcare providers

Where can I receive a swallowing assessment?

Our dedicated team of highly qualified speech pathologists conductsswallowing assessments for people who have trouble swallowing. We are also an NDIS registered health provider, and conduct swallowing assessments for people living with disabilities. For more information or to book an appointment, get in touch by calling 02 9797 1880 or get in touch via email.

Swallowing assessments and cultural sensitivity

At Braithwaite Speech & Learning Clinic, we are committed to respecting everyone’s beliefs and cultural backgrounds.

Our qualified speech pathologists conduct bedside swallowing assessments in a way that is sensitive to each person’s religious, cultural and personal beliefs. We also consider how your culture may influence activities of daily living –including your dietary requirements,and any religious practices that may be associated with food and drink.