The focus of this module is on the anatomy and physiology of swallowing, with the goal of equipping speech-language pathologists with the necessary knowledge to make appropriate referrals for videofluoroscopy.At the end of this module, the clinician learner will:

1. Be able to identify the location and innervation of the sensory receptors that are critical to pharyngeal swallow initiation
2. Be able to identify normal and abnormal respiratory-swallow phasing patterns
3. Be able to describe the components of the brainstem central pattern generator for swallowing
4. Be able to describe the elements of the airway protection mechanism in swallowing
5. Be able to describe the biomechanics of upper esophageal sphincter opening

About Instructor

Professor Catriona M. Steele is a clinician scientist working in the area of swallowing and swallowing disorders. She has a background as a medical speech-language pathologist, and is Director of the Swallowing Rehabilitation Research Laboratory (www.steeleswallowinglab.ca) at KITE, the research arm of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network. Dr. Steele is a Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. Professor Steele holds research funding from the National Institutes of Health (USA) as well as several active industry contracts. She is an associate editor for the Dysphagia journal and a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Texture Studies. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (www.iddsi.org).