We provide speech therapy online for children, adolescents and adults with dysphagia.
We are a registered NDIS provider and use an inclusive approach to therapy, where the person can be in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.
How can speech therapy benefit people with dysphagia?
Speech therapy can provide significant benefits for individuals with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) through various approaches and techniques. Here are some key ways that speech therapy can help:
1. **Assessment and Diagnosis**: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are trained to assess swallowing difficulties. They can conduct evaluations to identify the specific nature and severity of dysphagia, which is crucial for tailoring treatment plans.
2. **Swallowing Techniques**: SLPs can teach specific swallowing techniques and strategies to help patients manage their condition. These may include:
– **Chin tuck**: Tilting the chin down while swallowing to help protect the airway.
– **Mendelsohn maneuver**: Holding the swallow at its peak to improve the coordination of the swallowing muscles.
– **Supraglottic swallow**: Swallowing while holding the breath to close the airway and prevent aspiration.
3. **Diet Modifications**: SLPs can recommend appropriate dietary modifications, such as altering food textures (pureed, soft, thickened liquids) to make swallowing easier and safer. They can also help in developing individualized meal plans that meet nutritional needs while considering swallowing abilities.
4. **Oral Motor Exercises**: Strengthening the muscles involved in swallowing can enhance function. SLPs may provide exercises to improve oral-motor skills, which can make swallowing easier and more coordinated.
5. **Education and Counseling**: SLPs can educate patients and caregivers about dysphagia, its causes, and how to manage it. They can also provide strategies for safe eating and drinking to reduce the risk of choking or aspiration.
6. **Compensatory Strategies**: These strategies help individuals adapt to their swallowing difficulties. SLPs can suggest changes such as eating in a certain position, using specific utensils, or pacing during meals to enhance safety and efficiency.
7. **Therapeutic Techniques**: Some therapies may involve the use of specialized devices or techniques, such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), which can help activate the muscles involved in swallowing.
8. **Coordination with Other Professionals**: SLPs often work as part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with nutritionists, occupational therapists, and medical professionals to provide comprehensive care and support.
Through these approaches, speech therapy can greatly enhance the quality of life for individuals with dysphagia, promoting safer swallowing, reducing the risk of complications, and improving overall nutrition and hydration.
Services for children, adolescents and adults
We have speech therapists who work with children, adolescents and adults, and we have therapists who have experience with dysphagia. Read more about our therapists here.
NDIS registered provider
We are a registered NDIS provider and work with self-managed, plan-managed and agency-managed clients.
If your are an NDIS provider or support coordinator we can provide reliable speech therapy for clients with dysphagia in any location. Refer a client and we’ll connect you to the right clinician.
Is online speech therapy effective?
Yes! A growing body of evidence shows that online delivery of therapy can be as effective as face to face. Online therapy has many other benefits too, including being convenient and accessible for people in regional and rural areas.
How does online speech therapy work?
At Umbo online therapy is not just zoom plus business-as-usual. It’s much more diverse than simply videoconferencing. Umbo therapists provide an individualised approach to each person, using the latest evidence, and a variety of technologies and engagement techniques.
Umbo champions person-centred therapy. It means the person and their family/support people leads the conversation. We believe that the most effective therapy occurs when support is given in the environment where the person lives, learns, works or plays. Therefore we work with the family, and teach skills to you or to other supporters. This means you’re achieving real-life goals, rather than just achieving goals in a clinic.
We are a certified social enterprise helping Australian families access allied health services.