Presenter: Joan Arvedson, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD, BCS-S, ASHA Honors & Fellow
"This course will lead to real, immediate changes in my practice. I liked the case studies with documentation examples. Amazing!"
– M.M., prior course participant
In this course, participants will learn to delineate VFSS findings in objective ways, to relate findings to underlying physiologic processes, to determine possible strategies under fluoroscopy to aid intervention decisions, and to interpret findings to aid decision making for treatment planning in light of the "whole child".
This course begins with a video lecture covering anatomy & physiology of pediatric swallowing, review of instrumental swallow evaluation, interpretation of findings, and decision making. Next, participants will complete a guided self-study of 20 patient VFSS cases. These case studies will cover varied ages (ages 2 months to 17 years) and underlying etiologies with a range of swallowing disorders. Each case includes the VFSS video and a written summary of demographics, procedure notes, findings & interpretations, and recommendations & goals.
Course is offered for 0.8 ASHA CEUs – 8 contact hours.
Course Sections Include:
This course includes a guided self-study section featuring 20 patient VFSS cases of varied ages and underlying etiologies with a range of swallowing disorders.
"The videos and slides are great tools for enhancing learning. For the VFSS self-guided section, I really appreciate that the cases are varied when it comes to patient age and diagnoses."
– N.O., prior course participant
The content of this online CE course does not focus exclusively on any specific proprietary product or service. Presenter financial and non-financial disclosures may be found in the Presenter & Disclosures area.
Video PowerPoint presentation with author narration & downloadable handout. Stop and re-start the course at any point. Learners retain access to course content after completion for ongoing reference and review.
"The anatomy review and self-guided VFSS reports were beneficial. I liked the self-study videos with the presenter's reports/interpretations." C.J. (Aug. 2024)
"All of the information was helpful! I frequently have patients referred to me in outpatient post-VFSS. I enjoyed the case studies." E.A. (Aug. 2024)
"The infant-to-child transitional anatomy refresher was very helpful. I liked the examples." K.D. (Aug. 2024)
"Beneficial practice of VFSS. I liked that the course was self-paced - could go back to areas I was unsure about." T.H. (Jul. 2024)
"I really enjoyed the variety of the case studies to see a variety of different ages, diagnoses, and feeding histories. I really enjoyed the content being online and self-paced. It was so helpful to replay things, pause as needed, and review multiple times." K.P. (Jul. 2024)
"Reviewing VFSS studies along with understanding general differences in infants vs adults. Easy to follow and understand." S.M. (Jul. 2024)
"I enjoyed the case studies." J.T. (Jun. 2024)
"I liked being able to pause the course and think about different aspects as I went along." S.P. (Jun. 2024)
"Beneficial interpretation of VFSS. I liked the ability to go back and re-watch videos." L.W. (Jun. 2024)
"Management considerations for infants were beneficial. I enjoyed the example studies during the lecture." H.W. (May. 2024)
"Swallowing and Feeding were beneficial topics. Good presenter knowledge and paired up with case studies." M.L. (May. 2024)
"Learning what we see versus the deficits was beneficial. I enjoyed the information and the way it was explained." D.J. (May. 2024)
"All of the information was helpful. I liked that the course was broken into set modules which enabled access when I could." N.S. (May. 2024)
"The discussion of HRM was beneficial. This is something that I would love to bring to my facility. I enjoyed the self-paced study." M.P. (May. 2024)
"The case studies were amazing!!! I liked the thoroughness of the responses and clinical observations in the case studies. Truly, so very, very well done!" O.J. (May. 2024)
"I liked the amount of practice videos to analyze/review and learn from." C.W. (Apr. 2024)
"I liked the case studies and detailed anatomical explanations." A.H. (Apr. 2024)
"Interpretation and findings of VFSS were beneficial, and I liked the practical examples." M.M. (Apr. 2024)
"Discussing how to describe the findings was helpful." P.T. (Apr. 2024)
"Self-paced VFSS review on multiple studies. I enjoyed walking through findings and interpretations." I.H. (Mar. 2024)
"Research articles and the standardization possibilities were beneficial. I liked the case studies." A.B. (Mar. 2024)
"The explanation of detailed objective descriptions in order to paint a picture for a clinician as if they were viewing a study was beneficial. I enjoyed the video case studies and recommendations based on the study." A.H. (Mar. 2024)
"I liked the case studies." M.L. (Mar. 2024)
"Beneficial practice interpreting MBSS. I enjoyed the self-guided practice and thorough details." S.R. (Mar. 2024)
"I appreciated the information regarding esophageal function and the visualization of esophagus during the case studies. Often overlooked in clinical practice. I really enjoyed the case study portion." K.V. (Mar. 2024)
"I liked the access to 20 self-guided case studies." A.M. (Feb. 2024)
"Treatment planning techniques for OP and medically complex feeding patients. I liked the interactive videos." C.B. (Feb. 2024)
"The steps of a VFSS and the case studies at the end were helpful. I enjoyed watching the videos and seeing the notes of observations." M.K. (Feb. 2024)
"I loved the self-led case studies and more practice of reviewing studies (and less passive receiving of lectures)." K.M. (Feb. 2024)
"Decision-making on VFSS for pediatric patients was a helpful topic. I liked the self-guided practice of applying the content from the course." M.C. (Feb. 2024)
"It was beneficial to describe specifics of what is exactly happening. The course was concise and meaningful." C.I. (Feb. 2024)
"Reviewing studies and evaluating them together was beneficial." K.H. (Feb. 2024)
"Beneficial case examples to review with findings to check my work in identifying structures and function, including instances of aspiration. The video case studies were exactly what I needed to practice." P.G. (Jan. 2024)
"The VFSS case studies were beneficial, and I liked having access to them." J.L. (Jan. 2024)
"The comparison of infant/pediatric anatomy to adult was helpful. I enjoyed the ability to review case examples." L.K. (Dec. 2023)
"The variability in bolus presentations in peds versus adults was beneficial. I liked the way Joan presented actual case studies." K.D. (Dec. 2023)
"Joan is a great speaker and breaks things down very clearly. Beneficial discussion on preparing the child and family for the VFSS to obtain the best results. I liked the explanations." M.H. (Dec. 2023)
"I found the discussion of how to write reports more descriptively and specifically to be quite helpful. I appreciated the examples of written segments of reports." E.H. (Dec. 2023)
"The interpretation of anatomy and physiology and how to take function and make recommendations was helpful." M.M. (Nov. 2023)
"Learning more about the physiologic reasons for aspiration was beneficial. I enjoyed the lecture part that discussed recommendations when in radiology." A.C. (Nov. 2023)
"The review of how to correctly word assessment findings in a truly descriptive manner was beneficial. I liked the case studies!" K.W. (Nov. 2023)
"Practical information that is immediately applicable to my practice. The video examples and report write-ups at the end were helpful." A.J. (Nov. 2023)
"I enjoyed the guided self-study section." E.C. (Nov. 2023)
"I found the discussion on decision making at the moment for order of presentation of materials most beneficial." M.D. (Oct. 2023)
"I liked the video examples. Interpretation of VFSS section, including report writing, was beneficial." L.A. (Oct. 2023)
"There was so much great information! The practical parts of decision-making and findings, as well as the case studies, really helped with conducting VFSS in the pediatric population." K.M. (Sep. 2023)
"The entire course was great and all the information was beneficial for my daily practice. I liked the pace, the delivery of the content, and the overall content was appropriate." M.B. (Sep. 2023)
"Discussing the anatomical differences between infants, children and adults was helpful. I liked watching the VFSS case studies." C.H. (Sep. 2023)
"Learned reasons for VFSS and considerations before, during, after study. I liked that course was self-paced." J.I. (Sep. 2023)
"Interpretation and recommendations were beneficial." T.S. (Sep. 2023)
"Scoring, summarizing, considering other components, and how to summarize were all beneficial topics of this course." B.C. (Aug. 2023)
"The guided practice that included the findings and recommendations was helpful. I liked that the findings and recommendations are separate from the case history." E.H. (Aug. 2023)
"Very thorough with current research." W.H. (Jul. 2023)
"Great information and case studies and example VFSS. I liked all the details to look at during the swallow of a Pedi with a shorter time frame due to smaller structure." J.P. (Jul. 2023)
"I liked the actual case videos to watch with outlined history and recommendations and findings." E.J. (Jul. 2023)
"Decision-making and findings were beneficial. I liked the case studies and videos." T.C. (Jul. 2023)
"Lots of case studies!" C.G. (Jul. 2023)
"I liked the analysis of the domains of swallowing and correlated impairments and risks." M.O. (Jul. 2023)
"Wonderful information about pediatric dysphagia. The speaker was so AWESOME!! Easy to access course and loved that I could work on it at my own pace." B.T. (Jun. 2023)
"The self-study section was most useful. The theoretical component confirmed already possessed knowledge, as well as added to it." F.A. (Jun. 2023)
"Gained a better understanding of what to expect from a neurotypical infant to better understand differences. I liked the self-paced VFSS. I appreciated that I could watch the videos multiple times to ensure I saw all that I needed to." L.B. (May 2023)
"Everything was very informative and allowed me to compare practices at my hospital. I liked the format of this course. It was engaging and easy to pick back up when breaks were needed." Y.M. (May 2023)
"The practice with the recorded swallow study cases was beneficial. I liked the way course was broken into sections and the wording/feedback of the recorded swallow studies." K.R. (May 2023)
"I am currently being trained to perform inpatient VFSS at my acute care facility. The checklist of signs and physiologic findings will be very helpful for my daily practice. I liked the checklist, and the self-guided video studies." T.R. (May 2023)
"I appreciated that recommendations were included with each self-study VFSS. I liked the self-study VFSS section." A.D. (May 2023)
"Review of findings, interpretation, and recommendations during case studies were beneficial." E.I. (May 2023)
"The case studies and associated videos were most enlightening across the board." W.F. (May 2023)
"I liked the discussion of what VFSS is and is not, and the examples of helpful report descriptions. The videos and case studies were beneficial." E.T. (May 2023)
"Joan is the key in this course. Her knowledge is priceless. I liked the organization and ample real-life examples." J.K. (May 2023)
"Neural anatomy and pharyngeal swallowing findings and interpretation were beneficial." S.F. (Apr. 2023)
"Discussion of VFSS in relation to pediatrics was beneficial - I currently perform adult studies, and it was helpful to learn the technicalities. I liked the case studies to review at the end - solidifies the information learned." H.B. (Apr. 2023)
"The format for efficiency and thoroughness will be applied to my future reports. I liked the functional MBS videos with audio and documentation." R.S. (Apr. 2023)
"Actual video of VFSS and interpretation was beneficial. I liked the many video examples which helped visualize structures and the sequence of swallow." N.S. (Apr. 2023)
"I appreciated the copious information to begin my journey with VFSS in the pediatric populations. I have extensive adult VFSS experience, so the contrasts of VFSS to pediatric were beneficial. I enjoyed the large amount of video examples with explanations for exposure to various anatomical and functional things I may encounter. I enjoyed the variety of patients and disorders that we were able to view." R.L. (Apr. 2023)
"The anatomic and physiologic differences between pediatric and adult patients were beneficial. I liked the examples of VFSS." E.H. (Apr. 2023)
"I found the case studies most helpful in learning. I liked the course format of both lectured material, as well as self-study material." C.M. (Apr. 2023)
"I currently work in pediatrics and complete instrumental evaluation, so this course was a great overview of the procedure and how best to describe findings and recommendations. I liked having the instructor talk through the video examples and discuss how she would describe her findings." A.V. (Mar. 2023)
"Interpretation of the VFSS and implication to recommendations. I liked the mix of videos and case studies." N.L. (Mar. 2023)
"Dr. Arvedson's expertise in interpreting findings was extremely helpful; what she would consider normal vs. delay, recommendations she would make and a rationale for them. Good pace, great information, good sequence for presentation of information. The case studies with interpretation are really beneficial to have." P.T. (Mar. 2023)
"I liked the case studies. The explanations and real-life discussions were beneficial." T.A. (Mar. 2023)
"Relevant information that is easily applied to practice. Overview of anatomy as well as case studies were beneficial." M.S. (Feb. 2023)
"Interpretation and recommendations for treatment planning. I liked the ability to work through case studies and check my work." M.B. (Feb. 2023)
"Reassuring that I am doing the right thing when making decisions about when to continue some small p.o. trials with aspirators if medically stable. I liked being able to do course on my own time." E.H. (Feb. 2023)
"I liked the review of anatomy/physiology and all the case studies." M.S. (Feb. 2023)
"I liked the self study portion that allowed me to make my own conclusions and then compare to the presenter's. And the explanations on how to best characterize swallows in a chart." J.H. (Feb. 2023)
"I loved everything about this course! The most beneficial topics to me were: educating me about the correct terminology use, sample VFSS reports and videos, understanding VFSS findings, etc. I loved the case studies and sample reports." A.F. (Feb. 2023)
"The lectures and videos were great." G.M. (Feb. 2023)
"All of it was beneficial. I liked the video case studies to work through." B.L. (Feb. 2023)
"I liked the flexibility of self-study." A.A. (Feb. 2023)
"This course will lead to real, immediate changes in my practice. I liked the case studies with documentation examples. Amazing!" M.M. (Jan. 2023)
"Joan, you're a star. Well presented. Honest and critical. I liked the videos - I love when a speaker presents a case study, from how they picked up the file to how they transferred the child back to community." A.C. (Jan. 2023)
"Knowledge that I can apply tomorrow when returning to work. Very practical and functional. I've spent almost 30 years performing MBSS daily on adults. I found this lecture on the A&P differences between adults and children very helpful." M.S. (Jan. 2023)
"Decision making and findings. Notes that accompanied the VFSS studies were really helpful." A.M. (Jan. 2023)
"I liked the review of anatomy and watching the videos." T.K. (Jan. 2023)
"I liked the self guided section with the videos of the interpretation and results. Helped me to see better what was occurring during the VFSS, what the results mean, and if my recommendations matched. I enjoyed the information in the lecture in combination with the self guided section to help apply what was learned." L.B. (Jan. 2023)
"Dr. Arvedson is enjoyable to listen to and extremely knowledgeable about this subject. She shares her experiences in clinical practice, proving her competence in the subject matter." M.S. (Jan. 2023)
"I work with preschool children in a school setting who have feeding problems, and while I do not perform or interpret VFSS, it was very interesting to observe the videos and consider the treatment/management decisions. It was all very interesting and observing case studies was most interesting." S.C. (Dec. 2022)
"Discussion regarding procedural guidelines for improving pediatric compliance during VFSS was beneficial. I liked the videos." K.A. (Dec. 2022)
"The lecture was extremely informative as well as all the practice VFSS videos. In general, an amazing class! I liked the template and example reports." A.C. (Dec. 2022)
"The infant feeding information and examples were beneficial." L.B. (Dec. 2022)
"Defining and discussing specific components of the swallow was a really helpful part of this course. Self-study section was helpful for direct application of information as well." C.R. (Dec. 2022)
"Good video/case presentations." L.T. (Dec. 2022)
"I liked the videos with interpretation and findings." A.L. (Dec. 2022)
"The videos and slides are great tools for enhancing learning. For the VFSS self-guided section, I really appreciate that the cases are varied when it comes to patient age and diagnoses." N.O. (Nov. 2022)
Joan C. Arvedson, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD, BCS-S, ASHA Honors & Fellow, is a leading expert and international lecturer on feeding and swallowing disorders in infants and children. She is Coordinator of Feeding and Swallowing Services at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She is also a Clinical Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Arvedson is co-author of Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding: Assessment and Management, 3rd Edition (with L. Brodsky & M. Lefton-Greif).
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial — Joan Arvedson is the author of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.
Financial — Joan Arvedson is the author of Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding: Assessment and Management, 3rd Edition; receives royalties.
Nonfinancial — Joan Arvedson has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.
This program is offered for 0.8 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level; Professional Area).
ASHA CEUs: NSS online courses are registered with ASHA and are offered for ASHA CEUs. The number of ASHA CEUs is noted above. Note that 0.1 ASHA CEU = 1 contact hour = equals 1 CEE.
ASHA CE Registry: During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.
ASHA CEUs: Attendees must meet at least one of the following conditions in order to be eligible to earn ASHA CEUs:
If an attendee is not an ASHA member or CCC holder but meets any of the above criteria, they may inform the ASHA CE Registry of their eligibility by visiting this site.
Licensing Boards: Most state licensing boards DO accept CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some state boards do, however, place a limit to the number of credits that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any credit limits related to home-study courses prior to registering for this course.
Additional accrediting agencies by which Northern Speech is an approved CE provider:
Course Completion Timeframe:
You have unlimited time to complete our online courses. You may log off and log on as often as you’d like to in order to complete all sections of a course.
However, completion dates are based on Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, if you need your CEUs by a certain date, be sure to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on that date. For example, if you need CEUs before January 1st, you will need to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on December 31st.
Content Access:
Access to course materials and content does not expire, even after completing the post test. You may continue to review course material by logging into your NSS account, clicking the My Online Courses tab, and then viewing your desired course.
Certificate of Completion:
On successful completion of the post test (80%), a certificate will be immediately available for download and/or printing. This certificate will include your name, date of completion (based on Eastern Time Zone, USA/Canada), and number of contact hours (CEUs / CEEs). Please note that CEUs are awarded on the date of successful test completion, not the date of course enrollment. Please ensure that you successfully complete the post test prior to any licensure renewal dates.
ASHA CE Registry Submission:
During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.
Purchase Orders:
Purchase orders are currently not accepted for online orders, if you wish to submit a purchase order please do so at info@northernspeech.com or fax to 888-696-9655.
What is an Online Course?
Our Online Courses consist of video, audio, and/or text content and are offered for ASHA CEUs. Unlike a webinar, which requires participants to be logged on and at a computer at specific times, our Online Courses are available to you at any time, from any device, via your NorthernSpeech.com online account. You may work at your own pace and start and stop your course as you wish. Your course will conclude with a short post test. On successful completion of the post test (>80%), a printable certificate of completion is presented to you.
Receiving CEUs:
Northern Speech is an ASHA CE Provider and our online courses are registered with ASHA and offered for ASHA CEUs. Please note that successful completion of the online post test is required prior to the awarding of CEUs. Please contact your state licensing board for acceptance policies related to CEUs earned online. Please note that courses offered for university students are not applicable for CEUs.
Registering for an online course:
You may browse all online courses by clicking the Continuing Education tab above, then Online Courses. Once you find a course, click Enroll Now, and you will be asked to either log into your existing Northern Speech account or create a new online account. Once you’ve entered your account information and provided your credit card payment, your course will be immediately available to you.
Accessing your purchased course or returning to a purchased course:
You will be able to access your online course by logging into your Northern Speech account and then clicking the My Online Courses tab on your profile screen. Click the course you would like to start or to resume. From there, proceed through the course sections until you are ready to complete the post test. You do not have to complete your course all at once. You may log on and off as you wish.
Testing requirements:
Each online course concludes with a post test consisting of multiple choice or true & false questions. Scores of 80% or greater are required for successful course completion and awarding of CEUs. You may revisit course materials and retest as needed to achieve a passing score.
Number of CEUs offered:
We offer courses from 1 to 21 contact hours. Each course will note the number of CEUs offered. Please note that 0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour = 1 CEE.
State licensing boards and online CEUs:
NSS is an ASHA CE Provider and most state licensing boards DO accept ASHA CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some boards do, however, place a limit to the number of CEUs that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any CEU limits related to home-study courses prior to enrolling in an online course.
Course formats:
Our course formats include: text, audio, video, and PowerPoint with author narration. Each course will note the format on the course description page. Most courses include closed captioning.
Course handouts:
Most of our online courses provide a link to download the accompanying handout as a PDF file.
Group discounts:
Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a 20% discount on each registration on most of our online courses. To receive this discount, registrations need to be processed together via the "Group Rates" tab on the Online Course of your choice.
Computer requirements:
For our online courses to function best, we recommend that you update your computer to include the newest version of your Internet browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, etc.) and newest version of your computer's operating system. Also a high-speed Internet connection is recommended (cable or DSL). Speakers or headphones will be required for many of our courses as many contain audio components.
Course Cancellation Policy:
A purchased online course can be exchanged, refunded, or transferred to another individual if contact is made with NSS (via phone or email) within 30 days of purchase and the course materials have not been viewed or downloaded.
Special Needs:
Please click here for any special needs requests, and we will do our best to accommodate them.
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