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$129.00 USD

94% rating - reviews

0.9  ASHA CEUs

Medical Speech Pathology: The Influence Of Body Systems On Cognition, Communication And Swallowing #e116


Presenters: Robert Arnold, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S & Veda Cochran, RN, BSN

Gain a deeper understanding of how body systems function in relation to the assessments and interventions employed by the SLP.



"I feel so empowered! Highly recommend this course. It closes the gap that graduate school doesn't provide for the medical SLP. Very detailed, thorough, and informative."

– J.B., prior course participant

Read more comments about this course!

This course integrates a holistic review of anatomy and physiology of the critical systems of the human body as related to medical speech pathology. Presented will be valuable information on how body systems function to promote, delay, or impede progress with intervention programs targeting acquired communication and/or swallowing disorders.

Foundational concepts for understanding the relationships between pathophysiology, laboratory studies (e.g. blood, urine, etc.), and pharmacological interventions are introduced. Learn how blood sugar levels and brain cell sodium levels can affect communication and swallowing.

Special emphasis is placed on the impact of disease and the medical management process as related specifically to communication and swallowing disorders. This course puts it all together for the SLP and participants will gain a deeper understanding of how body systems function in relation to the assessments and interventions employed by the SLP. Offered for 0.9 ASHA CEUs – 9 Contact Hours.

Course Overview & Run Time

Course Overview – Run Time: 9:20:22

  • Fluid Balance System
  • Electrolyte Imbalances
  • Acid-Base Disturbances
  • Hematological System
  • Cardiovascular System
  • Lymphatic System
  • Pulmonary System
  • Endocrine, Renal-Urologic and Digestive Systems
  • Musculoskeletal and Integumentary Systems
  • Pharmacology
"Every medical SLP should take this course. It addressed critical information for my work as a medical SLP. The level of detail made it seem like a course designed for medical school – but it covered everything that SLPs need to know."

– M.B., prior course participant

Read more comments about this course!

Stop and re-start the course at any point. Learners retain access to course content after completion for ongoing reference and review.

Content Disclosures

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.

Course Format

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.

Reviews

Comments From Prior Course Participants

"Comprehensive course. Understanding different systems and how they work was beneficial. Learning types of symptoms patients can present with." A.L. (Nov. 2024)

"Course provided more insight into how much of an impact different body systems can truly have on swallowing and cognitive linguistics." R.C. (Nov. 2024)

"I liked it all. Practical course." M.C. (Nov. 2024)

"I had no idea about any lab values before - this course was great." H.R. (Nov. 2024)

"Laboratory values were beneficial. Great expansion of med SLP." M.V. (Nov. 2024)

"I appreciated the deep dive taken into the scope of the medical SLP field, including the introduction to fluid balance systems/electrolyte imbalances/acid-base disturbances, cardiovascular/lymphatic/pulmonary/endocrine/renal/digestive/musculoskeletal systems review, and discussion of the two edged sword. All information presented has been useful thus far and will be useful going forward within a skilled nursing setting, particularly in treating complex patient's presenting with multi-system deficits/impairments requiring detail-oriented care to ensure safety and health overall. This knowledge should be emphasized across all medical SLP settings to ensure patient safety and quality service." T.C. (Oct. 2024)

"I liked learning about the cardiac system as well as the pulmonary system as this will help me, especially when working with patients in the ICU. I liked that this course was able to be completed at my own pace." M.G. (Aug. 2024)

"Drug prescription was beneficial to discuss. I enjoyed the detail of each body system." R.J. (Aug. 2024)

"Thorough review of the medical chart and understanding dx and pharmacological implications." K.T. (Jun. 2024)

"Helpful information on different medications and blood levels and how they can affect speech/feeding related issues." D.D. (May. 2024)

"The fluid balance system and cardiac diagnoses were beneficial topics. I liked the detailed information for each system." E.S. (Dec. 2023)

"The organization of lab information and diagnoses with their associations for creating a full picture of my patient's function and challenges. I also appreciated the advice for wording requests for physician orders. I appreciated the organized presentation of information with specific implications for Speech Therapy. This made for some redundancy of presentation, which I appreciated due to the complex, multifaceted nature of the material." C.V. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the discussion that electrolyte balance can affect cognition and the rational. Everything was terrific." T.C. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the use of real case studies related to Speech Therapy." T.B. (Dec. 2023)

"The review of lab values and the effect on cognitive function and dysphagia was beneficial. I enjoyed learning about all of the different systems of the body and the pathologies associated with them." T.M. (Dec. 2023)

"All of it was helpful! I liked the case studies." S.S. (Dec. 2023)

"Better understanding now of the meaning of various lab tests and the complexity of determining underlying causes in order to treat fluid balance and electrolyte disorders." C.B. (Nov. 2023)

"The review of lab data was beneficial. I liked how the course was organized and easy to follow along with the handouts." A.H. (Nov. 2023)

"Lab values and systems implications were helpful. I enjoyed the handouts and quality information relevant to the population I treat." J.M. (Nov. 2023)

"I liked that I could listen to this course very much like a podcast and refer to the slides afterward." M.W. (Oct. 2023)

"Considering lab values, considering medications was beneficial. I liked the amount of content covered." A.Z. (Oct. 2023)

"The GI and medication sections were helpful. I liked the big overview." P.D. (Oct. 2023)

"Relationship of body systems to cognition and swallowing was beneficial. Course was thorough and well presented." S.C. (Oct. 2023)

"The entire course was beneficial for my daily practice. I liked how detailed the information was and how it was related to clinical practice." D.K. (Aug. 2023)

"Pharmacology, as related to each body system and presentation of body systems, was beneficial. I liked the length and detail of each section." A.B. (Jul. 2023)

"All course content was helpful." L.L. (Jun. 2023)

"I strongly recommend this course. All topics are beneficial for my daily practice. All the information provided is evidence-based and easy to understand with specific data. Case studies are so amazing and beneficial for the Medical SLP and our role in hospital and clinical arenas." S.M. (May 2023)

"Information about labs was beneficial. I liked the thoroughness of the information and all the topics covered." L.M. (May 2023)

"I liked the medical information about pneumonia to help determine aspiration-related pneumonia vs. community-acquired pneumonia. The flow/organization of the material made this course easy to understand." R.C. (Apr. 2023)

"The general medical knowledge provided was beneficial." M.S. (Mar. 2023)

"Learning lab values and the general review of body systems was beneficial. This course was very thorough." M.B. (Feb. 2023)

"Very detailed information. Learning fluid balance system and pharmacological considerations for the SLP." T.O. (Jan. 2023)

"All of this can be applied in my daily practice. This course was very thorough." D.P. (Dec. 2022)

"I feel so empowered! Highly recommend this course. It closes the gap that graduate school doesn't provide for the medical SLP. Very detailed, thorough, and informative." J.B. (Dec. 2022)

"This entire course was very informative and something I will return back to again and again as a resource for dysphagia and why my patients with no other relevant medical history are showing signs and symptoms." A.Y. (Dec. 2022)

"This course was very educational and covered a wide variety of topics. Very detailed and informative." K.D. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked all of it. Great information provided." E.A. (Dec. 2022)

"All excellent information." R.D. (Dec. 2022)

"Very detail oriented course. I enjoyed the aspect relating to electrolyte imbalances and dehydration." G.H. (Dec. 2022)

"The impact of the cardiovascular system on cognitive communication and swallow function was interesting. I liked the integration of previous course information with newly introduced information." M.F. (Dec. 2022)

"Learning the benefit of understanding labs. I liked the biology/physiology." L.L. (Nov. 2022)

"Considering a patient's holistic medical condition and medications being taken and their effects on swallowing and cognition was beneficial. I liked the in-depth study of the body systems' effects on swallowing and cognition." V.B. (Oct. 2022)

"The medical knowledge will assist me with prognostic indicators for improved performance of therapy tasks or assessment." A.F. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked the cardiac and respiratory system reviews. This course was very in-depth." B.M. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked the entire presentation! And the way the presenter categorized the subjects and concepts." R.K. (Sept. 2022)

"Info on labs, meds was very helpful. I liked the course format and information." A.M. (Aug. 2022)

"The level of information was great! Liked the discussion on electrolyte systems." M.M. (Jul. 2022)

"I found the discussion on metabolic disturbances, changes in cardiac function, and changes to respiratory system/respiratory disease to be the most educational/enlightening. I feel like "toxic metabolic encephalopathy" actually means something more specific to me now." S.C. (Jun. 2022)

"I have a better understanding of metabolic changes which will impact my diagnostic and interventional practice, as well as allow me to better educate patients and families on why cognitive-communication and swallow are affected in these circumstances." S.C. (Jun. 2022)

"The course was easy to understand. Good section on esophageal dysphagia." J.M. (Jun. 2022)

"Accessibility and content level was good. I liked the review of the body systems."  S.T. (Jun. 2022)

"The medical background was great." C.C. (May 2022)

"The speaker had great expertise: pharmacological indications, resources for looking up interaction of conditions, discussion of encephalopathy and fluid, electrolyte imbalance, etc." L.J. (May 2022)

"Every medical SLP should take this course. It addressed critical information for my work as a medical SLP – and sadly, my graduate school did not offer a course like this, so I had to learn it on the job. The level of detail made it seem like a course designed for medical school – but it covered everything that SLPs need to know. Presenter explained carefully and made good use of case studies to support all the material presented. I may listen to it all one more time." M.B. (Apr. 2022)

"The depth of information made this course incredibly helpful. Dr. Arnold broke it down with detailed information, then continually put it all back together and repeatedly explained the importance of the information to the SLP's practice." D.M. (Apr. 2022)

"I liked learning about the specific effects of dehydration on cognition. It was a great refresher of my knowledge on the body systems." M.D. (Apr. 2022)

"Learning about lab values and learning the pulmonary system were beneficial." J.H. (Apr. 2022)

"I liked the discussion about impacts of dehydration." M.K. (Feb. 2022)

"There was so much good information, and I liked that I could watch a little bit at a time." R.A. (Feb. 2022)

"I liked the lymphatic system review for HNC patients s/p resection and radiation therapy, and that I was able to take this course at my own pace." H.A. (Jan. 2022)

"I so appreciated the in depth coverage of body systems' impact on cognition, communication and deglutition in that I can now more fully appreciate how I can assist patients with non traditional diagnoses and can more fully justify my role in their recovery. I enjoyed the case studies and anecdotes as a means to assist in retention of the material presented in this course." L.K. (Jan. 2022)

"I liked the use of lab values and impact on cognitive communication and swallowing in acute care patients. Accessibility and thoroughness of this course." J.G. (Jan. 2022)

"Very thorough course. I liked the topic of the nervous system and medication reactions." S.C. (Jan. 2022)

"I loved this course! All of the topics were beneficial! I liked the detailed information and practical application for medical SLPs. I was just saying how I wish more courses were straight to the point and filled with information and how to apply information to our daily practice as therapists. My wish came true! Great job!!" J.C. (Jan. 2022)

Course Objectives

At course conclusion, participants will be able to:
  1. Describe the effects of body fluids and acid-based disturbances on communication and swallowing.
  2. Summarize the influence of the Hematological, Cardiovascular and Lymphatic systems on communication and swallowing.
  3. Summarize the effects of the Pulmonary, Endocrine, Renal-Urologic, and Digestive systems on communication and swallowing.
  4. Discuss how the Musculoskeletal and Integumentary systems effect communication and swallowing.
  5. Describe the effects of prescribed medications and over-the counter-medications on communication and swallowing.

Presenter & Disclosures

Robert J. Arnold, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Robert J. Arnold, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is the Chief Clinical Officer for Southeastern Biocommunication Associates, LLC. Dr. Arnold has over 20 years of experience in medical speech-language pathology as a diagnostician, therapist, clinical research scientist, author, inventor, and adjunct professor. He has made numerous presentations at the state, regional, and national level. Dr. Arnold has been twice presented with the Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award by the Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama and he is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. In addition, Dr. Arnold is the inventor of the Oromotor Dynamometer.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial — Robert Arnold is the presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Financial — Robert Arnold is the inventor of Oromotor Dynamometer; holds the patent.

Financial — Robert Arnold is the author of the CSA Endoscopy differential diagnostic algorithm for the upper aerodigestive tract; holds copyrights & trademark.

Financial — Robert Arnold is a co-owner of Southeastern Biocommunication Associates, LLC; ownership interests. 

Nonfinancial — Robert Arnold has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Veda Cochran, RN, BSN

Veda Cochran, RN, BSN, is the President/Chief Operating Officer for Southeastern Biocommunication Associates, LLC. She has over 35 years of nursing experience in home health and hospice. Over her career, Ms. Cochran has been directly involved with over 25 successful business startups in the roles of consultant, administrator, vice president, and Chief Operating Officer. She has also been engaged in industry research & development of innovative, interdisciplinary healthcare delivery models for rehabilitation, long-term care, home health, and hospice.

Speaker Disclosures:

Employer — Southeastern Biocommunication Associates, LLC, Hoover, AL.

Financial — Veda Cochran is a presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; receives royalties.

Nonfinancial — Veda Cochran has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Intended Audience / Accreditation

Intended Audience/Accreditation
asha ce approved provider

This program is offered for 0.9 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level; Professional Area).

Intended Audience

  • Speech-Language Pathologists

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:

  • Current ASHA Member
  • ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) Holder
  • Licensed by a state or provincial regulatory agency to practice speech-language pathology (SLP) or audiology
  • Credentialed by a state regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
  • Credentialed by a national regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
  • Engaged in a Clinical Fellowship under the supervision of an individual with their ASHA CCC
  • Currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral program in SLP or audiology

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:

  • California: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the California Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Board. Provider #PDP4. Online CEU limits may apply; please contact SLPAHADB for current online CEU acceptance policies.
  • Iowa: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the Iowa Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology Examiners. Provider #169.
  • Kansas: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Provider #LTS-S0005.

Frequently Asked Questions

Online Course FAQ — Click Here

Customer Support: Please phone 888.337.3866 or email info@northernspeech.com.

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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