National Resources

 

The National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders is a not-for-profit organization that was founded by an otolaryngologist, a speech-language pathologist, and a person with dysphagia. Their website is chock full of useful information about dysphagia and associated medical conditions across the lifespan. The organization also moderates and promotes the development of dysphagia support groups, can provide referral assistance, and is actively engaged in a variety of campaigns to promote awareness about dysphagia. 

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is the national certifying organization for speech-language pathologists in the United States. This organization maintains its own (often higher) standards in addition to the standards required for licensure on a state-by-state basis. A speech-language pathologist that is certified with ASHA will have CCC in his/her title which stands for Certificate of Clinical Competence. Clinicians you work with will/should have this credential. You can access their guides to topics related to feeding and swallowing disorders here

The American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders is a specialty certification program for speech-language pathologists with expertise in swallow function. This certification is a completely voluntary and quite rigorous process. It’s roughly comparable to a board certification specialty for a physician. If you’re interested in working with a speech-language pathologist that is board certified in swallowing and swallowing disorders, you can look here.
If you’re a speech-language pathologist interested in pursuing certification, start here