How 'bout a Quickie: Dysphagia Screeners

This week on Speech Talk, we’re breaking down two of our favorite fast and evidence-backed dysphagia screeners: the TOMASS and the Yale Swallow Protocol. If you’ve ever been buried in a busy SNF day and wished for a quick but reliable way to check someone’s swallow, this episode is your new best friend.

We walk you through how each tool works, what the research says, and why a simple cracker and a cup of water can give you so much clinically relevant information. You’ll hear practical tips for saving time, collaborating with nursing and OT, knowing when NOT to use these screeners, and using the results to support stronger documentation and referrals.

Grab a saltine, pull up your badge buddy, and let’s talk about dysphagia screening you can actually use in your practice.

You’ll learn:

• The TOMASS basics: what to measure, how to give it, and why it’s more legit than it looks

• How the Yale Swallow Protocol really works (and the signs you don’t want to miss)

• What the research says about accuracy, reliability, and clinical usefulness

• When these tools are perfect—and when they’re not the right choice

• How to use quick screens to guide goals, referrals, and Medicare-friendly documentation

• Ways to bring nursing and OT into the swallow-screening process

CitationsTodaro, F., Pizzorni, N., Scarponi, L., Ronzoni, C., Huckabee, M. L., & Schindler, A. (2021). The Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS): Reliability and validity in patients with dysphagia. International journal of language & communication disorders, 56(3), 558–566. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12613 Suiter, D. M., Sloggy, J., & Leder, S. B. (2014). Validation of the Yale Swallow Protocol: a prospective double-blinded videofluoroscopic study. Dysphagia, 29(2), 199–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-013-9488-3 

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