Food for Thought

The clinical dysphagia examination is the mainstay of evaluation methods for the working speech-language pathologist (SLP). It is cheap, accessible, simple to deliver, and consumes few resources (Carnaby-Mann & Lenius, 2008). Though it has often been criticized for its validity in comparison to the more costly videofluoroscopic assessment, it remains the “working SLP's” best friend when initially confronted with a patient's complaint of difficulty swallowing. This article will review the misconceptions related to the value of the clinical dysphagia assessment, and the role of the cranial nerve review component in the examination and, more broadly, in patient evaluation, care, and treatment planning.