Dysphagia Therapy in Frisco and McKinney TX
Difficulty swallowing can affect safety, nutrition, and quality of life. Our speech-language pathologists provide personalized dysphagia therapy for children and adults.
What Dysphagia Therapy Actually Treats
Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. It can affect the ability to safely move food, liquids, or even saliva from the mouth into the stomach. Dysphagia can occur at any age but is especially common after a stroke, with neurological conditions, or as part of certain developmental and medical diagnoses.
Swallowing involves a precise sequence of muscle movements coordinated by the brain. When any part of that sequence is disrupted, food or liquid can move too slowly, get stuck, or enter the airway, which can lead to coughing, choking, or aspiration pneumonia.
Dysphagia is not related to intelligence or effort. It reflects a disruption in the muscles or nerves involved in swallowing and requires targeted, specialized care.
Dysphagia therapy focuses on improving swallow safety, building strength and coordination of swallowing muscles, and identifying the right diet textures and strategies for each individual.
Signs Dysphagia Therapy May Help
Swallowing problems can develop suddenly or gradually, and they are not always obvious at first. Caregivers and family members often notice changes during meals before the person experiencing them does.
Signs that dysphagia therapy may help include:
- Coughing or throat clearing during or after eating and drinking
- A wet or gurgly voice after meals
- Feeling like food is stuck in the throat or chest
- Taking a long time to finish meals
- Avoiding certain foods or textures
- Unexplained weight loss or dehydration
- Recurrent pneumonia or chest infections
How Summit Therapy Treats Dysphagia
Treatment begins with a comprehensive evaluation of swallowing function, including a clinical assessment and, when needed, coordination with imaging studies performed at a medical facility. From there, a personalized plan is created using evidence-based swallowing therapy techniques.
Sessions focus on strengthening the swallowing muscles, improving coordination, and practicing safe swallowing strategies with appropriate food and liquid textures. We also work closely with families and caregivers to make mealtimes safer and less stressful.
You will work with the same speech-language pathologist throughout the process, allowing for consistent monitoring of progress and quick adjustments to the plan as swallowing function changes.
Clear home guidance is provided, including diet recommendations, positioning tips, and exercises to reinforce progress between sessions.
Begin Your Therapy Journey
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Complete intake forms
We will verify insurance before your first visit.
Schedule your first visit
We will call you to schedule your first visit within one day of receiving your new patient paperwork.
Begin your therapy journey
Be amazed with your progress!
FAQs
Dysphagia can affect people of any age, from infants with feeding difficulties to older adults recovering from a stroke. Common causes include neurological conditions, head and neck cancer treatment, developmental disabilities, and certain progressive diseases. If you have concerns about swallowing safety, an evaluation is the right next step.
Occasional coughing happens to everyone, but frequent coughing or choking during meals is a meaningful warning sign. So is a wet-sounding voice after drinking. If these patterns happen regularly, it is worth scheduling a swallowing evaluation at Summit Therapy.
Many people experience significant improvement, and some recover fully, especially when therapy starts soon after the underlying cause is identified. For progressive conditions, therapy focuses on maintaining safe swallowing as long as possible. Your speech-language pathologist will give you a realistic outlook after the initial evaluation.
Many insurance plans require a physician referral for dysphagia evaluation and treatment, even though Texas allows direct access to speech therapy. We can help you sort out what your specific plan needs before your first appointment. Just call Summit Therapy and we will walk you through it.
Medical Reviewer
Amanda Ahmed, MA, EdM, CCC-SLP
Amanda is a Speech-Language Pathologist who applies evidence-based practices to improve functional communication across settings. She has experience in acute and sub-acute care, neonatal intensive care (including feeding and swallowing), rehabilitation facilities, and school settings.
She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Texas Speech and Hearing Association, and a 2019 graduate of the ASHA Leadership Development Program (LDP) Healthcare Cohort, a highly selective program. Amanda earned her Master’s in Communication Disorders and Sciences from SUNY Buffalo in 2003.
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Ready to Get Started?
Contact us today to schedule your first appointment and begin your journey toward better communication.