Development and implementation of a Dysphagia program in a mental retardation residential facility

This paper describes the implementation of a dysphagia program in a residential mental retardation (MR) setting. Five program phases are presented describing the staff requirements, inservice and other procedures necessary to establish the program, the evaluation procedures, treatment approaches, and documentation patterns. Specific recommendations developed at Caswell to improve implementation of such a program with a residential, multi- Randicapped population are discussed, and our initial results with evaluation procedures and therapeutic interventions in 56 residents are presented. In particular, a detailed analysis of 24 clients whose intervention was based on videofluoroscopic examination are also presented.