On this episode of Swallow Your Pride, Theresa sits down with Ally Roberts, M.S., CCC-SLP, to talk about dysphagia management, patient-centered care, and the story behind Naturally Nectar. Ally shares what years in acute care, inpatient rehab, and outpatient swallow studies taught her about thickened liquids, clinical nuance, and the importance of listening to what patients actually want. They also get into the process of building a product for people with dysphagia that prioritizes dignity, nutrition, and real-world usability.

Get the references here: https://syppodcast.com/392
Website: https://naturallynectar.org

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In this episode, Theresa interviews Dr. Yvette McCoy, Assistant Professor at Moravian University, about her research on the connection between physical performance and swallowing function in older adults. Dr. McCoy discusses her dissertation, which found that upper body power strongly predicts swallowing-related measures, highlighting the value of integrating exercise science principles into dysphagia rehabilitation. The […]

The post 361 – From Exercise Science to Swallowing Success: A New Approach to Dysphagia Rehabilitation appeared first on Swallow Your Pride Podcast.

The proposed changes to CPT code 92507 have sparked a lot of discussion across the SLP community. Many clinicians are seeing numbers circulating online and understandably feeling worried about what this might mean for reimbursement and clinical practice. In this episode, Theresa sits down with Lysa Johnson, speech-language pathologist and regulatory compliance expert, to unpack […]

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In this episode of Swallow Your Pride, Theresa sits down with Dr. Rabab Rangwala, PhD, CCC-SLP, to explore the science behind respiratory–swallow coordination in Parkinson’s disease and what it means for clinical practice.

They dive into how breathing patterns can influence swallowing safety, why patients with Parkinson’s may not fully perceive their swallowing impairments, and what recent research reveals about the relationship between patient-reported symptoms and instrumental findings. Dr. Rangwala also shares how her clinical experience shaped her research questions and why instrumental assessment plays a critical role, while still recognizing real-world access barriers.

This conversation bridges neuroscience and bedside care, offering practical insights to help medical SLPs strengthen their clinical clarity and better serve individuals with neurologic disease.

Get the references and special links to articles mentioned here: https://syppodcast.com/389

Dr. Rabab Rangwala is a speech-language pathologist and postdoctoral scholar at University of California, San Francisco. Her research focuses on the neural and behavioral control of swallowing and speech across healthy and clinical populations. Her work in dysphagia examines respiratory–swallow coordination, and objective assessment of swallowing impairments using wearable sensors, particularly in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and other neurologic conditions. In parallel, she conducts speech neuroscience research using neuroimaging, psychophysics, and computational modeling to understand how the brain supports complex motor behaviors such as speech production.
By integrating clinical insight with neuroscience and quantitative methods, Dr. Rangwala’s work seeks to improve our understanding of speech and swallowing disorders, with the goal of informing healthcare delivery, guiding treatment decisions, and ultimately improving patient quality of life.

The post 389 – Respiratory–Swallow Coordination in Parkinson’s: What the Research Actually Shows appeared first on Swallow Your Pride Podcast.

Dysphagia in Parkinson’s disease is not one-size-fits-all, and treatment decisions shouldn’t be either.In this episode of Swallow Your Pride, Theresa is joined by PD Dr. Bendix Labeit, MBA, neurologist and clinician-scientist, and Jule Hofacker, MSc, speech-language pathologist and PhD student in neurogenic dysphagia, to explore how Parkinson’s treatments impact swallowing. They discuss how dopaminergic medication […]

The post 388 – Parkinson’s, Swallowing, and Deep Brain Stimulation: What Clinicians Need to Know appeared first on Swallow Your Pride Podcast.

In this episode of the "Swallow Your Pride" podcast, bilingual SLP Margaryta Kuzman shares her expertise on pediatric feeding disorders in early intervention. She discusses the vital role of SLPs, the importance of early identification, and practical steps—ensuring safety, functional feeding observation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Margaryta emphasizes family-centered care, the need for more specialized training, and offers resources for clinicians. She also introduces her platform, Kuzmin SLP, dedicated to empowering providers with evidence-based tools. The conversation highlights the challenges families face and the importance of empathy and teamwork in supporting children with feeding difficulties.

Get the show notes at: https://syppodcast.com/387

Margaryta Kuzmin, MA, CCC-SLP, TSSLD-BE, BCS-S is a bilingual speech-language pathologist based in New York City with over 15 years of experience working with infants, toddlers, and school-age children with complex communication, feeding, and developmental needs. She specializes in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders, AAC, and working with medically complex populations. Margaryta is the founder of KuzminSLP, a professional education platform dedicated to empowering Early Intervention providers (SLPs, OTs, SI, PTs) with practical, evidence-based tools for real-world practice. Her work bridges feeding, language, literacy, and behavior, with a strong emphasis on functional outcomes for children ages birth to three. She is an award-winning clinician, published author, and frequent national and international speaker, and has received multiple awards throughout her career for her contributions to the field.

LINKS:

https://KuzminSLP.com

Instagram: @kuzminSLP

The post 387 – From Picky Eaters to Happy Eaters: Strategies for Pediatric Feeding Success appeared first on Swallow Your Pride Podcast.

In this powerful episode of Swallow Your Pride, caregiver and author Diane Wolff shares the real-life journey that transformed her mother’s dysphagia diagnosis into a mission to empower millions of families. Diane reveals the practical, step-by-step systems she created to help caregivers feel confident feeding their loved ones safely, from setting up a dysphagia-friendly kitchen, to batch cooking with dignity in mind, to bringing joy and variety back to mealtimes.

Get the show notes: https://syppodcast.com/386

Buy the book: https://amzn.to/3KC6q8O
Visit the website: https://www.cookingfordysphagia.com

The post 386 – Empowering Caregivers: Practical Solutions for Managing Dysphagia at Home appeared first on Swallow Your Pride Podcast.

In this episode of "Swallow Your Pride," host Theresa Richard brings together a panel of NIH-funded researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to unpack the complexity of diagnosing and treating motor speech disorders after left-hemisphere stroke. Theresa Richard guides a conversation that demystifies the overlap between apraxia of speech, dysarthria, and aphasia, highlights the challenges clinicians face in acute and subacute care, and introduces innovative assessment tools designed to bring more objectivity and clarity to real-world practice. The team shares emerging findings, practical insights for SLPs across the continuum of care, and a look at how new perceptual and acoustic measures may shape the future of stroke-related speech assessment.

Links mentioned in the show:

UNC Center for Aphasia and Related Disorder's Lab website (includes information on our research and helpful therapy resources regarding aphasia, communication partner training, and aphasia-friendly print materials): https://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/sphs/card/
Tools Available for Speech Therapists for Assessment...
Word Information Measure and Moving Average Type Token Ratio (Shiny App): https://unccard.shinyapps.io/WIM_MATTR/
Word Complexity Measure (Shiny App): https://unccard.shinyapps.io/shiny-woRdcomplex-2/
Word Complexity Measure Ratio (Shiny App): https://unccard.shinyapps.io/shiny-wcmRatio/

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