Swallowing-Disorders Books

This book was my bible during my medical externship practicum. I relied on this book a lot as a clinical reference and it saved my life! It gives good information and good treatment techniques for dysphagia therapy. Another book I would highly recommend for dysphagia therapy is "The Source Book for Dysphagia".

This book is just what I needed. Brand new condition! Arrived right on time. Much cheaper than University Bookstore. Thanks.

It is unfortunate that some reviewers of this book hold such a myopic view. I own this book and find myself referring this and other similar texts, such as "Deglutition and its Disorders" by Adrienne Perlman and Konrad Schulze-Delrieu, frequently. Clearly, not all individuals with dysphagia benefit from dysphagia therapy. In my humble opinion, the skills to identify patients who can benefit from SLP intervention for management of dysphagia and knowing what aspects to work on is a result of a good foundation in this speciality, ongoing continuing education, and direct clinical experience. A good measure of curiousity would help as well. Anyone who wants to learn about dysphagia would best benefit from a graduate level course that deals exclusively with the subject. Unfortunately, not all universities have a dysphagia program. Students are often left to fend themselves. I feel strongly that all SLPs working with individuals with dysphagia should attend on site CE classes offered by well known practitioners, regularly. The field is truly very broad, and a comprehensive review of the system from different perspectives definitely helps me improve my diagnostic and therapeutic skills. I find the following websites particularly useful to find CE courses - [...]

I consider Dr. Logemann's book a very good introduction to the subject. I was fortunate to have attended her course in San Diego a few years back and I was able to seek clarification on various issues presented in the book.

The first few chapters explain typical anatomical structures, such as the muscles involved in swallow, cranial nerve function, the sequence of muscular action that bring about a swallow, and the events following introduction of various types/textures of food in the mouth. Dr. Logemann distinguishes clearly between an oral phase and a pharyngeal phase of swallow. (Some researchers, question this distinction and consider the swallow process more along a continuum, rather than as two distinct phases). Typical changes in swallow with age are explained.
Chapter 3 explains various instrumental evaluation techniques briefly.

Chapter 4 deals with disorders of swallow. (I find the table on page 73 comparing patient description to actual symptoms during a bedside screen and radiographic study particularly useful. It helped me a lot to watch videotaped radiographic studies of swallows as I read this chapter.)

Chapter 5 describes screening and evaluation procedures. (I like the quick screen checklist on page 137. I use a modified version of this form.) This chapter also describes assessment of patients dependent on tracheostomy tube, and contrasts it with patients who are intubated. As in many other texts, assessment procedures discussed in this chapter assume that the patient is able to interact/participate in the evaluation process, at least moderately. I would like to see more information on swallow assessment of patients with various levels of dementia in a future edition of this book. Refer Lou Eaves' course - check the nss-nrs website mentioned earlier.)

Chapter 6 looks at treatment planning and the important determination of whether the patient will benefit from therapy considering case history and other factors. Also included is a general guideline to decide on oral vs. non-oral feeding. The use of compensatory strategies such as postural changes, and diet modification guidelines with rationale for their use are provided. Various types/examples of direct (ex. - swallow of saliva), and indirect (ex. - oromotor exercise) therapy are provided for oral and pharyngeal stage swallow.

Chapter 7 and 8 describe various surgical procedures for oral and pharyngeal stage cancer, associated reconstruction techniques, neurological conditions such as Guillan-Barre and Poliomyelitis, resulting swallowing disorders and rehab strategies for these populations.

Chapter 10 addresses parkinson's disease, ALS, MS, Myasthenia Gravis and other degenerative diseases and suggests rehab strategies.

Chapter 11 explains medical procedures for various pharyngeal stage swallow dysfunction, such as cricopharyngeal myotomy to permanently open the upper esophageal sphincter, followed by an explanation of when such procedure is used.

Chapter 12 follows a question and answer format. Some frequently asked questions on clinical decision making are discussed, such as - When should a patient receive an in-depth diagnostic assessment? The last chapter discusses the role of the many members in an interdisciplinary dysphagia management team.

Logemann and dysphagia are synonymous. Anyone even thinking of working with dysphagia patients needs this book in their library. Everyone refers to it. Everyone teaches from it. Everyone uses it when they need to brush up on their dysphagia knowledge. So what are you waiting for? Buy it!! Unlike many technical writers, Logemann writes well and only uses as much jargon as is absolutely necessary. I found this readable and as invaluable as I had been told that it was. There are only a few truly seminal researchers/therapists in the field of speech-language pathology and Logemann is one of them.

placed the order and received it on time, would order again and recommend for anyone else!

I am an otorhinolaryngolog interested in swallowing disorders. This book is a practical guide to begin FEESST. I recommend it for speech language pathologists and ENT docs interested in swallowing.

I am really enjoying this book. It is easy to read and the chapters are not overwhelmingly long. I think it is a great investment for my class and future references.

This book was instrumental in helping my father care for my mother through a feeding tube experience. It helped him converse with the doctors and discuss adjusting the treatment prescribed to the individual patient involved. I t helped him know what was normal and what was unusual. It helped him notice problems early and to correct them simply before they got out of hand--as well as avoiding them in almost all cases.

You need to buy this book if you are in a feeding tube situation. (I have absolutely no affiliation with these authors--except as a person thankfully benefiting 1000 times over my paltry $50ish investment in the book.)

I found this book very helpful and informative. It is easy to read and provides a wide variety of charts and information. Great section on early feeding development. Have enjoyed the whole book.

I really found this cookbook helpful since it was written by people who know first hand what ALS victims are experiencing. I was pleased with the types of food offered in this cookbook, it was nice simple ordinary style of meals just like we have always eaten. This is a helpful cookbook for the families of ALS patients. I highly recommend it.

This book enabled me to keep my sanity and enjoy family mealtime again! My son was recovering from jaw surgery. I was fixing a meal for the family and preparing something separate for my son. He grew weary of the blandness and monotony. I became tired and frustrated. The whole family was cranky. The solution was The Dysphagia Cookbook. The food was easy enough for my son to eat, palatable to the rest of the family, and I had only one meal to prepare! The recipes offer variety and flexibility. I found recipes for mature tastes as well as meals for a child's delight. I was pleasantly surprised to find a few new cocktails as well! Swallowing difficulties or not, anyone could use this cookbook.

This book is awesome,very helpful and comes at a great price! There aren't many good quality books on this topic that include tasty recipes + pertinent info about swallowing difficulties. Highly recommend.

My Uncle was just released from a hospital where he experienced a swallowing problem. I ordered this book for my aunt and she has found it extremely helpful and creative. Simple and easy to follow, it has made meals more interesting and tasty for my Uncle. Thank you.

My mom has Multiple System Atrophy, which combines the worst of Parkinson's and ALS, among others. Not only can she not swallow well, she really cannot chew at this stage of her illness. This book recognizes both problems, unlike some other similar cookbooks I've tried. And I love the fact that healthy folks can enjoy the recipes as well. All in all, a big help when I was fast running out of tasty ideas.

An excellent book with all the concepts clearly written. It also provides in depth practical treatment approaches that is very valueable for both new and experience neonatal professionals.

This book was required reading for a placement I did on a feeding team at a children's hospital. It is very thorough in describing assessment, treatment, and home suggestions related to infant feeding. It also describes the diagnoses and relevant characteristics of conditions which accompany feeding and swallowing disorders. I wore my first copy out. It goes with me everywhere. It is, by far, the most comprehensive, relevant and useful book on the subject that I have seen.

As a Lactation Consultant, I looked forward to reading this book to learn about ways to manage feeding difficulties. This book is very easy to read and contains excellent illustrations and explanations of a vast array of oral motor functioning issues. However, I was disappointed to see that bottlefeeding was virtually the only feeding method discussed. There were rare to none examples of ways to manage breastfeeding difficulties or enhance an infants functioning at the breast. Also, when bottlefeeding was discussed, it was virtually always assumed that formula was being fed and expressed breastmilk was rarely mentioned as an option. I work with some moms whose infants have feeding difficulties due to congenital conditions/prematurity. Many of these women pump breastmilk to provide for their infants and are dedicated to attempt to get their babies directly breastfeeding. What these women and their babies deserve is for specialists like Wolf, etc. to devote their expertise to develop tools and therapies that support compromised infants in breastfeeding directly instead of assuming bottlefeeding as the "norm" for these special babies.

The O.T.s where I used to work recommended this book to me and it has been invaluable! It is enjoyable to read, with useful information that is easy to understand. I hesitated to buy it, initially, because of the price, the "line" drawings and the fact that it was written by O.T.'s (I thought I might find it too technical). It turned out to be well worth the cost and the illustrations work just fine. Anyone who needs to feed or work with moms feeding their babies should buy this book; it is incredibly useful and enlightening! It's a shame this book has such limited availability......

I bought this book (along withe Randy Wilson's "I-Can't-Chew Cookbook") because I suffer from severe TMJ and have been placed on a soft food diet by my doctor. Both books were disappointing; this one slightly less so than the Wilson. There is still too much canned, condensed soup for my taste here--but this may be because Weihofen is writing for the over-70 crowd. Really, though, the emphasis on jello (including a truly frightening dish made with a crushed pretzel crust, sugar-free strawberry jello, sweetened strawberries, loads of cream cheese and Cool Whip) and "creamy noodle bakes" is a bit depressing. I just want to eat, not feel like I checked into a nursing home. (We'll all be there soon enough--no need to hurry the process along!).

That said, this book has more "fresh food" options than the Wilson, along with a mind-numbingly complete introduction to all the problems one can have eating and swallowing. Some of the vegetable and side dish options look good (Apple and Butternut Squash Bake, Glazed Carrots) but aren't particularly original.

My main complaint is with the entree section, where the choices are uninspired. I don't need a cookbook to tell me how to make angel hair pasta with garlic and oil (which, by the way, I can't even chew). Very few of the entree recipes are truly what I would call "easy to chew" (maybe they're more for the dysphagia crowd). Her tactic seems to be to include traditional recipes--beef stroganoff, stews with cubed chicken, etc.--and then encourage us to blend them to kingdom come. Ugh. Meat puree: not my cup of tea.

But if you're truly in trouble and your own cookbooks (and the internet's recipe search function) aren't doing anything for you, you may find something here for you. As for me, I'm returning both of these books and sticking with my own cookbook collection.

This book is great. My husband has throat cancer, and was having trouble eating, expecially with the treatments. This book is a lifesaver. I have tried four recipes, and they were all delicious, I would use this book, even if my husband didn't have a problem swallowing. Thank you again for writing this book.

Very pleased with this book. Not only does it have tasty, easy to prepare recipes but the information contained in Part One should be compulsory reading for all involved with any friend or loved one who has a problem with swallowing as a result of certain medical conditions.Also the nutritional information given at the bottom of each recipe is particularly helpful when counting calories to maintain/gain weight.

This book has great tips for cooking for someone with dysphagia. I highly recommend it.

I was looking for recipes for my father who has difficulty swallowing due to advanced Alzheimer's. While I found the explanations, introductions and tips useful, the recipes were not of much use in our own situation. I would think that this book would be good for somebody who has difficulty CHEWING. For those with Alzheimer's, however, I'm not so sure. Many of the recipes could have been found in my "normal" cookbooks. Recipes that contain any opposites (broth with solids or hard/soft foods together) really aren't much use to us at this point.

Both of my parents have Alzheimer's disease. Dad can't chew meat or normally cooked vegetables and Mom can't swallow very well. I already do more than this book suggests in preparing their daily meals. Grinding and cutting food into small pieces just does not cut it. I have to puree meat and some other items, otherwise I just cook things to death to soften them enough for Dad. My wife rejected this book on her first reading. She said "The recipes are not for elderly folks who eat regular food. It's like someone on a cooking show made up these recipes." My parents were raised on farms and gardened all of their life so I cook food that they know and will eat. They will not touch most of the stuff from this book.

I appreciate the author's effort to provide nutritional food and list the analysis on each recipe. Elderly people need energy and solid food to make their day. I think he missed the boat on this book. I can say that I did not get one good idea from this book and wasted my money.

....then this is the book for you. If not, you'll be just as disappointed as I was. I really can't imagine who the audience is for this book--perhaps people who normally don't cook at all, have never owned a cookbook, and are averse to eating fresh, real, whole food.

The soup chapter has some good options but nothing that you wouldn't find in any recent cookbook (acorn squash soup, leek and potato, curried pumpkin, etc.). And some of the desserts and beverages look passable (though if I wanted to make desserts with instant pudding mix, I wouldn't need a cookbook to do it).

But really, those of us with TMJ or other jaw problems are probably mostly looking for entree ideas and here the book really is uninspired. Fully 23 of the entree recipes call for canned, condensed soup (usually the "cream of" variety--as in chicken, celery, mushroom, etc.) and then there are just some truly strange combinations. A "baked chicken salad" with a crumbled potato chip "crust" and topping? No thanks. Seafood casserole with canned (!) shrimp and salmon, 1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, topped with stuffing mix? Ugh. A casserole with cooked shrimp and cream of mushroom soup? Think I'll pass.

[I forgot to mention that at least seven of the vegetable recipes also call for canned soup. Poor little vegetables!]

I appreciate what the author is trying to do here, and perhaps someone who finds himself suddenly needing to cook for an elderly relative used to eating 50s-style dinners heavy on the dairy (sour cream, cream cheese, and evaporated milk are favorites), canned, and frozen food would find this useful. But even if you like this style of cuisine, it's easy enough to go to your trusty old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and look up the recipe for tuna noodle casserole.

I'm returning this one, along with the Weihofen "Easy to Swallow" book which was disappointing for similar reasons. Save your money and look through traditional cookbooks (or online) for soups, casseroles and other soft food recipes.

I did not know the book was more about nutrition for people with chewing disorders than recipes. I don't recall that in the description. Great recipes.

I-Can't-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft-Diet Recipes For People With Chewing, Swallowing And Dry-Mouth Disorder by J. Randy Wilson is a unique, one-of-a-kind cookbook that is an invaluable addition to the kitchen cookbook collection of any family chef who must prepare meals for anyone suffering from problems arising from a chewing disorder such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, stroke, ALS, Alzheimer's, AIDS, lupus, recovering from head or neck surgery, or mouth/throat cancer surgery. Randy Wilson drew upon his love of cooking and his array of culinary skills when his wife was diagnosed with TMJ and needed surgery. Her doctor indicated that she would have to subsist on soft foods for six months. Randy took on the challenge of developing soft, nutritious, and appealing recipes for his wife and their family. The result is his I-Can't-Chew Cookbook which is neither a liquid diet book nor a blender cookbook, but instead showcases 200 soft and tasty recipes for casseroles, soups, entrees, side dishes, beverages, and deserts. Of special interest are the opening chapters on nutrition and tips for getting the most out of meals, including enhancing the dining experience and adapting foods for a soft-food diet when dealing with problems of wallowing and/or chewing. Enhanced with an informative Foreword by oral surgeon Mark A. Piper, I-Can't-Chew Cookbook should be considered as a "must" for anyone wanting nutritious, delicious, consumable dishes for the chewing and/or swallowing impaired.

The recipes work! They have flavor and variety. Not one has been a loser, only winners, and the whole family can enjoy each recipe. Wish there were more entree recipes.