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HE Unit Template
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Swallowing Disabilities Across the Life Span
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HEASP3022 - Swallowing Disabilities Across the Life Span
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20260200
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Course
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Unit
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3.1
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2026-06-16
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2026-06-16
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Speech Pathology
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Institute of Health and Wellbeing
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Speech Pathology
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Undergraduate
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15
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.125
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061707
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Speech Pathology
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<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/heasp3022">061707 - Speech Pathology</a>
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Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
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8
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Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma
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Advanced
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<p>In this unit, students will develop advanced knowledge and clinical reasoning skills relevant for speech pathology practice with swallowing disorders. Swallowing, feeding and mealtime difficulties are experienced across the lifespan resulting from both developmental and acquired disorders. Swallowing difficulties can impact on general health, nutrition, hydration, quality of life and social engagements. This unit adopts a socio-cultural framework, to explore normal development, as well as the physiology, assessment, diagnosis and management of swallowing problems across the lifespan. There will be a strong focus on interprofessional practice, evidence based practice and client-centred care.</p>
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<p>Professional Standards for Speech Pathologist in Australia (2020), Speech Pathology Guidelines for Reporting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Curriculum Development and Inclusions (2018), National Quality and Safeguarding Framework (NQSF, 2018), National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (2017-2019) and National Aged Care Quality Standards (2019) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit. Topics may include: Anatomy, physiology and neurology of swallowing Normal swallowing and feeding development across the lifespan Application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) to the assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan The social, psychological, medical, and nutritional impact of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties Understanding of cultural differences associated with mealtimes, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Common causes of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan The impact of the ageing on mealtime, feeding, and swallowing skills Developmental mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties (associated with prematurity; developmental disability; cleft palate/lip; respiratory conditions; cognitive and behavioural difficulties etc.) Acquired mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties (arising from acute neurological causes such as stroke and brain injury; progressive neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease or Motor Neurone Disease; structural causes such as surgery following cancer; respiratory conditions, and associated with ageing). Evidence-based assessment principles, skills, and tools Assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan Assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing skills, and ethical considerations during end-of-life care Assessment and management of personal factors and environmental influences on mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties Working in Multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary teams to assess and manage swallowing difficulties Ethical and medicolegal issues in the assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties Understanding the role of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).</p>
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<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
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Overview
Key information
Requisites
Learning outcomes
Assessment
Parent Region
Overview
Unit description
<p>In this unit, students will develop advanced knowledge and clinical reasoning skills relevant for speech pathology practice with swallowing disorders. Swallowing, feeding and mealtime difficulties are experienced across the lifespan resulting from both developmental and acquired disorders. Swallowing difficulties can impact on general health, nutrition, hydration, quality of life and social engagements. This unit adopts a socio-cultural framework, to explore normal development, as well as the physiology, assessment, diagnosis and management of swallowing problems across the lifespan. There will be a strong focus on interprofessional practice, evidence based practice and client-centred care.</p>
Unit content
<p>Professional Standards for Speech Pathologist in Australia (2020), Speech Pathology Guidelines for Reporting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Curriculum Development and Inclusions (2018), National Quality and Safeguarding Framework (NQSF, 2018), National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (2017-2019) and National Aged Care Quality Standards (2019) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit. Topics may include: Anatomy, physiology and neurology of swallowing Normal swallowing and feeding development across the lifespan Application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) to the assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan The social, psychological, medical, and nutritional impact of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties Understanding of cultural differences associated with mealtimes, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Common causes of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan The impact of the ageing on mealtime, feeding, and swallowing skills Developmental mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties (associated with prematurity; developmental disability; cleft palate/lip; respiratory conditions; cognitive and behavioural difficulties etc.) Acquired mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties (arising from acute neurological causes such as stroke and brain injury; progressive neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease or Motor Neurone Disease; structural causes such as surgery following cancer; respiratory conditions, and associated with ageing). Evidence-based assessment principles, skills, and tools Assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan Assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing skills, and ethical considerations during end-of-life care Assessment and management of personal factors and environmental influences on mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties Working in Multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary teams to assess and manage swallowing difficulties Ethical and medicolegal issues in the assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties Understanding the role of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).</p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Discipline:
Speech Pathology
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/heasp3022">061707 - Speech Pathology</a>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Requisites
Prerequisite
<p>must have completed all of "<a href="/ords/r/dev/fed_occ/course?p6_code=HEASP1011" target="_blank">HEASP1011</a>" / "<a href="/ords/r/dev/fed_occ/course?p6_code=HEASP1021" target="_blank">HEASP1021</a>"</p>
Corequisite
None
Exclusion
None
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
<p>On successful completion of this unit, students are expected to gain the following [K]nowledge, [S]kills and [A]pplication of knowledge & skills</p>
Learning Outcomes
Ref
Outcome
K1
<p>Explain common causes of, and factors influencing, mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan.</p>
K2
<p>Analyse and compare the different methods of assessing (formal and informal) meal-time, feeding and swallowing difficulties.</p>
K3
<p>Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the Speech Pathology Australia clinical guidelines related to dysphagia.</p>
S1
<p>Critically reflect on ethical and medico legal implications of clinical decision making in the area of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing, assessment and management</p>
S2
<p>Reflect how swallowing, feeding and mealtime difficulties across the life span can impact on general health, nutrition, hydration, quality of life and social engagements.</p>
A1
<p>Plan, justify, and evaluate client-centred, collaborative interprofessional assessment and management of mealtime, feeding, and swallowing difficulties consistent with current national health policy and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.</p>
Assessment
Learning Tasks and Assessment
Ref
Learning task
Assessment type
Weighting
Learning outcomes assessed
1
<p>Presentation on medicolegal, ethical, environmental and personal considerations surrounding a case scenarios in a facilitated peer environment</p>
<p>Tutorial presentation</p>
<p>10-20%</p>
K1, K2, K3, S1, S2
2
<p>Case based individual written assignment</p>
<p>Written Essay</p>
<p>40-60%</p>
K1, K2, K3, S2, A1
3
<p>End of unit exam</p>
<p>Examination</p>
<p>30-50%</p>
K1, K2, K3
Supplementary assessment available:
Yes
Supplimentary assessment information:
<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Discipline:
Speech Pathology
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/heasp3022">061707 - Speech Pathology</a>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Disclaimer
<em>Information in the Federation Handbook is correct at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to alter any course, unit, procedure or fee.</em>
Additional information
Add Info Static Text
Internal reference: HEASP3022 - U3.1