Cervical Auscultation in Dysphagia Management: 2-day

Cervical Auscultation in Dysphagia Management: A practical workshop for SLTs working with paediatric and/or adult dysphagia.

2-day course!

9-10th of March 2026

Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd., London NW1 2BJ, UK

Cervical auscultation IS BACK! A practical 2-day workshop introducing clinicians to dysphagia management using cervical auscultation (CA). The CA technique is one of several used to enhance the clinical swallow examination (CSE) / bedside dysphagia assessment. Strong dysphagia management using a multi-modal assessment approach is being increasingly demanded from clinicians to ensure a timely, efficient and cost-effective service for our patients. This, being highlighted particularly within our current economic constraints and in today’s cost-benefit health service focus.

This workshop has a practical focus so that the skills needed to use this technique with both paediatrics and adults will be acquired. The workshop will cover the theory and latest evidence behind CA with each skill component taught. The 2 days include the following:

- Up to date evidence for CA use as an integral part of the CSE

- The normal and abnormal (dysphagic) physiological swallowing events incorporating the respiratory-swallow sounds in adults and paediatrics – including theoretical and practical acoustic training (listening, analysing and interpreting)

- CA equipment considerations and practical application

- Reporting and documenting a CSE using CA.

- Overview of special populations and confounding populations for use of CA

- Artificial intelligence (AI) and application of machine learning to CA and future directions

The participants are asked to bring their own stethoscope, if possible. Only a limited number will be available from the organisers.

Early bird until 24th of Nov, cost: £250

Cost from 25th of Nov onwards: £300

Places are limited to 50 participants!

In case of difficulties with registration or with questions, please email: [email protected]

For more information on CA and the workshop please see:

Instructors, biographical data

Adj Assoc Prof Thuy Frakking (BSpPath, Hons-Class I, PhD) is an Advanced Speech Pathologist (Paediatrics) and Clinician Research Fellow at Gold Coast University Hospital and Research Director at Caboolture Hospital. Her research focuses on improving assessments for infants and children with feeding disorders. She is the top-most prolific author in Australia and ranked 8th internationally in cervical auscultation. Her work is cited in 58 institutions' guidelines, including Speech Pathology Australia Practice Guidelines for Neonatal Care and Videofluroscopic Swallow Studies. She has secured over $2 million in research funding, including a MRFF grant focussing on the application of machine learning techniques with cervical auscultation to improve the accurate detection of aspiration in neonates and children. Thuy is a leader in research student supervision and mentor for clinicians working in paediatric feeding disorders.

Associate Professor Liza Bergström (BSpPath, PhD), is a Specialist Speech Pathologist, Danderyd University Hospital, and Adjunct Researcher at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. She has led research, teaching/training and advanced the evidence for CA and improved dysphagia management in Sweden and internationally for the last 14 years. Her extensive publication record, with more than 26 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, have resulted in several highly ranked research publications in the fields of dysphagia, tracheostomy/ICU and cervical auscultation. She has led several multi-site national clinical trials and collaborated on national and international research projects, which have resulted in high clinical impact and further advanced the field of dysphagia management in Sweden and internationally. Although an Aussie at heart, Liza moved from Australia to her family homeland of Sweden 15 years ago and continues to follow her passion of advancing the evidence within the CA and dysphagia fields.

Dr Anna-Liisa Sutt (CPSP, BA, MA, PhD) is an Advanced Speech and Language Therapist currently working in SLT Practice Development / Clinical Lead role at the Royal London Hospital, UK. Her >20yr career has mostly been spent in Australia where she completed her PhD in 2017 looking at communication and lung ventilation of ICU patients with a tracheostomy. Anna-Liisa has been a keen advocate of cervical auscultation since attending training by Dr Julie Cichero in 2006. She has also taken part in CA research projects, initially as a blinded rater of CA sounds, and later as a co-supervisor of a research higher degree student in CA. Despite an already busy schedule with all things tracheostomy and ICU, she is excited to help out Liza and Thuy with this novel CA workshop and ensure a more holistic approach to bedside dysphagia management for the attendees.

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Host or Publisher Trache CEN