Dysphagia & Swallowing Therapy in Perth

What is Dysphagia?

Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulty. It can affect a person’s ability to swallow food, drinks, and/or saliva safely and efficiently. Dysphagia can occur at any age and may be associated with conditions such as stroke, neurological disorders, head and neck cancer, respiratory conditions, or structural changes in the throat or oesophagus.

At Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health, our speech pathologists provide assessment and management for dysphagia, including practical strategies and rehabilitation plans tailored to the individual’s needs. Where required, we support referral pathways for medical review and instrumental swallowing assessment.

Signs and Symptoms of Dysphagia

Swallowing difficulties can present in different ways. Common signs include:

• Coughing, choking, or throat clearing during or after eating/drinking

• A sensation of food sticking in the throat or chest

• Pain on swallowing (odynophagia)

• Drooling or difficulty managing saliva

• Wet/gurgly voice during or after meals

• Shortness of breath or increased effort during eating/drinking

• Frequent chest infections or recurrent pneumonia (may be related to aspiration)

• Unexplained weight loss, dehydration, or reduced appetite

• Difficulty chewing or moving food in the mouth

• Prolonged mealtimes or fatigue with eating
  
  

Because dysphagia can increase risk of malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration-related complications, timely assessment is important.

Causes of Dysphagia

Dysphagia can have many causes, including:

Neurological conditions
Conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, and cerebral palsy can affect the nerves and muscles involved in swallowing.

Structural or medical factors
Structural changes or medical conditions may affect swallowing, including:

• Head and neck cancer and its treatment

• Oesophageal narrowing (stricture), tumours, or inflammation

• Post-surgical changes

• Chronic reflux (GERD) contributing to irritation or narrowing
  
  

Muscle conditions
Some muscle-wasting or neuromuscular conditions can impact swallowing function.

Ageing and frailty
Age-related changes, reduced muscle reserve, and co-existing medical issues can contribute to swallowing difficulty in older adults.

Identifying the likely swallow pathway affected (oral, pharyngeal, and/or oesophageal) helps determine appropriate management and whether medical referral is required.

How Speech Pathology Helps with Dysphagia

Speech pathologists assess swallowing function and provide strategies to support safer and more efficient eating and drinking. Management depends on the underlying cause and the person’s overall medical picture.

Support may include:

• Clinical swallowing assessment: history, symptom review, oral-motor and swallow function screening, and mealtime observation where appropriate

• Education and risk management: recognising signs of aspiration risk and knowing when to seek urgent medical review

• Compensatory strategies: pacing, smaller sips/bites, alternating textures, swallow cues, and other practical techniques

• Postural or positioning strategies: head/body positioning guidance during meals when appropriate

• Texture and fluid recommendations: working with dietitians/medical teams where indicated (including guidance aligned with IDDSI standards if used)

• Rehabilitation exercises: targeted swallow exercises based on assessment findings, where clinically appropriate

• Partner/caregiver training: strategies for safe mealtime support and implementing swallowing plans
  
  

Instrumental Swallowing Assessment (VFSS/FEES)

In some cases—especially when aspiration is suspected or symptoms are complex—instrumental assessment such as:

• VFSS (videofluoroscopic swallow study), or

• FEES (fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing)

may be recommended through appropriate medical pathways. We can assist with referral coordination and interpretation within a multidisciplinary plan.

Why Early Assessment Matters

Dysphagia can lead to serious complications including aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, and malnutrition. Early assessment can help:

• Identify risks and implement appropriate safety strategies

• Reduce mealtime stress and uncertainty

• Improve efficiency and comfort during eating/drinking

• Support timely referral for instrumental assessment or medical review when needed

We work collaboratively with GPs, medical specialists, dietitians, and other allied health professionals to support comprehensive care.

Dysphagia Support for Children

Children can experience swallowing and feeding difficulties due to congenital conditions, developmental differences, neurological conditions, or medical complexity. Signs may include:

• Difficulty sucking, chewing, or managing textures

• Coughing/choking with feeds

• Prolonged feeds, fatigue, or distress at mealtimes

• Poor weight gain or limited intake

Our speech pathologists provide child-friendly assessment and practical strategies to support safe, positive mealtimes, and coordinate with paediatric medical teams when required.

Dysphagia Support for Adults

Adults may experience dysphagia after stroke, with neurological conditions, after head and neck cancer treatment, or due to structural/medical factors. Speech pathology support may focus on:

• Improving safety and efficiency of swallowing where possible

• Mealtime strategies and environmental modifications

• Caregiver training and clear swallowing plans

• Supporting quality of life and participation, including eating and drinking goals aligned with the person’s preferences and medical advice

Access Dysphagia Support in Malaga

If you’re seeking swallowing (dysphagia) assessment and support in Malaga, our speech pathology team can help with practical strategies, rehabilitation where appropriate, and coordination with medical teams for further assessment when needed.

Speech Therapy Services We Provide

Paediatric Speech Therapy

• Paediatric speech therapy supports children with speech, language, communication, and early literacy needs using evidence-based and child-friendly approaches. Sessions may be play-based (especially for younger children), while still being structured and goal-directed.

• Common areas we support include:

  1. Speech sound development (clarity and intelligibility)

  2. Language delays and developmental language disorder

  3. Social communication support

  4. AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) where appropriate

  5. Early literacy foundations (e.g., phonological awareness)

Adult Speech Therapy

• Adult speech therapy supports adults with communication and swallowing needs related to neurological conditions, injury, medical events, or age-related changes. Therapy is practical, functional, and designed around everyday participation (home, work, community).

• Common areas we support include:

  1. Communication changes after stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or neurological illness

  2. Dysarthria and motor speech changes

  3. Cognitive-communication difficulties (attention, memory, organisation impacting communication)

  4. Voice therapy where indicated

  5. Dysphagia support and mealtime strategies

NDIS Speech Therapy Services

• NDIS speech therapy is available for self-managed and plan-managed participants. Therapy may focus on functional communication goals, speech clarity, social interaction and participation, and AAC support where required. We collaborate with participants, families, support coordinators, schools, and relevant providers to support practical, meaningful outcomes.

Speech Therapy for Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia)

• Dysphagia (swallowing) support helps when swallowing difficulties affect hydration, nutrition, safety and confidence with eating and drinking. Our speech pathologists can complete clinical assessments (as appropriate), provide strategies for safer swallowing, recommend targeted exercises when indicated, and support shared-care referral pathways with GPs/ENT/medical teams when needed.

Speech Therapy – What We Can Help With

Speech pathologists (speech therapists) support children and adults with a wide range of speech, language, voice, fluency, and swallowing needs. Below is a practical overview of the common areas we assess and treat at Palms.

Speech Sound & Motor Speech

• Articulation Disorders: Difficulty producing specific speech sounds clearly (e.g., /s/, /r/, /l/).

• Phonological Disorders: Patterns/rules of sound errors that reduce intelligibility (e.g., fronting, final consonant deletion).

• Apraxia of Speech: Motor planning/programming difficulty; speech errors may be inconsistent and speech can sound “choppy.”

• Dysarthria: Speech changes due to weakness, tone or coordination differences affecting speech muscles.

Language

• Expressive Language Disorder: Difficulty using words/sentences to share ideas, tell stories, ask questions, or use grammar accurately.

• Receptive Language Disorder: Difficulty understanding spoken/written language, following instructions, or processing complex language.

• Mixed Expressive–Receptive Language Disorder: Difficulties with both understanding and expressing language.

• Developmental Delays: Support when speech and language milestones are developing more slowly than expected.

• Aphasia: Language difficulty often after stroke/brain injury, affecting speaking, understanding, reading and/or writing.

Voice

• Hoarseness or Strained Voice: Raspy, breathy, strained or unreliable voice; can relate to vocal load, inflammation, reflux, or vocal fold changes.

• Vocal Cord Paralysis: One or both vocal folds do not move normally, impacting voice, breathing and/or swallowing.

• Resonance Disorders: Speech that sounds overly nasal or “blocked”; may be structural, neuromuscular and/or learned.

• Gender Affirming Voice and Speech Therapy: Support to align voice and communication with gender identity using safe, evidence-based voice techniques.

• Psychogenic Voice Disorders and Conversion Disorder: Voice changes linked to psychological factors; therapy supports voice recovery and functional communication.

Fluency

• Stuttering: Disruptions to speech flow (repetitions, prolongations, blocks) that can impact confidence and participation.

• Cluttering: Fast or irregular speech rate that can reduce clarity and organisation of spoken messages.

Social Communication

•  Pragmatic Language Disorder: Support for conversation skills, turn-taking, topic maintenance, inference, and interpreting non-verbal cues.

Swallowing & Feeding

• Dysphagia (Swallowing Disorders): Assessment and strategies to support safe swallowing and reduce aspiration risk (often alongside GP/ENT/medical teams when needed).

Hearing & Listening

• Hearing Impairments: Therapy to support listening, speech clarity, language development, and communication strategies in partnership with audiology where required.

Neurological Conditions

• Speech Therapy for Neurological Conditions: Communication and swallowing rehabilitation for stroke, TBI, Parkinson’s disease, MS, dementia and other neurological conditions.

Early Literacy & Phonological Awareness

• Phonological Awareness: Therapy targeting sound awareness skills that underpin reading/spelling (rhyming, blending, segmenting, manipulation).

Post-Surgical Head & Neck Rehab

• Post‑Surgical Rehabilitation for Laryngectomy and Head and Neck Cancer: Multidisciplinary support for communication, swallowing and function after surgery/treatment (in shared care with your treating team).

Why Choose Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health for Speech Therapy?

Experienced Speech Pathologists: Skilled in paediatric and adult communication and swallowing support.

NDIS Provider (self- and plan-managed): Therapy is aligned to participant goals and everyday function.

Family-Centred Approach: We involve parents, carers, and supports where appropriate so strategies carry over into real life.

Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Care: We work alongside our broader allied health team when integrated support is beneficial.

Sensory Room & Kids Therapy Gym

Our sensory room and kids therapy gym can support therapy goals through a motivating, functional environment—particularly helpful for children who benefit from movement-based learning and sensory regulation strategies. These spaces may be used when clinically relevant to support engagement, attention, participation, and goal progress.

Australian Resources for Dysphagia

For more information on dysphagia and available resources in Australia, visit the following websites:

Speech Pathology Australia – Access resources and support for swallowing disorders, and find a certified speech therapist.
www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Dysphagia Australia – Offers comprehensive information and support for individuals with dysphagia, including caregivers.
www.dysphagiaaustralia.org

Better Health Channel – Provides general information on swallowing difficulties, causes, and treatments.
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

The Australian Dysphagia Network (ADN) – A professional network promoting dysphagia awareness and best practice treatments.
www.dysphagia.net.au

Australian Dysphagia Research Collaborative – Research and resources related to dysphagia management in Australia.
www.adhn.org

Important disclaimer: This webpage contains general information only and is not intended to be relied upon as personal clinical advice. While we aim to keep information accurate and up to date, it may not reflect the most current research or your individual circumstances. Palms Physiotherapy & Allied Health does not accept liability for decisions made based on this information without an individualised assessment by an appropriately qualified health professional. If you have concerns, please contact us to book an assessment or speak with your GP/medical team.