Strength vs. Skill for Dysphagia (Re)hab: How Do We
Choose? (Live Podcast Recording)

Presented by Sarah Baar and James Curtis

Strength vs. Skill for Dysphagia (Re)hab: How Do We Choose? (Live Podcast Recording)
Strength vs. Skill for Dysphagia (Re)hab: How Do We Choose? (Live Podcast Recording) (Episode 32)

Audio Runtime: 75 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 21 Minutes

Dr. James Curtis, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, Director of the Aerodigestive Innovations Research Lab (AIR), joins host Sarah Baar, MA, CCC-SLP, for an insightful conversation that cuts through the noise of dysphagia rehabilitation. Together, they break down the critical distinctions between strength-based and skill-based therapy protocols and address common clinical challenges in structuring exercise programs. You will discover how to move beyond generic, one-size-fits-all exercise handouts by intentionally integrating the principles of strength training and motor learning into your daily practice. Tune in to elevate your clinical reasoning, optimize your assessment documentation, and walk away with actionable, evidence-based strategies for designing high-impact treatment plans.

Learning Outcomes
  • Analyze the evidence around the design and implementation of strength- versus skill-based exercise programs for dysphagia rehabilitation
  • Apply practical, evidence-based strategies to actionably address the design and implementation of strength- versus skill-based exercise programs for dysphagia rehabilitation
  • Solve patient case scenarios involving dysphagia therapy treatment planning for people of various medical conditions and assessment outcomes

This course is a recording of a previously hosted live podcast event. Polling and question submission features are not available for this recording. Format and structure may differ from those of standard Medbridge courses.

This is an audio-only course. Additional materials are available for download within the course. To receive continuing education credit, complete the course and the accompanying quiz.

Meet your instructors

Person with shoulder-length hair and hoop earrings stands smiling in a room with a patterned wall, promoting medbridge.

Sarah Baar

Sarah Baar is a speech-language pathologist in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has had the opportunity to work in many settings across the care continuum, including acute care, acute rehab, home and community, and outpatient therapy, and has been involved in various leadership projects. In 2016, she started the Honeycomb Speech…

Read full bio

A smiling man with short dark hair and a beard wears a light blue striped shirt in front of a dark background, representing medbridge.

James Curtis

Dr. James Curtis is a clinician-scientist, assistant professor of speech-language pathology, and director of the Aerodigestive Innovations Research Lab (AIR) in New York City. His mission is to improve the health and quality of life of people with voice and swallowing disorders through clinical innovation, multidisciplinary…

Read full bio

Chapters & learning objectives

Strength vs. Skill for Dysphagia (Re)hab: How Do We Choose?  (Live Podcast Recording)

1. Strength vs. Skill for Dysphagia (Re)hab: How Do We Choose? (Live Podcast Recording)

In this episode, host Sarah Baar connects with dysphagia expert Dr. James Curtis to break down the critical differences between strength- and skill-based exercises so you can confidently move past one-size-fits-all handouts and build precision-focused treatment plans.

More courses in this series

Is the Clock Drawing Test Still Relevant? Then What?

Is the Clock Drawing Test Still Relevant? Then What?

Sarah Baar and Samantha McDaniel

Severe Global Aphasia: Where Do I Start?

Severe Global Aphasia: Where Do I Start?

Sarah Baar and Treasyri Williams Wood

INCOG 2.0: How to Manage Cognitive Communication and Social Cognition

INCOG 2.0: How to Manage Cognitive Communication and Social Cognition

Sarah Baar and Penny Welch-West

My Aging Client Loses Their Train of Thought in Conversation—What Can I Do?

My Aging Client Loses Their Train of Thought in Conversation—What Can I Do?

Sarah Baar and Alyssa Lanzi

How Can SLPs Think More Broadly About Decisions in Dysphagia Management?

How Can SLPs Think More Broadly About Decisions in Dysphagia Management?

Sarah Baar and Tim Stockdale

Is There Reason to Hope With PPA?

Is There Reason to Hope With PPA?

Sarah Baar and Lisa Wauters

What Is an SLP’s Role Related to Home Programs for People With Aphasia?

What Is an SLP’s Role Related to Home Programs for People With Aphasia?

Sarah Baar and Sarah E. Wallace

Working Memory: How Can I Address This in a Meaningful Way?

Working Memory: How Can I Address This in a Meaningful Way?

Sarah Baar and Lauren Schwabish

What Should SLPs Know About Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment?

What Should SLPs Know About Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment?

Sarah Baar and Patricia Geels

How Can SLPs and ATCs Work Together for Sports Concussion Management?

How Can SLPs and ATCs Work Together for Sports Concussion Management?

Sarah Baar and Tabia Pope

How Can We Help Patients With Functional Voice Disorders Find Their Voice Again?

How Can We Help Patients With Functional Voice Disorders Find Their Voice Again?

Sarah Baar and Adam T. Lloyd

How Can Respiratory Muscle Training Impact Neurodegenerative Diseases?

How Can Respiratory Muscle Training Impact Neurodegenerative Diseases?

Sarah Baar and Brooke Richardson

AI Speech Therapy: What Ethical Considerations Should I Think About?

AI Speech Therapy: What Ethical Considerations Should I Think About?

Sarah Baar and Nina Benway

Return to Work and TBI: How Can SLPs Help?

Return to Work and TBI: How Can SLPs Help?

Sarah Baar and Peter Meulenbroek

Dysarthria and Life Participation: Where Do I Begin?

Dysarthria and Life Participation: Where Do I Begin?

Sarah Baar and Carolyn Baylor

Palliative or Just Good Care? Where Does SLP Fit In?

Palliative or Just Good Care? Where Does SLP Fit In?

Sarah Baar, Marta Kazandjian, and Cynthia X. Pan

What Is Proactive Dysphagia Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer?

What Is Proactive Dysphagia Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer?

Sarah Baar and Brooke McGivern

What’s the Colorado Motor Speech Framework, and How Do I Use It?

What’s the Colorado Motor Speech Framework, and How Do I Use It?

Sarah Baar and Allison Hilger

Dysphagia Decisions: What’s In and What’s Out?

Dysphagia Decisions: What’s In and What’s Out?

Phyllis M. Palmer, Sarah Baar, and Aaron H. Padilla

Anosognosia: What Are Key Clinical Assessment Considerations for SLPs?

Anosognosia: What Are Key Clinical Assessment Considerations for SLPs?

Sarah Baar and Allison Mezo

Anosognosia: What Are Key Clinical Treatment Considerations for SLPs?

Anosognosia: What Are Key Clinical Treatment Considerations for SLPs?

Sarah Baar and Allison Mezo

Making Sense of Executive Functions: What’s Missing From Our Explanations?

Making Sense of Executive Functions: What’s Missing From Our Explanations?

Sarah Baar and Lauren Schwabish

Improving Conversation in Aphasia: What Is “ECoLoGiC-Tx” All About?

Improving Conversation in Aphasia: What Is “ECoLoGiC-Tx” All About?

Sarah Baar and Marion Leaman

Surviving the ICU: How Can Communication Reduce PICS?

Surviving the ICU: How Can Communication Reduce PICS?

Sarah Baar and Vanessa Abraham

Future-Ready SLPs: How Can Clinicians Embrace AI and Digital Innovation?

Future-Ready SLPs: How Can Clinicians Embrace AI and Digital Innovation?

Sarah Baar and Rinki Varindani Desai

Facial Nerve Paralysis: How Can Therapists and Surgeons Collaborate?

Facial Nerve Paralysis: How Can Therapists and Surgeons Collaborate?

Sarah Baar, G. Nina Lu, and Emily Wilson

My Client Doesn’t Want to Do Therapy: Where Do I Begin? (Live Podcast Recording)

My Client Doesn’t Want to Do Therapy: Where Do I Begin? (Live Podcast Recording)

Sarah Baar and Treasyri Williams Wood

Dysphagia Mythbusting: How Do We Facilitate QoL With Compromise?

Dysphagia Mythbusting: How Do We Facilitate QoL With Compromise?

Sarah Baar and Amber Heape

Dysphagia Management and Cough Rehab: How Can SLPs Assess and Treat?

Dysphagia Management and Cough Rehab: How Can SLPs Assess and Treat?

Sarah Baar and James Curtis

Beyond 92507: How Can Medical SLPs Prepare for the 2027 Coding Transition?

Beyond 92507: How Can Medical SLPs Prepare for the 2027 Coding Transition?

Sarah Baar and Heather M. Scheer

Voice Banking and Cloning: How Can We Help Clients Maintain Their Identity?

Voice Banking and Cloning: How Can We Help Clients Maintain Their Identity?

Sarah Baar and Abygail Marx

Strength vs. Skill for Dysphagia (Re)hab: How Do We Choose? (Live Podcast Recording)

Strength vs. Skill for Dysphagia (Re)hab: How Do We Choose? (Live Podcast Recording)

Sarah Baar and James Curtis

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about Medbridge courses.