Gap Education
Neurological Disorders and the Speech Language Pathologist​
Various neurological diseases affect communication and swallowing. The medical speech-language pathologist can strengthen clinical practice by connecting underlying neurophysiology with patient presentation and management. Participants will review foundational neurological systems involved in speech and swallowing and consider how disruptions across central, peripheral, and extrapyramidal systems may contribute to communication impairments and dysphagia.
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Five expert speakers will each address a specific neurological condition. Topics include neural foundations of speech and swallowing, as well as condition-specific mechanisms and clinical considerations in disorders such as stroke, Myasthenia Gravis (MG), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
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A primary goal is to help strengthen clinicians’ understanding of the physiologic drivers of impairment while supporting more confident and defensible clinical decision-making.
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Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026​
Start Time: 10:30 AM EST / 7:30 AM PST
End Time: 5:00 PM EST / 2:00 PM PST
Target Audience: Intermediate
Format: Live Zoom Webinar
CE Credit: 6 Hours / Eligible for 0.6 ASHA CEUs. No partial CE credit is provided. Eligibility to Earn ASHA CEUs.
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To earn a certificate, and ASHA CEUs if desired, eligible learners must do the following on or before 11:59 PM EST on May 31, 2026:
-Attend the entire live webinar
-Obtain 80% on a short post assessment (may be retaken as needed).
-Complete required items in a learner survey related to ASHA CEU reporting.
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Learning Objectives:
Learners will be able to...
1. Explain foundational neurological underpinnings of communication and swallowing.
2. List 3 or more brain regions that are crucial for swallowing control and likely cause dysphagia when lesioned.
​3. Describe neural and systemic factors beyond the stroke lesion that contribute to variability in post stroke dysphagia presentation and recovery.
4. Describe the underlining physiological mechanisms/etiology of Myasthenia Gravis (MG)
and how it contributes to the speech and swallowing mechanisms.
5. Identify 2 potential management strategies/techniques for dysphagia in MG.
6. Describe key neuropathological and motor control features of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
7. List known physiologic features of cough and swallowing impairments in PSP.
8. Describe four exercises that may be considered when developing an airway protective intervention plan people with PSP.
9. Explain how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can impact swallowing function.
10. Apply clinical-decision making to guide dysphagia management in persons with ALS.
11. Describe mechanisms of swallowing and cough dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease that contribute to airway protective dysfunction and adverse health outcomes.
12. Apply evidence-based approaches to rehabilitate swallowing and cough dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease.
Instructors
Dr. Janina Wilmskoetter, PhD, CCC-SLP
Janina Wilmskoetter, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. Janina teaches graduate students in speech-language pathology and works in adult acute care and neurological outpatient clinics. She leads NIH-funded research focused on the neuroanatomical mechanisms of dysphagia and aphasia, particularly their recovery after stroke. Committed to translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice, she strives to develop innovative, evidence-based, and personalized treatments that help individuals with brain injuries achieve their fullest recovery potential.
Financial Disclosures
Salary: Medical University of South Carolina
Speaking / Instructor Fee: Gap Education, LLC​
Non-financial Disclosures
Grant Funding from NIH NINDS (R01NS136383)
Dr. James Borders, PhD, CCC-SLP
James Borders, PhD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Boston University. His research program focuses on impairments of the upper airway, namely swallowing, coughing, and breathing dysfunction, and their impact on health and quality of life. The overarching goal of his work is to develop efficacious, personalized interventions that enhance patient care and long-term health outcomes, including pneumonia, malnutrition, and hospitalization.
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Financial Disclosures
Salary: Boston University​
Speaking / Instructor Fee: Gap Education, LLC​
Non-financial Disclosures
Volunteer for CSDisseminate
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Dr. Kendrea L. (Focht) Garand, PhD, CScD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S
Dr. Kendrea Garand is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her master's degree in speech-language pathology from Purdue University, her clinical doctorate in medical speech-language pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, and her PhD in health and rehabilitation sciences from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in MUSC's Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Garand holds Board Certification in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S) and currently serves as Chairperson of the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. She is also Editor-in-Chief of Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups.
With over 15 years of clinical experience, she continues to supervise graduate student clinicians within the UPMC Swallowing Disorders Center. Dr. Garand's research focuses on how motor neuron disease — including ALS — aging, and sleep-related breathing disorders impact swallowing function and respiratory-swallow coordination. She has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and has presented at national and international conferences on ALS-related content. Her research has been supported by the NIH, Veterans Affairs, and the ASHFoundation.
Financial Disclosures
Salary: University of Pittsburgh
Speaking / Instructor Fee: Gap Education, LLC​
Non-financial Disclosures
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Dr. Wendy L. Olsen, PhD, CCC-SLP
Dr. Wendy Olsen is a full-time assistant professor at Appalachian State
University. She is the primary investigator of the Respiratory and Aerodigestive (RAAD) Laboratory. Dr. Olsen's research interests include respiratory physiology and airway defense. She studies human and animal physiological respiratory and airway defense states in homeostatic and extreme environments.
Financial Disclosures
Salary: Appalachian State University
Speaking / Instructor Fee: Gap Education, LLC​
Non-financial Disclosures
PI of the NIH's National Heart Lung Blood Institute LRP Award
(NHLBI L30HL165496)
Co-Investigator on an ALS Association's Award
(AWD11788)
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Dr. James Curtis, PhD, CCC-SLP
Dr. James Curtis is an Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology and clinical researcher in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. A New York State–licensed speech-language pathologist and board-certified specialist in swallowing disorders, he specializes in the evaluation and treatment of voice, cough, and swallowing disorders across diverse medical conditions. He previously practiced at University of California San Francisco Medical Center, focusing on professional voice users, laryngeal hypersensitivity, and dysphagia in neurologic and oncologic populations.
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Dr. Curtis earned degrees from Michigan State University, New York University, and Columbia University, where he also completed his PhD and postdoctoral fellowship. He was the first speech-language pathology researcher to receive the Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Parkinson’s Disease from the American Academy of Neurology. He directs the Aerodigestive Innovations Research Lab (AIR) at Weill Cornell Medicine, advancing research and innovation to improve care and quality of life for individuals with voice and swallowing disorders.
Financial Disclosures
Salary: Weill Cornell Medicine
Speaking / Instructor Fee: Gap Education, LLC​
Non-financial Disclosures
​None
Webinar Schedule
Morning
10:30 – 11:30 - Neurological Underpinnings of Communication and Swallowing - Dr. Kendrea (Focht) Garand​
​11:30 - 12:30 -When the Lesion Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story: Rethinking Dysphagia After Stroke - Dr. Janina Wilmskoetter
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Afternoon
12:30–1:45 - Break
12:45–1:45 - Managing Dysphagia and Dystussia in Parkinson’s Disease - Dr. James Borders
1:45–2:45 - The Double Deficit: Dysphagia and Dytussia in ALS - Dr. Kendrea (Focht) Garand​
2:45 - 3:00 - Break
3:00 - 4:00 - A Current Review of Myasthenia Gravis: Speech and Swallowing
Mechanisms - Dr. Wendy Olsen
4:00-5:00 - Airway Protective Interventions in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - Dr. James Curtis
Times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST)
(Subtract 1 hour for CST, 2 Hours for MST, and 3 hours for PST -- i.e., for PST, the event begins at 7:15 AM and ends at 1:15 PM.)
Cost​
Early Bird Rate - $89 through April 15, 2026
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Standard Rate - $104 through April 16, 2026 - May 22, 2026
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Students and Clinical Fellows: Please email team@swallowthegap.com for a discount code
