This document discusses dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, which is prevalent in children with cerebral palsy. Dysphagia occurs when the esophagus cannot properly move food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach due to impaired muscle coordination in the face and neck. The researcher conducted interviews with an occupational therapist and the headteacher of a school for students with special needs to understand the challenges of dysphagia. These include a lack of sucking power, difficulty getting proper nutrition, the discomfort of feeding tubes, and stressful meal times. Potential outcomes from this research could include more child-friendly and sensory eating equipment, exercise devices to strengthen mouth and neck muscles, specialized straws and cups, and accessible

1. DYSPHAGIA AIDT O M S TAT T E R S – P R O D U C T D E S I G N B S C - N 0 5 6 4 3 9 2
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2. WHAT IS DYSPHAGIA?
• Medical term for difficulty swallowing- prevalent
in children with Cerebral Palsy.
• Occurs when the esophagus cannot move food
and liquids from the back of a child’s mouth to the
stomach.
• The muscle coordination in the face and neck is a
complex and intricate set of movements that allow
a person to breath, swallow and talk.
• This condition can make eating, drinking, taking
medicine and breathing difficult.
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3. HEALTH STATISTICS
• In 2011-12, 29,334 patients were admitted to hospitals in the
UK with a primary diagnosis of dysphagia. (according to Hospital
Episode Statistics, NHS 2013)
• According to medical research, as many as 90% of children with
Cerebral Palsy may show symptoms of dysphagia. (according to My
Child at Cerebral Palsy.org)
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4. “ ONE IN SEVENTEEN PEOPLE WILL
DEVELOP SOME FORM OF
DYSPHAGIA IN THEIR LIFETIME… ”
(Sanford Health)
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5. INITIAL RESEARCH
• Some of the most common issues are:
1. Aspiration (breathing in food or
drink)
2. Respiratory infection
3. Choking
4. Poor nutrition and weight loss
• In order to progress I will partake in
user shadowing & conduct
interviews with people dealing with
dysphagia on a daily basis.
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6. FINDINGS
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7. PRIMARY RESEARCH
• Shadowing and conducting an exploratory interview with occupational therapist
allowed me to confront the issues faced by a dysphagia sufferer, first hand:
1. Lack of sucking power.
2. Getting the required nutritional value to physically & mentally develop.
3. Using feeding tubes can be extremely uncomfortable.
4. Meal times can be very stressful, especially for young children.
5. Parents & careers need to take multiple feeding bags and foods in order to
just leave the house.
6. Cups and beakers aren’t child friendly- appears like medical equipment.
• From speaking to the HeadTeacher of Oak Field School, which specialises in
special educational needs, in particular severe learning difficulties and/or physical
difficulties. I have been invited to attend a User Group meeting, where university
researchers will come to discuss potential projects later this week.
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8. OUTCOMES OF PRIMARY RESEARCH
• From what I have found here are some possible final outcomes that would be beneficial to
those who deal with dysphagia on a daily basis:
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Child friendly,
sensory and
interactive
equipment
Exercise device
that builds muscle
around mouth
and neck
Straw that retains
suction
Specialised sucker
cup that attached
to wheelchair
Accessible feeding
bags for parents &
carers

9. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING...
ANY QUESTIONS?
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