Receive your Specialty Certificate in VitalStim Therapy!
The only FDA cleared Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Dysphagia Approach

The VitalStim® Therapy Specialty Program includes the online course, MBS: The Clear Picture for 1.2 CEUs (12 contact hours) and the two day hands-on "VitalStim® Therapy Course" for 1.6 CEUs (16 contact hours) for a total of 2.8 CEUs (28 contact hours).

Course Pricing
$775 (Individual)
$725 (Group - 10-24)
$625 (Group - 25-99)
$525 (Group - 100 or more)
$350 (Renewal 1.6 CEUs awarded)

The VitalStim Manual will be issued at the live course.

Disciplines

• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Language Pathologist

• MBS: The Clear Picture
• MBS Course Instructions
• VitalStim Therapy Specialty Program Policies

There are two ways to participate: in the LIVE STUDIO audience in Gulf Breeze, Florida or via LIVE STREAM around the world. Live stream participants will login to access the event from their computer and interact with the instructor. Studio audience seats are limited - so register today!
Please contact our office if you have any questions. 850-916-8886.
Course begins: 9:00 AM Central (10:00 AM Eastern; 9:00 AM Mountain; 7:00 AM Pacific)

Evaluation and treatment of cognitive deficits can often be some of the most challenging diagnoses to address because of what seems to be infinite variables. This course focuses on the many factors associated with learning for the cognitively impaired patients who suffer from head injuries, stroke and dementia. Fundamental information includes anatomy and physiology of cognition, clinical neurotransmitters that affect cognition, different types of memory, medications that affect cognition and evidence-based practice access. The instructor will also address cognitive evaluations, goal writing, environmental adaptations, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and the MCI training program. Specific direct cognitive interventions to improve attention, memory, executive function, and visual-spatial functions will be discussed in detail. The importance of correct diagnosis and staging will be emphasized along with staging training. This course, taught by one of the great experts in the field, will help you to narrow your plan to deliver the best patient-specific cognitive rehabilitation care.

• Physical Therapy Asst
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
• Physical Therapist

This introductory level two day seminar will provide a strong foundation in evidence based information, theory and critical analysis of: sub system analysis, swallowing safety and function, appropriate and effective therapeutic interventions, family/caregiver engagement and discharge planning. Infant's communication skills, positioning impact on feeding and swallowing, pre-feeding skills, therapeutic feeding trials, bottle and breast feeding, family involvement, and feeding in palliative care will also be discussed.

• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
• Physical Therapist
• Nurse
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Physical Therapy Asst
• Speech Language Pathologist

Have fun at the course, have fun with your clients! Join us in therapeutic play - the NDT way! This interactive basic level course for OT/COTA 's, PT/PTA's and SLP's will emphasize treatment strategies to promote "natural ways to play" in the child with neurological involvement. Therapists will learn introductory handling techniques to optimize postural control and visual/perceptual skills. Participants will learn how neuromotor control and influences of the sensory systems impact functional outcomes. Participants will learn basic components of Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT) and how these strategies relate to NDT. Therapists will be challenged to facilitate creative play with the children they work with and gain knowledge in the value and foundation of "play". This course will take you through lecture, handling and movement labs, interactive discussions and problem -solving to spark individual creativity and basic understanding of NDT and IYT.

• Speech Language Pathologist
• Physical Therapy Asst
• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst

Children with autism who are nonverbal can be a challenge to work with. From aggressive behaviors to slow or no progress, clinicians and parents may face many obstacles. Melodic Based Communication Therapy (M.B.C.T.) has been shown to be a successful method for improving social skills, imitation, and verbal expression in this population. Participants will explore the impact of melody and rhythm on the human brain, review the history of the use of melody for the nonverbal population with autism as well as the current evidence to support its use, actively participate in and master the 10 steps to successfully using M.B.C.T. to elicit verbal communication, and discuss modifications to the program in order to use it effectively in any clinical or home setting. Become an M.B.C.T. Level 1 Certified Provider and join a registry of professionals proficient and qualified in this technique. Be ready to implement strategies learned in this course the very next day.

• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
• Various Important Professions
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Teacher

This interactive two-day workshop for rehabilitation teams will address evaluation and current treatment techniques appropriate for soft tissue and joint restrictions that contribute to an abnormal swallow.
Note: Registration for this course includes the pre-requisite online course "Anatomy of Swallowing" (you will receive an additional 4 hours for completion of this online course)
Click Here for a Preview

• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Physical Therapy Asst
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst

Jennifer Jones' new course was created due to multiple requests for a course that addresses assessing and treating children with more involved feeding disorders. The complex medical issues and frustrating behavioral refusals that lead to profound dysphagia are discussed based on current research. The process of completing an educated, differential diagnosis, developing the appropriate treatment plan and performing treatment techniques are the focal points of this course. Dr. Jones teaches a step-by-step process in increasing preferred foods for the pickiest little eater and also how to treat pharyngeal dysphagia without the luxury of the instrumental exam. The class includes case presentations with treatment protocols. This course is designed to provide therapists with the tools to treat difficult dysphagia clients immediately upon returning to work.

• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
• Physical Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Nurse
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Physical Therapy Asst
• Speech Language Pathology Asst

Physical Agent Modalities (PAMs) is designed to educate occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants in the use of electrophysical agents in the areas of electrical stimulation (pulsed, alternating, and direct current), and superficial and deep thermal agents (ultrasound, shortwave diathermy and laser). This course is also open to PT/PTAs and Athletic Trainers.

This course meets OT Physical Agent Modalities didactic training requirements in: CA, FL, ID, IL, MA, MD, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, PA, SD, WI, WV

Please bring lab attire that allows for access to the shoulder (e.g. loose fitting t-shirt, tank top etc.)

• Athletic Trainer
• Physical Therapy Asst
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst

This interactive two-day workshop for rehabilitation teams will address evaluation and current treatment techniques appropriate for soft tissue and joint restrictions that contribute to an abnormal swallow.
The process of sensory integration was first described in-depth by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres in 1972. Since then, awareness by physicians, teachers, therapists and parents has soared; which means a greater prevalence in therapists' caseloads. The challenges therapists, educators and families face can be daunting. This workshop offers evidence-based sensory strategies to bring to the classroom, clinic or home the very next day. Tools from this course include the curriculum from the instructor's book "Learn to Move, Move to Learn!" The instructor will walk participants in this interactive course through the neuroscience foundations of sensory processing disorder (SPD) to understand the "why" of certain behaviors and how best to address the client's and family's needs. Participants will receive treatment plans for early intervention, preschool and elementary school children. They will also learn to design their own sensorimotor play-based lessons and benefit from the numerous videos, case studies and hands-on labs throughout the course.

Each participant will receive a copy of Jenny Clark's popular book, "Learn to Move, Move to Learn."

• Physical Therapist
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapy Asst
• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Speech Language Pathologist

Have you encountered a family who is struggling to feed their child? Perhaps the child only eats a few select foods or is unable to sit at the table peacefully. These challenges are global and unfortunately threaten, not only the child's nutritional well-being, but the relationship between caregiver and child. According to a recent publication in Pediatrics, Feb 2015, "Parents of young children worldwide are concerned about feeding difficulties". Feeding disorders are recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Addition (DSM-V) and it is concluded that eating a restricted number of foods or displaying a fear of eating is disordered and may have long standing health implications for those who suffer from such challenges. Seiverling et al. estimated up to eighty-nine percent of children with Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit problematic feeding and eating habits, including food hyper selectivity, food refusal and disruptive mealtime behaviors (2011). In this intermediate course, we will examine prevalent diagnosis associated with such feeding disturbances (ASD, neophobia, ARFID) and explore the underlying causes of selective eating in order to develop clinical treatment pathways. Areas of impact will be examined, and treatment solutions will be derived as we work as a team to assist our children and families navigate extreme food hyper-selectivity. Strategies to create peaceful mealtime experiences while increasing the child's comfort level with food will be discussed. Case studies and learning activities will be used to facilitate problem solving and global application of evidence-based intervention. Practitioners who serve children and families impacted by feeding challenges are encouraged to attend.

• Speech Language Pathologist
• Occupational Therapist
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) affects the entire person and often the visual system. Patients who suffer a TBI require an interdisciplinary team approach to improve the overall function. The devastating effects on the brain may result in neurological changes to the visual system including double vision, blurred vision, headaches, and balance difficulties. Any of these can impede functional outcomes for all disciplines (i.e. gait training, activities of daily living, social skills, emotional appropriateness, language skills and perception). In this course the instructor will cover evidenced based research on neuroplasticity; causes of TBI; effects it can have on the person; assessment tools for education; and functional remediation exercises. This course will prepare OT/COTA's, PT/PTA's, ST's, educators, psychologists, nurses and other healthcare providers to better understand and treat the underlying visual factors that may be hindering progress. Participants will also gain a better understanding of when to refer to an optometrist/neuro-optometrist. This course will provide functional applications for you and your clients - from pediatrics to geriatrics.

• Physical Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst
• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Physical Therapy Asst

Using an educational screening tool, participants will examine assessments for 13 skills including eye movement control, eye teaming, focus shifting, auditory-visual integration, and visual memory. Through case studies and interactive demonstrations, students will experience vision problems and be challenged to determine if they can spot a problem as a client would be assessed. Analyze cases of strabismus and amblyopia and plan for referrals to appropriate vision professionals.

• Physical Therapy Asst
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Speech Language Pathology Asst
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Certified Occupational Therapy Asst

There's two ways to participate in this live event, as either part of the live studio audience in Gulf Breeze, Florida or via live stream around the world. Live stream participants will receive instructions in the confirmation e-mail on how to access the event from their computer and interact with the instructor. Studio audience seats are limited - so register now! Please contact our office if you have any questions. 850-916-8886.
Course begins: 9:00 AM Central (10:00 AM Eastern; 7:00 AM Pacific)

Exercise is the key ingredient to rehabilitation and dysphagia rehabilitation is no different. The skilled clinician must have a variety of treatment tools available to facilitate an effective exercise program. Ten years ago, VitalStim Therapy introduced NMES as such a tool and it has proven very effective. This course will take the VitalStim Provider to a new level using NMES for dysphagia therapy. The course will review the core concepts underpinning successful use of NMES in the dysphagic patient. Current research will be reviewed to explore how the NMES parameters such as frequency, phase duration and duty cycle can be changed to maximize impact. Participants will learn about the benefit of using up to 4 channels of stimulation and will learn how to sequence the stimulation between channels to mimic a normal swallowing sequence. In addition, two new modalities will be reviewed and practiced: sEMG Biofeedback and sEMG triggered electrical stimulation. This dynamic course will focus on hands on skills. The participants will work with the latest technology combining VitalStim, NMES, sEMG and sEMG triggered stimulation.

The participants will receive one-on-one attention from a certified VitalStim instructor.


NOTE: Participant must be a VitalStim Provider to attend this advanced level course.