VitalStim® Plus - NMES and sEMG Biofeedback (In-Person)

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

This is a 2 Part Course.
Registration will enroll you in BOTH parts.
CEU credit will only be awarded to those who complete BOTH the Online and the Live portions.
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. This course focuses on combining VitalStim, NMES, sEMG and sEMG triggered stimulation using the new VitalStim Plus technology, therefore it does not count toward VitalStim renewal.

Click for VitalStim Therapy Specialty Program information


AOTA Classification Codes
OT Process: Evaluation, Intervention, Outcomes

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:


Course Instructor(s)


Julie DeVahl

PT, DPT, OCS

Julie DeVahl, PT, DPT, OCS was an Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the Physical Therapy Department at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX from 2002 until she retired Dec 2022. A physical therapist since 1979, Julie brought her experience with electrical stimulation in clinical practice to the classroom. In addition to teaching, she maintained a clinical practice, working primarily with patients with temporomandibular dysfunction and facial paralysis. Julie is board-certified in orthopaedic physical therapy and an active member of the APTA and TPTA. She has been an instructor for CIAO since 2003 and adds an inviting style of teaching to the VitalStim Therapy Specialty Program. “I see my role as an instructor to enable the SLPs and OTs to feel as comfortable using electrical stimulation as they do giving verbal instructions for swallowing.”

Financial Disclosure: Julie receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. She also receives royalties for the purchase of her recorded course(s)
Non-Financial Disclosure: No relevant disclosures.


Carole R. Roth

PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD

Dr. Carole Roth holds a doctorate degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Colorado. She completed postdoctoral training at the Mayo Clinic in the Departments of Neurology and Otolaryngology. She has extensive clinical experience in diagnosing and treating neurologic communication disorders as well as voice, swallowing and fluency disorders. Dr. Roth has authored journal articles in the field and has lectured in the United States, Australia, and Europe. She has directed medical speech pathology programs and has participated on interdisciplinary clinics including: stroke, ALS, neuromuscular disorders and Huntington’s disease. She has sat on medical ethics committees and worked for the University of California, San Diego research ethics program. Dr. Roth holds board certification by the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences. She teaches part-time at San Diego State University and works as a full-time clinician in a medical center and in private practice. Dr. Roth is married and has two daughters.

Financial Disclosure: Dr. Roth receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. She also receives royalties for the purchase of her recorded course(s)
Non-Financial Disclosure: Dr. Roth uses VitalStim Therapy in her practice.



Jon Rose

MS, PT, SCS, ATC

Jon received his Master of Science from Eastern Illinois University in 1992 and his Certificate of Physical Therapy from Ohio State in 1997. Jon currently holds an academic appointment as an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. He teaches courses in anatomy, pathology, orthopedics, and sports medicine. He continues to treat patients and conduct research at Campbell Clinic. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in educational research at the University of Memphis. Formerly the director of rehabilitation for Samaritan Regional Health System in Ashland, Ohio, Jon has also worked as the Director of Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Coordinator for Campbell Clinic in Memphis, TN. Jon is currently a Certified Instructor for the VitalStim® Certification Course teaching NMES for the treatment of dysphagia. Jon’s professional appointments include Team Physical Therapist and Rehab Consultant for several semi-professional and professional sports teams. He is an NATABOC certified Athletic Trainer and a member of the APTA, Ohio PT Association, and Tennessee Athletic Trainers Association.

Financial Disclosure: Jon receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. He also receives royalties for the purchase of his recorded course(s).
Non-financial Disclosure: There are no financial relationships to disclose.


Jen Carter

M.Ed. CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Jen is a medically-based speech pathologist with 24 years of experience evaluating and treating dysphagia and is a board certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders. She currently lives in Denver and has a private practice, the Carter Swallowing Center, solely focused on dysphagia. She frequently presents at the local, state, and national level on the topic of swallowing treatment. When she’s not working, Jen enjoys hiking and backpacking in Colorado.

Financial Disclosure: Jen receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of her live courses and royalties for the purchase of her recorded course(s).
Non-Financial Disclosure: Jen uses VitalStim Therapy in her practice.



Jodie Dacy

M.S. CCC-SLP, NDC

Jodie graduated from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL with a Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders. She has been a practicing speech language pathologist since 1995 with extensive experience in the private sector, school settings and clinical experience in hospital settings which include long term care and outpatient rehab. Jodie became a VitalStim® Provider in 2005. Since then she has utilized this modality in the treatment of dysphagia with both her pediatric and adult patients. Jodie is also a licensed NOMAS® practitioner and certified in NDC (NMES for Dysphagia), MDTP (McNeil Dysphagia Therapy Program) and Myofascial Release. She has presented locally and nationally on various topics such as Best Practices, The Benefits of Oral Motor/Feeding Therapy on Articulation/Speech Clarity amongst others. Currently, Jodie serves the Speech Language Pathology profession as a therapist at Val Verde Regional Hospital in TX and as a certified instructor of the VitalStim® Therapy and DINES Specialty Certificate Program for CIAO Seminars.

Financial Disclosure: Jodie receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. She also receives royalties for the purchase of her recorded course(s)
Non-Financial Disclosure: Jodie uses VitalStim Therapy in her practice.


Gina Gallo

M.S. CCC-SLP, NDC

Gina E. Gallo was educated at the University of Rhode Island where she received her B.S. in Communication Disorders and her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology. Gina has worked as a medical Speech-Language Pathologist since 1998 across various levels of care, concentrating in swallowing and voice disorders. She is a Certified VitalStim Instructor and uses Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in her clinical practice at Spaulding Outpatient Center. Gina recently became one of the first SLPs to earn the NDC credential (NMES for Dysphagia Certified). She has worked extensively with patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer, and previously served on Head and Neck Tumor Board at Rhode Island Hospital. She has also served as a guest lecturer for the Southern New England Rehab Center annual conference, and as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Rhode Island in the area of Voice Disorders.

Financial Disclosure: Gina receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. She also receives royalties for the purchase of her recorded course(s)
Non-Financial Disclosure: Gina uses VitalStim Therapy in her practice.



Yorick Wijting

PT, DPT

Yorick received his Physical Therapy degree in the Netherlands and his DPT at the University of St. Augustine, Florida. He has extensive training and practical experience in biophysical agents and teaches nationally and internationally to medical professionals on their therapeutic use. Yorick has been instrumental in developing the use of electrical stimulation by Speech Language Pathologists in the treatment of dysphagia. Yorick currently lives in California and runs his private practice in Gilroy, CA.

Financial Disclosure: Yorick receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of his live course(s) and royalties for the sale of his recorded course(s). Yorick is the author and an instructor for the VitalStim Therapy Specialty Program.
Non-Financial Disclosure: no relevant relationships exist


Kelly Salmon

SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLT-LANA, NDC

Kelly is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) specializing in the treatment of adults with communication and swallowing disorders across the continuum of care. She has been a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S) since 2011 and is one of the only SLPs in the U.S. to earn designation in 2014 as a Lymphology Association of North America Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT-LANA) specializing in the treatment of head and neck lymphedema. Over the past several years of her career, Kelly has focused on becoming an expert in the treatment of swallowing disorders resulting from many medical conditions including head and neck cancer, stroke, and progressive disease and recently became one of the first SLPs to earn the NDC credential (NMES for dysphagia certified). She also works with individuals following total laryngectomy to rehabilitate and restore communication and swallowing function. Kelly was awarded her bachelors degree in speech pathology and audiology at Stockton University in New Jersey, her masters degree in speech pathology at New York University, and is currently completing her clinical doctorate in speech pathology at Nova Southeastern University. Kelly takes pride in contributing to the field of speech-language pathology through teaching a graduate-level dysphagia course at Temple University in Philadelphia, supervising speech-pathology students, presenting posters and lectures at national conferences, publishing articles on various topics related to swallowing and communication disorders, and engaging in multidisciplinary research initiatives. She is currently in the process of completing a clinical research study examining swallowing-related outcomes for individuals undergoing specialized robotic surgery for head and neck cancer. Kelly works in an otolaryngology practice at a large academic medical center in Philadelphia, PA and is dedicated to providing the highest level of evidence-based care for all of her patients.

Financial Disclosure: Kelly receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. She also receives royalties for the purchase of her recorded course(s)
Non-Financial Disclosure: Kelly uses VitalStim Therapy in her practice.



John Kelly

M.P.T.

A graduate of the University of St. Augustine’s graduate Physical Therapy Program. John has over 17 years’ experience with acute inpatient and hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation and currently an outpatient clinical director for Siskin Rehabilitation Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. John continues to balance full time patient care with administrative responsibilities. John is NDT certified and an experienced manual orthopedic therapist working toward his clinical doctorate and manual therapy certification. John is a certified VitalStim® Instructor and has taught orthopaedic and electrotherapy courses across the country. John is an accomplished clinical instructor and consistently is recognized for his exceptional patient rapport and strong evaluations from course participants.

Financial Disclosure: John is a salaried employee for his position at Siskin Rehabilitation Hospital. John Kelly receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of his live courses. He also receives royalties for the purchase of his recorded course(s)
Non-financial Disclosure: No relevant non-financial relationship exists.


Tom Holland

PhD, PT

Dr. Tom Holland received his physical therapy education and his PhD degree from the Physical Therapy Program of NYU. He is an Assistant Professor at the City University of New York - Hunter College/Program in Physical Therapy. In addition, he is an Adjunct Instructor at New York University, Columbia University, and Dominican College. His practice includes per diem work at Kessler Institute (Saddle Brook NJ). Tom's physical therapist practice and specialty areas include physical modalities and kinesiology. Tom has been a Certified VitalStim Instructor since 2002 and has co-taught dozens of VitalStim Certification Courses across the country.

Financial Disclosure: Tom receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. He also receives royalties for the purchase of his recorded course(s)
Non-Financial Disclosure: no relevant relationships


Course Agenda

Day 1

45 Minutes
ONLINE - NMES core concepts
45 Minutes
ONLINE - Literature review
45 Minutes
ONLINE - NMES parameter modifications
45 Minutes
ONLINE - sEMG basics
03:30 - 04:00
Registration/Check-In for Live Course
04:00 - 04:30
NMES and sEMG theory and literature reviews
04:30 - 06:00
NMES Lab
06:00 - 06:45
sEMG Lab
06:45 - 07:00
Q&A, Close

Contact hours pre-approved for:

  • 6 Hours (0.6 CEUs)
  • CIAO is an Approved Provider for ASHA #AAWA (SLPs)
  • This course is offered for 0.6 ASHA CEUs (Advanced level, Professional area).
  • CIAO is an Approved Provider for AOTA #4119 (OTs)
  • This course meets PDU requirements for NBCOT (7.5 PDUs Clinical Lab Assessment)
  • 7.0 Hrs OTs in FL (CE Broker #20-595600)

Contact hours applied for:

  • 6.0 Hours CAOT


The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.



This course is offered for 0.6 ASHA CEUs (Advanced level, Professional area).



CIAO is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). CIAO complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, CIAO is accredited to issue the IACET CEU.



CIAO is recognized on the NBCOT Provider Registry (meets PDU requirements for NBCOT)