Abstract
【Objective】We investigated the establishment of an acceptance and an effective dysphagia rehabilitation method for people with severe learning disabilities by evaluating their cognitive function and feeding function with the application of feeding training.
【Subjects and Methods】The subjects of this study were 12 adults with severe learning disabilities (8 males and 4 females, mean age 38.2 ± 11.0 years old). The subjects included those who were asked to be instructed in terms of the appropriate eating style by the facility staff for the following reasons：“they finish eating too fast” or “they swallow without chewing”. We obtained informed consent from the subjects and their guardians prior to the investigation. Afrer examinations to ascertain general condition, a dentist and a speech therapist evaluated their feeding function, a speech therapist their ADL/growth, and a national registered dietitian their nutritional status. Then, the dysphagia rehabilitation, with particular emphasis on pacing, was performed once a month. Subjects were grouped depending on the frequency of receiving this instruction, and their feeding function and nutritional status were evaluated one year later. This study was performed with approval from the Ethics Committee of The Nippon Dental University.
【Results】Out of 12 subjects, seven received serving assistance for pacing as one of the dysphagia rehabilitation, and five of these seven showed improved eating function one year later. This result suggested that their individual-social development and fine motor action-adaptation development may have impacted the effects of the dysphagia rehabilitation.
【Conclusion】It is important to develop a specialized dysphagia rehabilitation method including evaluation of cognitive function for people with severe learning disabilities.
