Swallowing Training Education Portal

The Swallowing Training and Education Portal (STEP) is an all-in-one online learning solution for swallowing and swallowing disorders. Our mission is "to make evidence-based swallowing training and education affordable and accessible to all".

STEP is a comprehensive swallowing library, offering 75+ hours of low-cost, high-quality, evidence-based courses created by experts, on a variety of topics including normal swallowing anatomy and physiology, clinical and instrumental swallowing assessments, dysphagia treatment techniques, as well as ethics and professional issues in dysphagia management.

Since 2018, STEP has supported hundreds of instructors, empowered thousands of students and clinicians to advance their knowledge and skills in dysphagia management, and helped them improve the lives of countless individuals living with dysphagia around the world.

STEP courses are ideal for anyone wanting to advance their understanding of swallowing and swallowing disorders. STEP is for speech-language pathology (SLP) students, educators, instructors, supervisors, clinical fellows, new graduates, seasoned clinicians and everyone else in between. Our goal is to help each of you improve your knowledge and skills in the area of swallowing disorders, irrespective of your level or setting, to ultimately help improve patient outcomes and lives. Join our growing community and let us help you along your journey - one STEP at a time.

STEP was created out of frustration and has been meticulously molded by experience. In 2017, world-renowned swallowing scientist Dr. Ianessa Humbert and skilled medical speech-language pathologist Rinki Varindani Desai met and shared common experiences and frustrations about the lack of resources to support swallowing training and education needs among SLP students and clinicians.

For decades, swallowing education was solely being provided in classrooms via textbooks in a limited amount of time. An increasing number of students and clinicians have reported feeling inadequately prepared to provide competent care to patients with swallowing impairments. The stakes are higher when our swallowing expertise directly dictates an individual’s ability to eat and drink and impacts their quality of life.

This led to the creation of STEP – an affordable all-in-one evidence-based learning solution, filling the gap between knowledge and practice for all those involved in dysphagia management. Visit the ABOUT page to learn more about our founders, our core values, and our mission.

STEP offers two easy ways to learn:

1) MEMBERSHIP: You can subscribe to our self-paced, affordable, MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP plans – offering unlimited access to our extensive swallowing course library, offering over 50 hours of coursework covering Normal Swallowing, Assessment, Treatment, and Professional Issues in dysphagia management. We offer three membership plans STARTER, PLUS, and CEU plans, to help meet diverse learning needs. Membership can be cancelled any time. Click the MEMBERSHIP tab to join our growing community.

2) MASTERCLASS: STEP also offers a more detailed, intensive, instructor-led Swallow Physiology Masterclass course for purchase. Masterclass helps clinicians learn about swallow timing measures with the Videofluoroscopic Interpretation of Physiology (VIP) program. The training includes recorded lectures, hands-on practice, and a consultation with Dr. Ianessa Humbert. Click the MASTERCLASS tab to learn more.

We offer three affordable Monthly Membership Plans. Our STARTER membership costs $15/month, our PLUS membership costs $20/month and our CEU membership plan costs $25/month. Members only pay one month at a time and can CANCEL ANYTIME. There is no membership commitment.

If you wish to purchase a STEP membership for a longer duration (such as a 6 month or annual subscription) or want to inquire about group subscriptions, please email [email protected] for further assistance.

We do not offer refunds for our digital subscriptions and online course purchases. Please visit our Terms and Conditions page to learn more.

STEP members can change or cancel their membership subscription plan at any time. Members will need to cancel their active subscription first and then sign up for the new plan they are interested in joining.

Membership can be canceled by following these steps: Sign in to your STEP account and select My Account (top right corner). Select the Billing tab. To end recurring payments, from My Account > Billing, click Cancel to end your current subscription.

You can then visit the MEMBERSHIP page and subscribe to the new plan you are interested in. Please email us at [email protected] if you require any assistance.

We offer ASHA CEUs for all our MASTERCLASS courses, as well as for coursework that is part of our membership-based swallowing library. Learners must be enrolled in our CEU MEMBERSHIP PLAN to earn up to 5.1 ASHA CEUs for STEP courses. Note: ASHA CEUs are not offered to learners enrolled in our STARTER and PLUS membership plans. However, all your learning hours on STEP for any coursework that you watch can still be used towards certification maintenance and professional development.

Once you have completed the Masterclass and/or CEU Plan coursework, we submit CEUs to ASHA on your behalf each month. Please ensure that your full name, address and ASHA ID is accurate in your Account details. There is nothing else you need to do from your end. Once each learning module is complete, a certificate will automatically populate in your STEP account. Please contact [email protected] with questions.

As dysphagia educators ourselves, we recognize how challenging it can be to cover all of swallowing and dysphagia in one or two semesters. Swallowing training and education needs to be detailed, dynamic, engaging, evidence-based, accessible, and learner-focused. It should include adequate exposure to normal swallow function and include real-world visuals, research, clinical experience, and critical thinking. This is where STEP comes in as a resource for YOU!

STEP is ideal for use as a teaching tool in your in-person or online dysphagia coursework. Educators/instructors/supervisors can have students sign up individually or contact us for group pricing options. All SLP program instructors who use STEP in their classes for a semester or longer will receive a FREE subscription for that entire duration. If you are an instructor, supervisor, or clinical team lead wanting to learn more about STEP licenses, please email us at [email protected].

Absolutely! STEP courses were created to be accessible to everyone, around the globe. Anyone can participate and learn on STEP, as long as you have internet access and a viewing device. We have also created STEP coursework in German and Portuguese, with the goal of gradually expanding the languages we offer STEP in. Visit the STEP GLOBAL page to learn more.