Welcome To
We believe it is time to officially recognize the dysphagia clinicians whose specialized treatment gives patients a faster, more complete recovery.
Dysphagia University (DU) is a non-profit organization created for one purpose: issuing credentials in the field of dysphagia, built around the standards of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and its National Commission for Certifying Agencies (ICE/NCCA).
DU is a credentialing organization, not a continuing education company. It does not train clinicians in any treatment technique and it is not a membership organization.
DU issues the NDC (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia Certified), in the same way ASHA issues the CCC and NBCOT issues the OTR. DU is a virtual university that administers peer-reviewed, proctored exams, and it is organized into commissions that develop and oversee each credential.
Meet the BoardDU's president set out to win reimbursement and recognition for therapists who specialize in NMES for dysphagia. Consultants said two things had to come first:
Look around the site, and contact us with any questions or if you need help.
Credentials are more than letters after a name. They are a nationally recognized validation of exceptional skill and an award of achievement. DU's process for earning them is designed around the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs.
DU is working toward NCCA accreditation. Accreditation requires an established program with a track record of candidates, so this is a long-term goal rather than a current status.
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). Its standards were written to protect the health, welfare and safety of the public, and they describe the essential elements of a high-quality certification program. They were the first standards the credentialing industry developed for professional certification.
Dysphagia specialists who meet all criteria to become credentialed in Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) for Dysphagia will be awarded the credentialing letters “NDC”.
MoreDysphagia specialists who meet all criteria to become credentialed in Myofascial Release for Dysphagia will be awarded the credentialing letters “MDC”.
Coming soonDysphagia specialists who meet all criteria to become credentialed in Pediatrics for Dysphagia will be awarded the credentialing letters “PDC”.
Coming soonTo join the mailing list, email dysphagiau@gmail.com.
77 Bay Bridge Drive
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia Certified
Are you eligible? The NDC is the only credentialing classification for therapists who use NMES for dysphagia. It strengthens your professional credibility and shows patients, physicians and employers your specialty skill, knowledge and dedication to the field. The five steps below walk you through the whole process.
Requirements to test for initial certification.
Candidates show that they practice to a high ethical standard and can demonstrate advanced clinical and professional skill. Only applicants who meet every requirement below are approved to sit for the credentialing exam.
Already eligible? It is time to apply.
Applications are handled by email for now. Write to dysphagiau@gmail.com to request an application packet. Payment instructions are sent with the packet.
Candidates who need testing accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should request them within five business days of applying.
Once you receive your Exam Authorization Letter, you schedule your own testing appointment.
The exam is live and remotely proctored. You take it on your own computer, at a location you choose. The EAL names the testing partner and gives your login details and scheduling instructions.
You have 3 hours to take the exam. Log in 10 minutes before your scheduled start. The exam begins when you or the proctor opens it.
The exam has 135 multiple-choice items. 130 count toward your score and 5 are unscored pretest items. There are no scheduled breaks.
Exam content is confidential. Before you begin, you agree not to copy, share or discuss it.
Your score report arrives by email.
The report shows PASS or FAIL and how you performed in each subject area. It does not show the number or percentage of items you answered correctly. Keep it: successful candidates need it when they renew, and candidates who do not pass can use it to see where to study.
You earn the NDC credential, valid for 3 years. Names of current NDC holders are available to the public on written request. DU does not sell or rent applicants' email addresses.
You can ask for a review of a decision about eligibility, a failed exam, or a sanction or revocation. Send the request in writing to the Program Director at DU's Gulf Breeze address. DU replies in writing, and you may appeal the result of the review.
The NDC exam follows a test content outline built from a 2016 job analysis study of NMES for dysphagia practice. Each of the seven areas below appears in every exam in proportion to its weight.
Analyze swallowing disorders, perform a structured evaluation, review and analyze assessment findings
Impairments and contributing factors, indications, non-indications and contraindications
Plan from evaluation results, diet modifications and feeding strategies, treatment frequency, patient and family education, medical necessity, muscle physiology and kinesiology
Effects of electrical stimulation, precautions, equipment and electrode problem solving, evidence-based literature, referral, standard of care, basic NMES theory
Benefits and limits of protocols, protocol and electrode selection, placement, therapeutic intensity, exercises and bolus presentation with the device active, documenting and communicating progress
Modify stimulation parameters, modify the treatment plan after reevaluation
Professional board requirements, patients treated only by trained staff, device limitations
These 15 questions show the kind of items on the exam. They are not a study guide and do not replace other forms of preparation.
The NDC is valid for 3 years from the date it is issued. To renew, candidates show that they continue to practice to a high ethical standard and keep their clinical skills current.
The NMES for Dysphagia Commission is the group responsible for the NDC credential: its standards, its exam and its renewal rules. Individuals who meet the standards earn the credentialing letters NDC.
Questions about the NDC? Email dysphagiau@gmail.com.
About the CommissionLesley is a speech-language pathologist with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Louisiana State University. She has more than 30 years in the rehab industry as a treating clinician, rehab director, trainer, auditor and business owner. Her work has included the pediatric indigent population, psychiatric settings, outpatient clinics, home health agencies and long-term care, which she will tell you is her favorite. She has worked for HealthSouth and NovaCare as well as smaller practices.
Lesley owns CIAO Seminars, which she started in 1999 to train OTs, PTs and SLPs in specialty areas and improve their value in the marketplace. CIAO Seminars now provides continuing education in over 40 countries. As dysphagia treatment became a more prominent specialty, Lesley saw that these specialists deserved greater recognition and status, which led her to found Dysphagia University.
Craig is originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He spent twenty years in the petrochemical industry across the Southeast, including Air Products and American Cyanamid. In 1999 he suggested that his wife, a speech-language pathologist, start a company that would make great things happen for therapists. He has been CFO and Director of IT for CIAO Seminars since. Craig is active in the Knights of Columbus, the Optimist Oratorical Contests and National History Day, and lives on Pensacola Beach.
Cory has a BA in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida. She is Director of Growth and Operations for Career Improvement and Advancement Opportunities (CIAO), a nationally recognized continuing education company, and was previously its Continuing Education Administrator. She sits on ASHA's advisory board for Intersections, which connects ASHA Approved Continuing Education Providers. Cory has specialized knowledge of continuing education standards and compliance, and significant experience with the accreditation process of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.
Juliana has a BA in Communication Arts and Public Relations from the University of West Florida. She is a small business owner with more than ten years in education, as a former elementary school teacher and a continuing education administrator. She lives in Pensacola, Florida. As Program Director of Dysphagia University, she looks forward to granting you your NDC credentials.
The NDC Commission is being assembled. It will be made up of voting and non-voting subject matter experts in the use of NMES to treat dysphagia.
Its role is to offer insight and expertise on the safe, effective and ethical use of NMES, and to share resources, experience and knowledge. It will develop, manage and maintain the program that validates specialized NMES for dysphagia skills, with the goals of protecting patients and improving outcomes. DU intends the Commission to work toward the values and competencies set by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Questions about the NDC, an application, or serving on the Commission? We are glad to help.
77 Bay Bridge Drive
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
To join the mailing list, email dysphagiau@gmail.com.
This site does not collect personal information on its own. We receive information only when you send it to us, for example when you email a question or request an application.
We use what you send to answer your questions and to process applications for DU credentials. Applications include sensitive items such as license copies and certificates, so we ask that you send them only to the DU addresses listed on the Contact page.
DU does not sell or rent email addresses or any other applicant information. We discuss an individual candidate's certification matters only with that candidate. Names of candidates, people who do not pass, and individual scores are not released.
Write to dysphagiau@gmail.com.
This site gives general information about Dysphagia University and the NDC credential. It is not clinical advice, and it is not a substitute for the requirements in an application packet.
DU is working toward NCCA accreditation. The NDC is not currently accredited by the NCCA.
We work to keep this page accurate. Fees, requirements and policies can change, and the details DU sends with an application govern.
NDC exam content is the confidential, copyrighted property of Dysphagia University. Copying or sharing it is prohibited. The sample questions on this site may be used for personal preparation.
DU does not discriminate against candidates on the basis of age, gender, ethnic origin, religion, race, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.