Two adults with dementia and dysphagia were taught to recall a compensatory swallow strategy using the spaced retrieval training method combined with external memory aids. Ten intervention sessions were administered over a four-week period with two weeks of baseline sessions with external memory aids only. On each trial, participants were provided a 5×8 note card with the compensatory swallow strategy and asked to recall a compensatory strategy by verbally responding to the question and executing the compensatory swallow strategy at increasingly longer retention intervals up to 3 minutes. Results yielded a positive effect of spaced-retrieval training combined with external memory aids for recall of compensatory swallow strategies. Both participants were able to recall the compensatory swallow strategy over longer periods of time across training sessions. These data provided initial evidence that spaced-retrieval training combined with external memory aids can aid individuals with dementia and dysphagia in recall of compensatory swallow strategies.
Keywords: dysphagia, dementia, spaced retrieval training, external memory aids
