Dysphagia Education vs IDDSI Training: What Is the Difference?
Dysphagia education and IDDSI training cover two related but different areas of mealtime support.
Dysphagia education helps carers, family members and staff understand swallowing difficulties and how to follow a person’s individual recommendations. IDDSI training focuses more specifically on preparing, describing and testing texture-modified foods and thickened drinks.
Many people who support someone with dysphagia benefit from learning about both.
What is dysphagia education?
Dysphagia means difficulty swallowing. It can affect how a person manages food, drinks, saliva or medication.
Dysphagia education helps the people providing care or mealtime support understand the condition and the person’s individual requirements. Depending on their role, this may include learning about:
what dysphagia is and how it can affect a person
signs that may indicate swallowing difficulty
the person’s prescribed food texture and drink thickness
positioning, pacing and assistance during meals
the person’s preferences, communication and mealtime goals
what changes or concerns should be documented and reported
when advice from a speech pathologist or another health professional may be needed
The purpose is to help carers and staff understand the reasons behind a person’s mealtime recommendations and apply the person’s written plan consistently and respectfully.
Dysphagia education does not allow someone to diagnose a swallowing difficulty or decide which food texture, drink thickness or level of assistance another person requires. These decisions depend on an individual assessment.
What is IDDSI training?
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative, known as IDDSI, provides a standardised framework for describing texture-modified foods and thickened drinks.
IDDSI training helps carers, support workers, nurses, cooks and food-service staff understand this framework and use the relevant testing methods.
Training may include:
understanding the IDDSI levels
recognising the descriptions used for different foods and drinks
preparing food and drinks according to a person’s documented requirements
using the appropriate IDDSI testing methods
checking food after preparation, reheating or transport
identifying when a meal or drink does not match the person’s plan
following workplace procedures when something is unclear or incorrect
IDDSI training is particularly important for people who prepare, serve or check texture-modified meals and thickened drinks.
An IDDSI level should not be selected for a person simply because it appears easier to prepare or seems safer. The person’s required food texture and drink thickness must come from their current individual recommendations.
The key difference
The simplest distinction is:
Dysphagia education explains the condition and the person’s overall swallowing and mealtime support needs.
IDDSI training explains how texture-modified foods and thickened drinks are described, prepared and tested.
For example, dysphagia education may help a support worker understand why a person needs a particular mealtime plan, what assistance they require and what changes should be reported.
IDDSI training may then help that worker or the kitchen team check whether the person’s food and drinks match the levels recorded in that plan.
The two areas complement each other, but one does not replace the other.
Who is this education for?
Dysphagia education and IDDSI training are primarily designed for people who care for or provide meals to someone with swallowing difficulty. This may include:
family members and informal carers
aged care workers
nurses
allied health assistants
cooks, chefs and food-service workers
team leaders and service managers
A person with dysphagia may also choose to complete this education to better understand their condition or dietary requirements. However, this type of education is not a program of physical swallowing exercises for the individual.
Is this the same as swallowing therapy or swallowing exercises?
No. General dysphagia education and IDDSI training are different from individual swallowing therapy.
A speech pathologist may recommend specific exercises or rehabilitation strategies intended to target aspects of a person’s swallowing function. Whether these are appropriate depends on the cause and nature of the swallowing difficulty, the person’s health and the findings of an assessment.
Swallowing exercises are not suitable for everyone, and a general article or training course cannot determine which exercises a person should perform. Exercises should only be completed when they have been individually recommended and explained by the treating health professional.
This article is about education for understanding and supporting dysphagia—not about prescribing or teaching swallowing exercises.
Why might a care team need both?
Knowing how to prepare an IDDSI level is important, but carers also need to understand the person behind the recommendation.
A correctly prepared meal is only one part of mealtime support. The person may also have individual requirements relating to assistance, positioning, pacing, supervision, equipment, communication or the environment.
Similarly, general knowledge about dysphagia does not necessarily teach someone how to prepare and test a texture-modified meal or thickened drink.
Combining dysphagia education with role-appropriate IDDSI training can help a team understand both the person’s overall needs and the practical requirements of their texture-modified diet.
Match the learning to each person’s role
Different team members may need different levels of knowledge.
A support worker assisting someone during a meal may need to understand the person’s mealtime management plan, required assistance and signs that should be reported.
A cook or food-service worker may require more detailed practice in preparation methods, substitutions, IDDSI testing and quality checks.
Managers may need to consider whether current plans are accessible, responsibilities are clear, staff can demonstrate the required skills and further support is provided when gaps are identified.
Completing a course can build knowledge, but attendance or an online quiz does not necessarily demonstrate that someone can apply the information correctly in every workplace situation. Practical demonstration, observation, feedback and refresher education may also be appropriate.
Practical next steps
When supporting someone with dysphagia:
Start with the person’s current swallowing or mealtime management plan.
Check their documented food texture, drink thickness and assistance requirements.
Make sure the people preparing and serving meals understand their responsibilities.
Use the relevant IDDSI testing methods where required.
Document and report specific changes or concerns through the appropriate procedure.
Do not change the person’s food, drinks, supervision or assistance based on general training alone.
Seek individual advice from the person’s speech pathologist or healthcare team when recommendations are unclear or their circumstances change.
Frequently asked questions
Should carers complete dysphagia education or IDDSI training?
Many carers benefit from both. Dysphagia education provides the broader understanding needed to support someone with swallowing difficulty, while IDDSI training provides practical knowledge about texture-modified foods and thickened drinks. The appropriate learning depends on the carer’s responsibilities.
Do kitchen staff need dysphagia education?
Kitchen staff may benefit from a basic understanding of dysphagia and why individual recommendations matter. Their more detailed learning may focus on food preparation, drink preparation, IDDSI testing, substitutions and quality control.
Can a person with dysphagia complete the training?
Yes. A person with dysphagia may find the education helpful for understanding terminology and their dietary requirements. However, the training does not assess their swallowing or provide an individual exercise or rehabilitation program.
Does IDDSI training tell me which level a person needs?
No. IDDSI training explains the framework and its testing methods. It does not determine the appropriate level for an individual. Follow the person’s current recommendations and seek professional advice if these are unclear.
Is online education enough?
Online education can provide useful foundational knowledge. Depending on the person’s role, an organisation may also require practical demonstration, supervised practice, observation, workplace procedures and competency review.
Learn more about dysphagia and IDDSI
Swallowing & Dysphagia Support provides dysphagia education and practical IDDSI training for carers, support workers, care teams and organisations.
Training can be matched to the roles of the people attending, helping them understand swallowing difficulties and the practical requirements of supporting someone with a texture-modified diet.
Contact Swallowing & Dysphagia Support to discuss the most appropriate education for your team.
Important information
This article provides general education. It cannot diagnose dysphagia or determine an individual’s food texture, drink thickness, suitability for oral intake, treatment, supervision, swallowing exercises or level of risk. Individual recommendations require assessment by an appropriately qualified health professional.
This article and Swallowing & Dysphagia Support training are independently developed educational materials. They are not official IDDSI resources, education programs or certification, and they do not replace current materials available from IDDSI.
About the author
Written for Swallowing & Dysphagia Support and clinically reviewed by Vanessa Chan, Speech Pathologist.
