What Is FEES? FEES stands for Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing. It is a safe, well-established test used to check how well a person swallows food and liquids. During the test, a small, thin, flexible camera is gently passed through the nose to look at the throat while the person eats and drinks. The test is performed by a trained speech-language pathologist (SLP), sometimes together with an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor. Why Is a Swallowing Test Important?

As speech-language pathologists, we occupy a unique and critical role on the pediatric dysphagia team. Whether working in the NICU, an outpatient clinic, a school, or a home health setting, the ability to accurately assess and effectively treat swallowing disorders in children can be the difference between a child who thrives and one who faces repeated hospitalizations. This post walks through the core assessment and treatment tools every pediatric SLP should consider having