SASS Training Schedules

& Course Types

Training Course Dates - in Nashville, TN:

Basic FEES Training Courses

February 8-9, 2025

May 17-18, 2025

August 9-10, 2025

November 1-2, 2025

Basic Training in 2026 is Temporarily Suspended.

Advanced FEES Training in 2026:

SASS will not offer advanced FEES training in 2026. In an effort to advance FEES clinical applications and new learning, the 2027 SASS advanced training will bring a new approach providing a better learning experience for the FEES-experienced clinician. All training will continue to be in-person, face-to-face over two days — no online learning. This will allow more meaningful and focused small group activities among experienced clinicians sitting, analyzing, and discussing more realistic and challenging FEES studies, and learning from the experiences of each other. Hands-on, challenging exercises will bridge the relevance of FEES findings with patient health considerations and toward a more focused and effective intervention. New and updated lectures will discuss, among other topics, observed laryngeal pathology, its description, and relevance to the swallowing dysfunction, if any; and how to apply practical and relevant clinical research in the analysis and decision-making process and the final report. We look forward to you joining with the SASS Education Team for this new educational event in 2027!

Training Course Dates - Onsite Training

Go to the Basic or Advanced Training Course Pages and Discover an Open-Registration Onsite Training Course that Fits Your Schedule or is Near You.

Types of Training Courses:

On-Site Training Courses: Basic and advanced FEES courses can be provided by SASS on-location at facilities with one to two conference room spaces. The minimum course participant size is 10 SLPs. The maximum course size is 16. These courses may be open-registration (recommended) or private for staff only.

Nashville-based Training Courses: Nashville is SASS’s home. Both basic and advanced FEES courses are provided throughout the year. See schedule above. Training is held at the Select Specialty Hospital, 2004 Hayes Street, Nashville, TN. Course sizes are from 10 to 20. Groups of 2 to 4 from the same facility are encouraged to take the training together. No special group rates.

Open Registration Courses: All Nashville-based training courses are with open registration with a first-come, first-served registration. On-site courses may elect to hold open courses to allow SLPs from across the US, Canada, and other countries to register for these courses and provide a variety of experiences to the training experience. Allowing non-facility SLPs to register assists the host facility to meet the 10-participant minimum for a course.

Private, or Closed, Registration Courses: Private courses are requested generally by facilities, or healthcare organizations with multiple facilities, with larger staffs and training requirements. This assures they can meet the minimum requirement of 10 participants. Smaller facilities with limited staff/participant requirement may elect to remain private and invite other SLPs from local hospitals and facilities. No special rates or discounts.

Cancellation and Course Switching Policies:

  • All cancellations must be received in writing via email message.

  • If you cancel 30 days or more before the course date, full refund, less credit card processing fees.

  • If you cancel between 11 and 29 days before the course date, 50% refund, less credit card processing fees.

  • If you cancel 10 days or less before the course date, no refund. Course reservations and preparations (materials, food, instructors, equipment,—travel, lodging) have been made for you anticipating your participation, and cannot be refunded.

  • Requests to switch registration to a later course, if received 30 or more days before the date of the original registered course, will be made without charge.

  • Requests to switch registration to a later course, if received less than 30 days before the date of the original registered course, will be subject to a $150.00 reprocessing and rescheduling fee.

  • If SASS cancels a previously advertised and scheduled training course or event, all registration fees plus credit card processing fees will be reimbursed.

For More Information:

Training Courses: Contact John R. Ashford, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Education Director. Email: John.r.ashford6703@gmail.com Tele: 615-426-5505. A formal proposal detailing all facets and aspects of the training program will be sent upon request.

FEES Competency Training: Contact Michelle Skelley, M.Ed., CCC-SLP. Email: Michelleskelley711@gmail.com. Tele: 615-306-3693.