Thuy FrakkingB.SpPath (Hons), PhD

Certified Practising Speech Pathologist

Dr Thuy Frakking has over 17 years of clinical experience working with infants and children in the areas of speech, language, fluency, literacy and feeding/swallowing skills within public hospital and private healthcare settings in Queensland and New South Wales. Thuy enjoys using her skills and knowledge to develop patient and family centred management plans, which are practical and achievable. She continually accesses many Speech Pathology Australia professional development workshops and seminars to keep her knowledge up to date and relevant.

Thuy is a clinician researcher with a special interest in paediatric feeding disorders who has attracted >$1.6 million in funding for translational paediatric research. Her program of research focuses on improving and implementing more accurate and accessible assessments for infants and children with feeding disorders and chronic non-complex medical conditions (non-CMC). She is the top-most prolific author in Australia and ranked 8th internationally in the field of cervical auscultation (listening to swallow sounds). Her PhD work on cervical auscultation has been cited in guidelines by 58 institutions nationally and internationally; and includes a position statement for the Latin America Dysphagia Society for the management of oropharyngeal and esophageal dysphagia during COVID-19 pandemic. She has extensive postgraduate and clinical experience in the following areas:

1. Cervical auscultation (listening to swallow sounds)
2. Paediatric videofluoroscopic swallow studies (x-ray swallows)
3. Feeding/swallowing disorders on the background of complex medical conditions (e.g. prematurity, cerebral palsy, genetic and neurodevelopmental conditions)
4. Picky eaters who have a limited range/variety of food intake