Frequently Asked Questions
Course Overview
Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO), also known as EI-PVFM/VCD, is a complex upper airway disorder that occurs in some athletes and is characterized by a closing of the vocal folds or supraglottic tissues during respiration, resulting in difficulty breathing.
This course provides a holistic, practical, clinically focused approach to evaluating and treating patients with EILO.
By using a holistic approach, including Buteyko breathing principles and some techniques, the patient learns to breathe symptom-free, at rest and during exertion, eliminating the need for a “rescue breathing” technique. It explores treating the underlying root of the problem, rather than just treating the symptoms.
Our 2025 retrospective study of 84 patients using this holistic approach suggests that referring to a clinician trained in this approach can be beneficial to patients with EILO.
There is a growing need for SLPs who can evaluate and treat this condition, who understand the differences between treatment approaches, and are interested in the benefits of using an alternative, holistic therapy technique.
You will learn the connection between dysfunctional breathing and EILO, the components of conducting a holistic EILO evaluation, and the (P) physical, (I) intellectual/cognitive, and (E) emotional components of the practical and systematic therapeutic process.
Case studies will be reviewed, and videos of therapy sessions will be shown.
Upon completion of the training, SLP’s will be able to:
- Explain the background information on the biochemical aspects of breathing, Buteyko breathing, dysfunctional breathing, and hyperventilation.
- Explain the scientific explanation of Buteyko breathing principles.
- Identify and modify dysfunctional breathing in their patients.
- Describe 4 medical conditions that may mimic EILO.
- Describe benefits of using Capnometry in evaluating EILO.
- Identify at least 5 distinctive differences between EILO and exercise-induced asthma.
- Identify the 5 major components of a holistic EILO evaluation.
- Identify 4 differences between using traditional methods vs using a holistic approach when treating EILO patients.
- Identify the 4 major cornerstones of a holistic approach to treating EILO.
- Deliver a practical, hierarchical, breathing retraining program to help restore efficient and appropriate breathing in exertion.
- And more!!!!!
Eligibility and Scope of Practice
To maintain high standards of clinical application, the P.I.E. Approach – Level 1 is open exclusively to:
- Licensed Speech-Language Pathologists (CCC-SLP)
- SLP Clinical Fellows (SLP-CF)
“No. This course is only available for SLPs and SLP Clinical Fellows (CFs) to properly align with specific clinical scope of practice requirements.”
Professional Development Hours and Certification
No, you receive 8.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH) upon completion of the course.
ASHA’s Council for Clinical Certification explicitly accepts non-approved provider PDHs which can go toward your required 30 maintenance hours per 3-year cycle, provided the content falls within your scope of practice. By offering direct PDH documentation rather than paying third-party registry tracking fees, we keep this course accessible at $295.
Completion of the webinar cannot be reported to the ASHA CE registry by us and cannot be added to the ASHA CE registry by you.
Please retain the course certificate for documentation of completion.
For more information on including non-ASHA registered CEUs for certification maintenance, visit ASHA’s website:
http://www.asha.org/Certification/Certification-Maintenance-Frequently-Asked-Questions-Earning-Professional-Development-Hours/#earnASH
Yes. State speech-language pathology licensing boards accept direct PDHs for license renewal. Upon course completion, you will receive an Certificate of Completion for your records.
Course Format and Community Benefits
You have a full 4 months (120 days) to complete the course which has 8.5 hours of content.
When you break that down, it means you only need to dedicate about 30 minutes a week to finish comfortably on time.
Here is how our busiest SLPs easily fit it into their schedules without burning out:
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The “Lunch & Learn”: Watch just 15 or 20 minutes of a lesson during your lunch break a couple of times a week.
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The Bi-Weekly Sprint: Dedicate just one hour every other weekend to knock out a full section.
We purposely structured the 4-month window to give you plenty of breathing room, while still providing just enough accountability to ensure you actually cross the finish line and get the results you want.
The course is a self-paced, on-demand recorded video course containing 8.5 hours of structured clinical training. Your enrollment also includes access to **monthly live Q&A sessions** with Sharon Frank and other course graduates to discuss complex EILO/upper airway cases in real time.
Once you complete the course, you are enrolled into are Referral Database so when someone calls in your area we will refer them to you instead of them having to drive or fly to our office in Foxboro, MA. Our goal is to have at least one person trained in all 50 states.
Even after your 4-month course access window closes, you still retain access to our P.I.E. Approach community, live monthly Q&A webinars which occur on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm ET, and past Q&A meeting recordings.
You are also eligibile to take the in-person Level 2 course. That course is held when we have interest from at least four Level 1 graduates.
The goal is for you to finish the course in four months but we know that life can get in the way of that happening. Just contact us and we will extend your access to the course for an agreed upon time that works for both of us.