Speak Up

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr John Pierce from the Centre for Research Excellence in Aphasia Rehabilitation and Recovery at La Trobe University. He discusses what multi-modal treatment is, how it can be used as an aphasia treatment, and how it is being adapted for telepractice. Resources: Aphasia Therapy Finder: https://aphasiatherapyfinder.com/therapyprofile/20 Aphasia CRE: https://www...

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr Shelley Turner, Kate Fanning and Subah Ahmed from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, or Forensicare. They discuss how speech pathologists contribute to interprofessional practice in the mental health space, with individuals who are involved in the justice system. Resources: Forensicare: https://www.forensicare.vic.gov.au/ Speech Pathology Au...

In this week’s episode, Common Ground CEO Gemma Pol speaks about the project of sharing First Nations Bedtime stories. Gemma discusses the importance of preserving oral narratives in a way that is accessible now and into the future, and the rich learnings that come from reflecting on these stories. Resources: Common Ground: https://www.commonground.org.au/ First Nations Bedtime Stories: https://ww...

In this week’s episode, we recognise International Stuttering Awareness Day (22 Oct) by speaking with Rich Stephens, President of SAY: AU – The Stuttering Association for the Young, and program participants Hollie, Fergus, and Leo. They discuss what they want speech pathologists and others to know about their communication, what people can learn about listening from people who stutter, and how to...

In this week’s episode, the SPA ethics team celebrate Global Ethics Day by reflecting about how ethics can support everyday decision making, with Lisa Campbell, speech pathologist from Physio Inc, and student ethics essay competition winner, Katie Sanders. #GlobalEthicsDay #EthicsEmpowered Resources: Contact the SPA ethics team: ethics@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Global Ethics Day- https://www...

In this week’s episode, Christina Schmidt from Free to be Me Speech Therapy discusses Gestalt Language Processing (GLP), and Natural Language Aquisition (NLA). Christina discusses what GLP is, how to implement it, and who can benefit from this approach. Christina also discusses how GLP and NLA intersect with neurodiversity affirming practices and the evidence base for these approaches Resources: R...

In this week’s episode Queensland Branch Co-Chair, Dr Shaun Ziegenfusz, speaks with Kate O’Leary, Project Officer for SPA’s new resource: Practice education in private practice. They discuss ways that workplaces can participate in student placements, models of supervision, practice education skills, and how speech pathologists can expand their supervision capabilities. Resources: Practice educatio...

In this week’s episode, Erin West speaks about her PhD research relating to phonology in Auslan, the sign language in Australia. Erin talks about her research and the steps we still need to take for language equity. Resources:  Sign bank- https://auslan.org.au/ ASL users How Many People Use ASL in the United States? https://gallaudet.edu/wp-content/uploads/gcloud/gal-media/Documents/Research-Suppo...

In this week’s episode, Anna Pannuzzo from WorkPlacePLUS and Dr Mary Claessen, SPA’s Senior Advisor Professional Standards, discuss how speech pathologists who are trained overseas prepare to work in Australia. They review legal considerations, skills assessment, and various working arrangements for speech pathologists who migrate to Australia or provide telepractice from other countries. RESOURCE...

In this week’s episode Professional Practice Advisor, Jess Kaplonyi, speaks with Dr Shana Taubert about Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS) and SPA’s newly published guideline. They discuss speech pathologist-led VFSS, the shortage of contrast agents, culturally safe studies, and the future of videofluoroscopy. Resources: SPA Practice Guideline Videofluoroscopic swallow study (members only):...

In this week’s episode we speak with Kardie Whelan (she/her), from Sexual Health Victoria about the role of a speech pathologist in supporting our disabled clients to access sex education from a communication access lens. Kardie speaks about how to prepare for questions that might make us feel uncomfortable, and what resources exist. Please note there is a brief discussion about sexual abuse and a...

In this week’s episode we explore Speech Pathology Week’s theme, “Communicate YOUR way.” We speak with speech pathologists Janelle Sampson (she/her), Cicely Binford (she/her), Niall Taylor (he/she) and Subha Mohan (she/her). They discuss and celebrate Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), neurodivergent and gender affirming communication, and speaking different Englishes and languages....

This week, we rebroadcast an episode from Season 4. Maire MacCana, community-based Speech Pathologist with the Tasmanian Health Service, chats with Dr Jasvinder Sekhon, speech pathologist, research affiliate and community of practice member at the Centre for Research Excellence in Aphasia Recovery and Rehabilitation. Jas explores research into counselling training to support the psychological well...

In this week’s episode, we speak with Mitch Walley from Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service, and Dr Natalie Ciccone from ECU about a telehealth service for Aboriginal people living with acquired brain injury (ABI). They discuss steps for making the service culturally secure, and the important role of yarning and Aboriginal coworkers in this process. Resources: Indigenous Allied Health Australia: https...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the ACT Intermediary program with Laura Cilesio, senior director of the intermediary program, Vanessa (Ness) McKinley, director of the intermediary program and Sarah Cocco, senior intermediary. Laura, Ness and Sarah discuss with Mary Woodward, SPA’s Senior Advisor-Justice, about the roll out and impact of the ACT’s intermediary program. The ACT is the first Austr...

In this week’s episode we speak with Dr Emma McLaughlin, from La Trobe Uni. Emma is a speech pathologist with a disability and she speaks about accessibility and making our practise anti-ableist. Before we speak with Emma, Erin West, Senior Policy Officer, gives us an update on the things we may have missed in the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS review as well as the NDIS pricing for the...

In this week’s episode Associate Professor Jade Cartwright and Natalie O’Brien discuss their involvement in the ABC documentary Maggie Beer’s Big Mission with SPA Senior Advisor Aged Care Kym Torresi. Jade, Natalie and Kym discuss the role that speech pathology can play in enriching the eating experiences of individuals living in residential aged care. Resources: Watch Maggie Beer’s Big Mission on...

In this week’s episode, we speak with Gaenor Dixon, Tania Kelly, and Yadanar Tutt from the Department of Education in Queensland. Gaenor, Tania and Yadanar have been working with schools to establish flexible ways of delivering their services without compromising on quality. We discuss some of the enablers, barriers, and outcomes of these flexible models and the equitable service this promotes. Re...

In this week’s episode we speak start with a few reflections on NAIDOC Week and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being, and doing add to our profession. Next, we speak with Dr Alice Hart from Curtin University about an approach for stuttering that includes both fluency and cognitive/behavioural supports. She discusses elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and the...

From time to time we rebroadcast popular episodes from our past catalogue. This week we bring you an episode from season 4, where Gaylea Fritsch, Vic Branch Professional Education committee member, chats with Chris Payten, Advanced Speech Pathologist at Gold Coast Hospital and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. Chris explores his current PhD research in the area of voice disorder classific...

In this week’s episode we speak with Kathryn Fordyce (she/they), Sandy Lin (she/they), Cyndal Nelson (they/them), and Dr Robert Wells (he/him) who are members of the Queer Speech Collective. They discuss the dimensions of identity, aspects of a professional group identity or “mould” that can be problematic, the importance of a workforce that transcends the mould, and how the profession can foster...

In this week’s episode we speak with Dr Theresa Kidd and Dr Miriam Kirby, who are both Clinical Psychologists at The Kidd Clinic. PDA is an Autistic profile that is relatively newly described, Theresa and Miriam speak about how to identify individual with this profile and how to support them in a neurodiversity affirming and trauma informed way. Resources:  The Kidd Clinic: https://www.kiddclinic....

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dawn Neenan and Magalí Stolovitsky Colb, adjunct lecturers at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York in the United States. They explain reflective supervision, how it compares to traditional supervision, and the benefits of integrating reflective practice into supervision. They also discuss how speech pathologists might use infant mental health pr...

In this week’s episode we speak with SPA life member, and Emeritus Professor Deborah Theodoros AO. Deb speaks about her reflections of how the field has progressed and changed, as well as the things she is looking forward to.   Resources:  UQ tele-rehabilitation clinic: https://health-clinics.uq.edu.au/services/telerehabilitation BUSH Kids: https://www.bushkids.org.au/ Machado-Joseph research foun...

In this week’s episode, our first ever live recording, from the SPA 2024 Conference in Boorloo, Perth, a panel of contributors speaks about their reflections on leadership, and the importance of wellbeing within this. Arielle Cassian (she/her), Belinda Kenny (she/her), Cyndal Nelson (they/them), and Ishwari Samarakoon (she/her), speak about the opportunities they have engineered and how they have...