Speak Up

In this week’s episode, Jane Villari, Assistant Director in the Food, Nutrition and Dining Advisory Support Unit at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, speaks with Kym Torresi, SPA Senior Advisor Aged Care. Jane and Kym discuss the Food, Nutrition, and Dining Unit, and the supports that speech pathologists can access from the FNDU to support person centred care and co-design with individu...

In our third instalment of the Summer Listening Series Connie Huang from the Early Career Reference Group offers her reflections on episode 31 from season 4 The Speech Pathology Role in Palliative Care. Lisa Terry and Samantha Bradley, Senior Speech Pathologists from Monash Health, speak with Dr Laura Chahda, from the University of Melbourne, and Dr Lindsay Carey, from La Trobe University. Laura a...

In this first episode of the Summer Listening Series, Dr Rebecca Packer, Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland, reflects on her recommended listening from Season 6. She introduces this episode in which Associate Professor Jade Cartwright and Natalie O’Brien discuss their involvement in the ABC documentary Maggie Beer’s Big Mission. They discuss the role that speech pathology can play in...

In this week’s episode, speech pathologist Ashleigh Glover offers her reflections on AAC across the lifespan, a conversation between Kristen Potts and Amanda Hartmann. Kristen, a private speech pathologist, explores four AAC case studies across the lifespan with Amanda, an experienced speech pathologist and AAC enthusiast. Amanda is a lecturer at the University of Queensland, a consultant with Ass...

In this final episode of the Summer Listening Series, speech pathologist Brittany Fong recommends a conversation from Season 5 with Nicola Dann about principles of adult learning and supervision. She discusses learning stages and styles, how supervisors can adapt their support, supervision at different career stages, and guidance for a supervisor’s own learning. Are you interested in joining the S...

In this week’s episode Professor Bronwyn Hemsley and Dr Lucy Bryant from UTS speak about their soon to be published systematic review into GLP. Bronwyn and Lucy speak about how and why they started this research and some considerations they would like stakeholders to reflect upon. The systematic review is linked below. Speech Pathology Australia supports individualised, person-centred care as best...

In this week’s episode, members of SPA’s early career and podcast reference groups, Brittany Fong and Lauren Osborne, speak with Mental Health Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist, Michelle Bihary, about the mental and emotional “wear and tear” that can occur in healthcare and how speech pathologists can manage this. They discuss the “4 Ps” of self-care, supports and supervision, managing ou...

In this week’s episode, Dr Jeanne Marshall and Dr Nicola Clayton both on the working party to update the SPA dysphagia guideline. Jeanne and Nicola speak about the changes to the field and how this has been reflected in the guideline. Resources: Paediatric feeding learning framework | Children's Health Queensland: https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/for-health-professionals/clinical-education-...

In this week’s episode, Churchill Fellowship UK recipient Anna Sowerbutts. Anna speaks with Jane Delaney, SPAs Senior Advisor Early Childhood and Education about her proposal to travel to Australia to learn about innovative ways of supporting children with DLD. Anna reflects on her work in this area and shares her insights into her experience with the Churchill Fellowship. Resources:  DLD and Me b...

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...