Speak Up

In this week’s episode, Dr Tristan Nickless explores ethical challenges and considerations that speech pathologists face when working with funding models like the NDIS and Medicare. He discusses ways practitioners can be ethical stewards of public funds in supporting equitable access, managing time requirements, aligning funded supports with evidence, developing public trust, and a range of other...

In this week’s episode, Professor Betty Yu of San Francisco State University provides a brief overview of the workshop on conversational analysis that she will co-present with Dr Vishnu Nair at the SPA Conference 2025. In this unscripted conversation she reflects on the nature of neurodiversity-affirming practice, whose experiences and communication are centred in society, and the role that speech...

In this week’s episode, Leigh Andrews from Change Communication in the UK and Lauren Gibbs from Launch Housing in Victoria, speak with Mary Woodward, SPA’s Senior Advisor, Justice. Leigh and Lauren tell Mary about the benefit speech pathologists can bring when supporting people who are experiencing homelessness, and some of the resources that support their work. Lauren and Leigh speak about differ...

In this bonus episode, we are celebrating the Speak Up podcast having been listened to one million times! Thank you to everyone who listens, every guest who has so generously shared learnings with us, guest interviewers who approach their role with curiosity and everyone else who supports the podcast in visible and invisible ways. Nathan and Nadia, from the podcast team reflect on this milestone,...

In this week’s episode Dr Vishnu Nair lays groundwork for his keynote address at the SPA Conference on a Critical and Decolonial Vision for Speech and Language Therapy. He discusses communication as an embodied experience for - and the knowledge of - people who live with disability, critically examining historical and current power dynamics in the profession, essentialism and its impact on practic...

In this week’s episode, Dr Mindy Sotiri, who is the Executive Director of the Justice Reform Initiative speaks with Mary Woodward, SPA’s senior advisor for justice. Mindy and Mary discuss the work that the Justice Reform Initiative do, some of the changes they are advocating for, and what role speech pathologists play when working in this space. Resources: Justice Reform Initiative: https://www.ju...

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr Abby Foster and Suzanne Mungall, speech pathologists, about Earth Day, coming up on 22 April. Suzanne and Abby share their experiences about speech pathology and climate change, and why they feel the urgent need for health professionals to address the impacts of climate change on health and service delivery. Claire Esterman, from the Speak Up Podcast Refere...

In this week’s episode, we speak with SPA’s CEO, Lyn Brodie, and General Manager for Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations, Dr Jennifer O’Connor, about the upcoming federal election and speech pathology. They discuss “wins” from the federal budget, critical “asks” during the election and how these are determined, and ways that stakeholders can advocate during the campaign period. Resources: Ho...

In this week’s episode, we recognise the inaugural International Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) Awareness Day 2025 coming up this Friday on 4 April 2025. Kym, Speech Pathology Australia’s Senior Advisor- Aged Care, speaks with Scott Cooper a dementia advocate living with PPA, and his speech pathologist Dr Penelope Monroe from FRONTIER's PPA Communication Project, at University of Sydney. Scott...

In this week’s episode, Ishwari Samarakoon and Nisrine El-Choueifati speak about the role that professional support can play in managing challenging interactions and the stress that this can cause us to feel. Nisrine and Ish discuss wellbeing, values-based decision making, and the things they have learned when providing supervision following a breach of the Code of Ethics. Resources: Contact Ish:...

In this week’s episode to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we speak with Catherine Lee from the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative, an organisation with a focus on creating an environment for neurodivergent workers to thrive. Catherine speaks about the role speech pathologists can play in supporting someone to advocate for their needs at school and work, how and when to disclose and how employ...

In this week’s episode SPA’s Jessica Kaplonyi speaks with Tracy Lazenby-Paterson from the National Health Service and Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists in the UK, and Dr Arlene McCurtin from the University of Limerick in Ireland, about research into thickened fluids and people living with dysphagia. They discuss misconceptions about thickened liquids as an intervention, unintended cons...

In this week’s episode we hear from Mary and Fiona from the Professional Recognition Team about the new program to enable speech pathologists to return to practice. Mary and Fiona speak about the new program having self-directed learning goals, and condensing the program to be completed in less time, so speech pathologists can safely and effectively return to practice. Resources: Re-entry membersh...

In this week’s episode Dr Darin Woolpert and Dr Michael Cannizzaro discuss what Generative AI is (and is not) effective at when analysing language samples, and the importance of practitioner knowledge and critical thinking when using AI. Resources: A full list of resources / references for this podcast is available via the SPA Learning Hub. ChatGPT LSA Spanish poster: https://asha2024-asha.iposter...

In this week’s episode, SPA’s Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations Team speak about the work they have been doing. Then we receive an update about changes in the NDIS that have occurred since 3 October 2024, including things to keep in mind when using the new AT pathway for replacement supports. Resources: Contact the Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations team: policy@speechpathologyaust...

In this week’s episode the podcast production team, Nathan Cornish-Raley, Renae Hobson and Nadia Marussinszky, give a peek behind the curtain on the Speak Up podcast and what listeners can expect for Season 7. Nadia also chats to SPA’s new CEO, Lyn Brodie, about her vision for the Association and the profession. Resources: SPA Strategic Plan 2023-2025: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/P...

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...