Speak Out February 2018

Celebrating the highlights of 2017

IT WAS A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR SPEECH PATHOLOGY AUSTRALIA AND ITS BURGEONING MEMBERSHIP. JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF MEMBERS, THE ASSOCIATION AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS.

Association growth

Strategic Plan 2017−2019 In May, the Association’s Board approved the release of the Speech Pathology Australia Strategic Plan 2017-2019. The plan encapsulates the aspirations, visions and hopes of the speech pathology profession in Australia. The strategic plan is the first step on the journey to implement the vision outlined in the Speech Pathology 2030 project. In the

Record-breaking membership

8409 members!

plan, the project’s eight aspirations under grouped under three key platforms: our voice, our philosophy, and our workforce. Each of these platforms are underpinned by three interconnected components: aspirations, goals and initiatives.

o u r v o i c e

Communication accessible communities

o u r w o r k f o r c e

Diverseand dynamic workforce

Access for all

Effective communication and safeswallowing – a right forall Australians throughout their life

Quality, innovation and knowledge

Timely services across the lifespan

Collaborative professional partnerships

Clientsand communities driving service delivery

Skilled and confident families and carers

Digital world In 2017, the Speech Pathology Australia website received 1,691,109 page views. The Association’s Twitter handle @SpeechPathAus secured 8963 followers and its Facebook page 17,058 likes. Added to this are the 2905 followers the Association’s Instagram account garners. The Association also supports 17 member-only Facebook groups or communities.

o u r p h i l o s o p h y

CPD Live events A total of 41 Branch Professional Development events ran in 2016 with 1339 registrations, plus eight live and ten recorded CPD online events attracted 200 registrations for Live events and 1691 registrations for recordings. Awards In 2017, the Association awarded Life Membership to Associate Professor Janet Baker. Fellowship of Speech Pathology Australia was awarded to Dr Elise Baker, Associate Professor Bronwyn Davidson, Associate Professor Patricia Eadie, and Dr Belinda Kenny. The Service to the Association awards was granted to Maureen Liddy and Leanne Sorbello. International affairs Two important meetings were convened to coincide with the 2017 ASHA Congress in Los Angeles. In the first, a new Mutual Recognition Agreement was signed by the six “member” country associations, which includes Speech Pathology Australia. At the second meeting, the International Communication Project, of which the Association is a founding member, discussed planning for possible side events to coincide with the UN Conference of State Parties to the Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities and/or a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council during 2018.

Book of the year Five books and their author/

illustrators were celebrated as part of the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year 2017 awards, held in Brisbane in partnership with the State Library of Queensland. Over 150 children’s books were nominated in 2017.

Professional development Dr Tanya Serry presented a “sell-out” 2017 Speech Pathology Australian National Tour, titled “Speech Pathology in the literacy domain: From prevention to intervention”. In 2017, the Association conducted over 65 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events, 13 CPD live online events (three were free for members), and offered access to over 20 recorded CPD webinars. National Conference The Speech Pathology Australian National Conference was held in Sydney in May at the new International Convention Centre and drew over 1000 delegates from across Australia and the world.

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February 2018 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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