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Diversity in practice
48
JCPSLP
Volume 17, Number 1 2015
Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology
Cori Williams
survey carried out in late 2012 indicated that 30% of 540
respondents reported speaking at least one language
other than English. Of these, 25% reported that they
were proficient in at least one other language (Williams, in
preparation).
Diversity in the range of practice of speech pathologists
is outlined in SPA documents, including
Competency-
based Occupational Standards for Speech Pathologists
(CBOS; SPA, 2011) and the Scope of Practice (SPA,
2003). Speech pathologists work across the lifespan,
providing services to clients with needs in the core areas
of communication and swallowing and to their families,
carers, educators, and employers as well as with other
professionals involved in their care. The range of services
provided is similarly diverse, and encompasses both
direct and indirect approaches. The scope of practice
lists services under ten categories: clinical services;
specialist advice; use of instrumentation; behavioural
and environmental modification; services related to
hearing loss or central auditory processing disorders;
modification of communication; service management;
negotiation of service delivery models; and provision of
expert witness evidence. Services are provided in a wide
range of contexts, for many purposes and using a variety
of approaches. Similar diversity in range of practice and
contexts for working is embedded in the documents of
other speech pathology organisations (see, for example,
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA],
2007; Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
[RCSLT], 2006; Speech-Language and Audiology Canada,
2014). Such diversity clearly points to the need for
members of the profession to adopt a philosophy of lifelong
learning. It also provides opportunity for those of us working
in the profession to take up new challenges within the
profession during our working lives.
Diversity in the client base
The diversity of the Australian population is well known.
Compared with other western countries, Australia’s migrant
population makes up a relatively large proportion (around
26%) of the total (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS],
2014). Migration is the main component of population
growth in Australia – population increase through migration
has exceeded growth from births for six consecutive years
(Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2012).
Migrants come from a range of countries. The largest
number of migrants come from the UK and New Zealand,
but those from China, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, South
A column addressing the evidence on
diversity in the context of speech pathology
in Australia could take a number of different
perspectives. It could focus on the evidence
surrounding approaches to assessment of
clients from diverse backgrounds, or on the
evidence surrounding the important
questions of intervention with this population.
Neither of these possibilities is taken up here.
Rather, this column will address the evidence
surrounding diversity in the profession, and
diversity in the client base in Australia.
Diversity in the profession
What constitutes diversity in the profession of speech
pathology in Australia? It could perhaps be seen to
encompass two aspects – diversity in the workforce and
diversity in the range of practice and employment contexts.
Evidence of diversity in the workforce is difficult to track
down, one of the reasons that Speech Pathology Australia
(SPA) continues to advocate that speech pathology be
included in the national registration and accreditation
scheme. Some evidence is, however, available. We are all
aware that the gender balance in the speech pathology
workforce is skewed very much in the direction of women.
Records of membership of SPA indicate that only 2% are
male. From this perspective, diversity in the profession is
somewhat lacking. Evidence on the cultural background
of members is not available, although SPA plans to
request this information of members in the near future.
Currently, the association does record the languages other
than English that members report speaking. A total of
80 languages is recorded, from Afrikaans and Arabic to
Yolngu Matha and Zulu, and including a range of European
and Asian languages. A small number of members also
report speaking African (e.g., Shona) and Middle Eastern
languages (e.g., Arabic) and languages from the Indian
subcontinent (e.g., Hindi, Gujarati). The most commonly
reported languages are, in order of frequency, Auslan,
French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Italian. No information
is available regarding the level of proficiency of members
in these languages, an important consideration when
evaluating the capability of the workforce to provide
services to clients from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds. Proficiency levels may not be high. A national
What’s the evidence:
Diversity in practice
Cori Williams