Speak Out December 2015

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10 Speak Out December 2015 Speech Pathology Australia
what's new
When should I see a speech pathologist?
Should I be concerned about stuttering? Does
bilingualism slow down language development? These
were just some off the 200 questions asked by visitors
at the Speech Pathology Australia stall at Melbourne’s
Pregnancy, Babies and Children’s Expo.
At the expo in October, more than 700 parents and carers
visited the SPA stall to ask questions, seek information,
and enter our Book of the Year raffle. Volunteers, included
practicing speech pathologists and speech pathology
students, who provided visitors with information about
what speech pathologists do, where to find more
information about speech and language development,
and how to find local services. The SPA stall also
provided the opportunity to promote the profession
and the association. We even had a few visits from
parents wanting to say thank you for the work of speech
pathologists!
The Victorian SPA Branch would like to extend a big
thank you to the 28 volunteers who helped make SPA’s
presence at the Melbourne expo a success. Thank you
also to Michael Kerrisk of National Office for organising
materials for the stall.
Jenny Elliott and Alice Crook
(Volunteer Coordinators)
Katie Gunn, Jenny Elliott and Dahlia Didzys answered dozens of
questions at the expo.
700+ seek services
at expo
Conversation Club Wins
Better Practice Award
Speech Pathology Australia would like to
congratulate Ruth Hartman (pictured) and Wesley Heights
(Uniting Care NSW) for winning a Better Practice Award for
their ‘Conversation Club’ established as a commitment to
long term service delivery of communication services for
residents.
The Better Practice Awards allow the Australian Aged
Care Quality Agency to recognise and showcase aged
care providers that go above and beyond to demonstrate
innovative and inspirational aged care practice. The projects
and initiatives honoured act
as exemplars for other aged
care services to assist and
encourage improvement.
The conversation club has
been running on a weekly
basis for the past four
years, providing residents
with the opportunity to
practice speech and voice
strategies, connect with
other residents, and work
together on meaningful
projects. The club has
resulted in a range of benefits
for residents, including
enhanced confidence to speak and social connection with
other residents. Each year, the group members showcase
their speech skills in an end of year poetry recital in front of
family and staff – promoting the resident’s sense of purpose
and achievement. Furthermore, the club has successfully
increased awareness of resident communication support
needs.
It is fantastic to see the role of speech pathology in aged
care being showcased and celebrated in such a positive
way – congratulations Ruth.
To read more about the 2015 Better Practice award
.
practice-award-winners-1.
For further information please contact Ruth Hartman
.
Jade Cartwright
Aged Care Project Consultant