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April 2017 Speak Out 27
Two such opportunities are the Guideline for ASD Diagnosis in
Australia project and the National Year 1 Literacy and Numeracy
Check project.
Guideline for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Diagnosis in Australia project
The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism
CRC) has been commissioned by the National Disablity Insurance
Agency to develop a National Guideline for the Diagnosis of
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Australia. The guideline is due
for release in September 2017.
Speech Pathology Australia is pleased to be involved in the
project in several ways.
• Robyn Stephen is representing SPA on the project’s Steering
Committee
• A group of members with extensive experience in diagnosing
ASD (many of whom were involved in the development of
SPA’s current ASD Position Statement and Clinical Guideline)
have been nominated by SPA to take part in the next phase
of the project, a Delphi Study.
They include:
Christine Kendall
David Trembath
Gloria Staios
Marleen Westerfeld
Michelle de la Perrelle
Rebecca Sutherland
Veronica Rose
Bea Staley
Teena Caithness
SPA will also be providing a submission to the project.
You can have your say by:
• writing a submission;
• attending a workshop;
• signing up to receive updates about the project;
• encouraging adolescent or adults clients you work with who
have ASD (and their family members and/or carers) to write a
submission or complete a survey.
National Year 1 Literacy and Numeracy Check
project
In May 2016, the Australian Government released Quality
Schools, Quality Outcomes (QSQO) a package of school reforms
to improve learning outcomes for all Australian students.
A key proposal of QSQO, was to introduce a National Year
1 check of all children in the areas of reading, phonics and
numeracy (Some states and territories already deliver their own
early year’s assessments but there isn’t a nationally consistent
approach.)
On 29 January 2017, Senator Simon Birmingham, Minister for
Education and Training, announced the establishment of an
Expert Advisory Group to advise the government on how best
to develop and implement a national Year 1 check. We are very
pleased that Pam Snow is on the panel as she will be a wonderful
advocate for the profession and for the need for strong oral
language competency to underpin future literacy development.
As part of the panel’s consultation process individuals and
organisations were able to submit responses to an online survey.
SPA’s responses can be accessed here.
As I write the recommendations of the panel are unknown with
their report to the government due in April 2017. I will keep you
updated via SPA’s Speech Pathologists in Education and Learning
Member Community and in National eNews. You can also follow
the latest news from the panel on the National Year 1 Literacy
and Numeracy Check (Year 1 check) webpage, look up the FAQs
doc, or ask a question by emailing Literacyandnumeracypanel@
Chris Lyons
WorkPlace PLUS
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS TO REPRESENT THEIR PROFESSION, ADVOCATE FOR BEST
PRACTICE AND PROMOTE IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR CLIENTS HAVE NEVER BEEN GREATER.
Opportunities to improve
outcomes for practice and clients
Professional Practice