Speak Out April 2017 low res FINAL

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8 Speak Out June 2017
“Thank you for inviting us to speak with
you today. Speech Pathology Australia is
the national peak body representing over
7500 speech pathologists. Whilst I am
appearing today as a Board Director of our
Association, I am also a practising speech
pathologist and an audiologist and I hold
an academic appointment at La Trobe
University.
Speech pathologists are university trained
allied health practitioners who specialise
in diagnosing and treating communication
and swallowing disorders. They are usually
part of a multidisciplinary hearing team,
but not always. We would argue that we
should be. Typically, speech pathologists
would be involved at the onset and, after
assessment, with device intervention
and the provision of aural rehabilitation
services, which in speech pathology
is management designed to assist the
person with maximising their hearing,
speech, language and communication
given their hearing impairment.
Whether hearing loss is from birth or
acquired, it will impact on speech,
understanding language and
communication abilities. How these are
impacted depends on a number of factors,
such as the age of onset of hearing loss,
use of hearing devices, whether the person
receives ongoing intervention, such as
speech pathology, and whether the person
is bilingual-bicultural using Auslan. It is
important to understand that, even with
milder, unilateral or fluctuating hearing
loss, there will be a negative impact on
communication abilities. We know with
certainty that communication problems
caused from hearing loss impact negatively
on a person’s participation in critical
life activities, social relationships and
inclusion, education or participation and
achievement, training and employment.
We also know that there is a link between
hearing and communication impairment
and mental health conditions such as
depression and anxiety and with conditions
such as dementia. We know that it is
critical to get in early, not just with infants
and children but also with adolescents,
adults and older adults with acquired
hearing loss. There is a lot that can be
achieved in terms of communication
abilities if a person is provided with the
right services and supports at the right
time.
Whilst newborn hearing screening
programs and the services of Australian
Hearing in terms of devices are excellent
services for the Australian community,
there are a number of significant
deficiencies in the current hearing health
system. We are particularly concerned
about access to hearing health services for
children diagnosed during early childhood,
Indigenous children with hearing loss
caused by recurrent middle ear infections,
children with unilateral or milder hearing
loss that do not require device intervention
and for older Australians with age-related
hearing loss. Unfortunately, at present,
the levels of access to speech pathology
services for all Australians, including those
with hearing impairment, are inadequate
across Australia. A 2014 Federal Senate
inquiry concluded that demand far
outstripped supply. With the rollout of the
NDIS, speech pathology is acknowledged
At the Parliamentary Inquiry into Hearing Health and Wellbeing are SPA representatives Cathy Olsson and Dr Chyrisse Heine with Chair
and Mr Tim Wilson MP.
IN MAY, SPEECH PATHOLOGY AUSTRALIA BOARD DIRECTOR DR CHYRISSE HEINE AND NATIONAL ADVISOR
DISABILITY, CATHY OLSSON APPEARED BEFORE A FEDERAL PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO HEARING HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING IN AUSTRALIA. THEIR OPENING STATEMENT TO THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IS REPRINTED
HERE.
Advocating in health and education
Policy and advocacy
Inquiry into hearing health and wellbeing in Australia