ACQ Vol 11 no 2 2009

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128 ACQ Volume 11, Number 2 2009 ACQuiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing
article. Various theoretical models are described with the
authors emphasising the importance of attention in enabling
reading to become both automatic and fluent. Reference
is made to the neurobiological evidence which is now
available to support the links between ADHD and dyslexia.
Preliminary studies have clinical implications and suggest
that pharmacological interventions which are used to treat
disorders of attention (ADD and ADHD) may be a useful
adjunct in the treatment of dyslexia.
develop in the anterior areas. Of clinical significance is that
data obtained from fMRI has demonstrated the efficacy
of specific, systematic, explicit phonologically based
interventions. The provision of these interventions at an early
age has been found not only to improve reading, but also
to facilitate the development of those neural systems that
underlie reading.
The importance of a reader becoming fluent in addition
to being able to decode words is also highlighted in the
Then…
I entered the world of speech pathology in Perth in 1984,
training at what was then known as the Western Australian
Institute of Technology or WAIT, under the exciting leadership
of Ann Zubrick. Our small and supportive group graduated at
a time when the job market was very competitive and people
travelled to many far places to secure work.
Thus began many years of a country tour for me, from
Busselton to Port Hedland and then Bunbury. They were
challenging times with sole positions being the norm and
little or no support available. I think we survived because
we had so little understanding of how much we didn’t
understand!
My speech pathology career firmly steered a course
into paediatrics and stayed there for many years – I
enthusiastically took on emerging issues such as paediatric
feeding, autism, and new approaches to stuttering therapy.
I often wonder where all those gorgeous babies and cute
toddlers are now and whether they fondly remember that
lady who used to play with them.
The family needed a change and moved to Queensland
in 2002 where they did things differently. Unable to pick up
the sort of work I had been used to and at the same time
suffering from a mid-career crisis of “what am I doing and
why?!”, I sought out a variety of temporary project positions.
This opened the door to a whole new world of health
promotion and I dabbled in nutrition, tuckshops, physical
activity, skin cancer prevention and falls prevention while I
completed a Masters in Public Health through the University
of New South Wales. This also gave me a taste for research.
And now…
Significant industrial reform and workforce incentives in
Queensland Health in 2007 lured me back into allied health
to take up a unique position at the time. The allied health
educator position in Logan Beaudesert Health Service
District, and now two restructures later in Metro South
District (around 600 allied health staff), offers me the
opportunity to use all my many and varied skills. Speech
pathologists and other allied health professionals have very
versatile and portable skills to take with them into other
sectors and fields.
My role as allied health educator has three major
focus areas: planning and coordination of training and
development, providing professional support, and building
research capacity. More specifically, these roles involve the
following activities:
• Planning learning for this diverse group of allied health
professionals has involved setting up systems to assess
need, manage training calendars and registrations and
evaluate training activities as well as tailoring existing
courses and developing new content for key learning
areas such as evidencebased practice and supervision.
Advocating for allied health’s share of resources within the
nursing, corporate and medical training arenas has also
been a large part of the role.
• Professional support initiatives have included designing
and implementing a supervision framework to support all
professions, a leadership development program for senior
clinicians and facilitating the integration of newly created
clinical educator positions into the district.
• Research capacity has been targeted through a number
of strategies including developing partnerships with
universities, seeking funding for research positions and
other infrastructure, training initiatives and a research
project looking at a multidisciplinary team-based
approach to conducting research.
Many other positions are now being established to
support the allied health workforce. This means I get to work
in a team of very dynamic and experienced professionals
from diverse backgrounds including clinicians, educators,
researchers and organisational psychologists. Research and
professional support and development are very important
in building the future for allied health, and it is exciting to
be at the cutting-edge of major reforms. The future looks
very bright for allied health here in Queensland and it’s very
satisfying to play a part in it.
Into allied health
Sue Pager
Correspondence to:
Sue Pager
Allied Health Educator
Metro South Health Service
email:
Outside the square