Speak Out April 2016

speech pathology 2030 Perspectives from beyond the profession

A fundamental feature of the design of the Speech Pathology 2030 project was to seek the perspectives of people other than speech pathologists about the future of speech pathology in Australia.

Listening to clients One group it was essential to engage was clients. We were particularly keen to ensure we connected with clients who represented the diverse range of clients speech pathologists work with. A call out to speech pathologists to help us engage with clients was met with great enthusiasm and helped us achieve this goal. The 20 clients we interviewed and the six we received emails from included parents of children and adolescents, adults of working age, and older people. Across the group were males and females; people from metropolitan, regional and rural areas; people from Indigenous backgrounds; and people with varying communication needs with diverse aetiologies and who accessed services from public, private and not-for-profit services. The clients were extremely positive about the opportunity to contribute to Speech Pathology 2030. From our perspective, it was a humbling experience and an incredible privilege to ensure their generous and insightful perspectives were heard and included in the work. Following are some of what clients have told us is important. When these things are achieved, clients sing the praises of what speech pathology and other services offer. When they are not, client stories reflect frustration and dissatisfaction and outcomes that are less than they believe are possible. These perspectives reflect speech pathology within a broader system, but each client’s story reinforced the importance of everyone’s role to make sure the whole system is the best it can be.

clients told us:

• Listen to me, respect my choices, learn from my insights • Find flexible ways of working • Keep things fun, meaningful and functional • Your relationship with me is critical • I need hope and reality • Recognise all of me • Respect my culture, life, experiences and responsibilities • Provide me with integrated services • Remember the psychological and social side of things • All professionals should stop protecting their turf. • Help us connect with others who have walked the same path • I need accessible services • Make sure the public and other professionals know the effects of communication impairments and about speech pathology • Use consistent pathways and make sure everyone has the information to get what they need • Help us connect – that’s what is important.

To access the Listening to Clients handout go to the Speech Pathology 2030 webpage.

Listening to thought leaders Important perspectives about the future of speech pathology were also gained by interviewing 20 thought leaders from outside the profession. These individuals have included consumer advocates, leaders from peak professional associations, academics and researchers, politicians and journalists. The information obtained will inform the next stage of the Speech Pathology 2030 project Imagining possible futures. See the next page as to how you can be involved in this stage by attending an Imaging possible futures workshop or teleconference.

Gretchen Young Speech Pathology 2030 Project Manager

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Speak Out April 2016

Speech Pathology Australia