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association news

Speech Pathology Australia's key messages for the Senate Inquiry Hearings

On Wednesday 11 June , representatives of Speech Pathology Australia appeared before the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee in Melbourne for the inquiry into the Prevalence of different types of speech, language and communication disorders and speech pathology services in Australia . Following is the opening statement made by SPA President, Professor Deborah Theodoros, to the Senators. Representatives of SPA were introduced by Tim Adam, a former lawyer who suffered a stroke in 2010 and now experiences aphasia.

Deborah Theodoros: Thank you for inviting us to appear before you today, and thank you, Tim, for introducing us. I would like to introduce Gail Mulcair, the CEO of Speech Pathology Australia, Gaenor Dixon, Vice President – Communications, Robyn Stephen, Vice President – Operations, and Associate Professor Cori Williams, National Advisor Evidence-based Practice and Research for SPA. We think it is vital for you to see how very real communication problems are for people like Tim and how important it is that this inquiry focuses on the concrete things that can be done to improve the lives of Australians like Tim. Today I will focus on the ‘big picture’ of this silent disability and present four key opportunities for government to improve the lives of Australians with communication disorders. Firstly, we estimate that there are over 1.1 million Australians with a communication disorder. This is comparable with the number of people with diabetes and three times the number of those with dementia. Both of these conditions are national health priorities and attract significant attention and resourcing. Communication disorders, however, are largely invisible. The impacts of communication disorders are far reaching and debilitating, resulting in poor educational outcomes, reduced employment opportunities and an increased likelihood of social, emotional and mental health issues. Communication is a basic human right. It is essential for social inclusion and for participation in all aspects of life. There is

an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders, as these are poorly understood by the community and rarely addressed by public policy. Many children and adults with communication disorders also have associated difficulties with swallowing. It is not uncommon for children with cerebral palsy, and adults who have had a stroke to have difficulty eating and drinking safely. Speech pathologists have expertise in the diagnosis and management of swallowing disorders. Government leadership is essential in raising awareness and making policy inclusive of people with both communication and swallowing disorders. The second opportunity is to ensure that problems are picked up early. Early identification is not just about recognising language problems in small children but it is also about early identification of communication and swallowing problems associated with other conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease or stroke. There is very good evidence that the earlier problems are identified, and treatment initiated, the better the outcomes. The third opportunity is to improve access to speech pathology services. There is no delicate way to say it – there are just not enough publicly funded speech pathology positions. We do have an established private speech pathology sector but this should not be the only option for the Australian people – and most of the time it is. For those who can’t pay for private services – they go without or languish on long public waiting lists to find that by the time their name comes up, their condition has

worsened, or their child no longer meets the age eligibility. Access to speech pathology services is a postcode lottery in Australia – it is almost impossible to access adequate services if you live in rural or remote Australia or if you are socio-economically disadvantaged. The current system of funding for speech pathology services in the government sector does not allow for evidence-based practice to be implemented. Services are rationed leading to care being reduced to a small fixed number of sessions. Often, the number of sessions, frequency and type of care is not based on what the evidence says ‘works’. Would you wonder why your chest infection hasn’t cleared up if you were only given ‘half your antibiotic’? There seems to be a presumption that a ‘bit’ of speech pathology is better than none – but the evidence is clear that for many conditions there is a minimum amount of intervention necessary for improved outcomes. While we most often think of speech pathology services as one-to-one treatment, speech pathologists do much more than work with individuals – we train and support parents and family members to facilitate communication with their loved ones, we work with teachers, and we work with nursing homes and group homes for young people. When I talk about access, it is not just about access to individual treatment, it is about access to speech pathology expertise by other professionals to enhance the way they work with people with communication and swallowing disorders.

4 Speak Out June 2014

Speech Pathology Australia