Speak Out OCTOBER 2019 V3 DIGITAL EDITION

From the President

So, news just in: SPA is upgrading to Platinum Status. 70 years is quite the anniversary. The Australian Association of Speech Therapists and the Australian College of Speech Therapists came into being as a result of incredible determination and perseverance, over a number of years. In this edition of Speak Out we outline the history of Speech Pathology Australia, and it’s a shared and inspiring journey to be celebrated, with many milestones reached along the way over the past seven decades, with the most recent decade of achievements highlighted. But let’s time travel, right back to the beginning: I wonder what unsaid hopes were held by the founders in 1949. Establishing a formal, professional association during a time in history when the world was so weary must have seemed daunting from the outset. Especially when we consider that in 1929, Ms Elinor Wray was informed through official channels that there was “no opening in the entire country for the practice of speech therapy”. The sheer amount of advocacy and lobbying that would have been sustained over that decade leading up to 1949, firstly to prove the value of speech therapy, and then to form a National Association! Well, it must have been phenomenal. And with the only resource at hand being determination, spirit, and a strong sense of collaboration between various professionals. That’s impressive. It’s these pioneers who we have to thank for the robust shape and esteem the profession is in today. What would they make of SPA, circa 2019? I’d like to think that they would read the article, and be so proud of what we’ve accomplished over time. This sense of spirit and determination has carried through the profession over the past seven decades. In this issue you can catch up on SPWeek 2019, and the myriad of ways in which the notion of ‘Communicating with Confidence’ was engaged. There were a lot of members who volunteered their time and energy this past August, and thanks to all of them for this contribution of time and effort. You’ll see, especially as you read through the Branch News section, that we continue to make loads of in-roads and connections with the Australian public, and these local efforts strengthened the impact of the Nation-wide launch of various case study videos. Also take some time to read about the provision of speech pathology services beyond our shores. While we have a well-established professional association here, it’s inspiring to also learn about sustained efforts to develop services and courses in parts of the world still charting the significant benefits of communication and mealtime therapy. I have to admit that I wasn’t aware that almost a third of Speech Pathology Australia’s members are in their first three years of practice. Nathan Cornish-Raley, Cara Probert, Tayla Brown, and Grace Schofield outline supervision services that SPA offers for all professionals, as well as suggesting ways to establish healthy habits for a good work-life balance. (As a sidenote, I’m also intrigued by the work-life balance activities that the Conference Planning Committee is hinting will take place in Darwin next year). This statistic, about early career professionals, is also incredibly thrilling. There’s so much capacity to challenge ourselves with new ideas, visions, and “blue sky thinking” (I’ll hate myself for using a corporate-buzzword, but I reluctantly have to admit the phrase does fit in this instance). I would like to challenge this third of the profession in particular to watch the Webinar on 9 October (or catch up online!), and also self-nominate for the upcoming Focus Group Sessions around the professional standards being developed. These standards will define who we are, and how we approach our work, and so it’s vital that a range of members with various experiences and from distinct points in the career journey make their opinion known. So, if you haven’t done so already, go pour yourself a coffee (or other suitably invigorating beverage) and take some time to leaf through this issue. Use a Platinum blend, you’ve definitely earned it.

Tim Kittel

Tim Kittel National President

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October 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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