Speech Pathology Week 2014

This week is Speech Pathology Week across Australia.

Communication disorders affect more than you think...

It limits a person’s ability to participate fully in family life, their community, education and profession.

The negative impacts of communication disorders include

• a higher risk of literacy problems;
• lower academic achievement;
• low self esteem;
• poorer health outcomes;
• mental health problems.

Did you know

• Children with a language impairment are 6  times more likely to have a reading problem than children without a language impairment;

• 14% of 15 year olds have only basic literacy skills– that’s almost four students

• in each Year 10 classroom who can’t access their education;

• At least 30% of people post-stroke suffer loss of language (aphasia) – at least 15,000 people in Australia each year;

• 85% of those with Parkinson’s disease have voice, speech and/or swallowing difficulties; 

• At least 13,000 Australians use electronic communication aids to get their message across;

• 46% of young Australian offenders may have a language impairment;

• Indigenous children have three times more hearing problems than non-Indigenous children;

• 44% of adult Australians has non functional literacy. This means 7.3 million adult Australians   has difficulty accessing the day to day information we need to be active and participatory members of our community;

• Three in every 1,000 newborns have hearing loss, which without intervention can affect their speech, language and literacy

  

What can you do

• Check out this video about all the different areas of Speech Pathology, where we work, and the impact on so many people in our community;

• Sign the International Communication Project pledge for a Nation  for Communication;

• Ask a Speech Pathologist to come to your professional group or community or school or kinder group to talk about communication, literacy, swallowing and eating difficulties and disorders. Learn about what you could do to improve the lives of those with communication difficulties and disorders.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Speech Pathologist

Access Easy English

cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

0466 579 855

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au