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

The importance of Social Connections - Speech Pathology Conference 2014.

This week has been the Australian Speech Pathology Conference in Melbourne. I attended 1 day of the conference, and have come away with some great insights across the breadth of Speech Pathology practice.

Of particular note was the Keynote Speaker, Associate Professor Jacinta Douglas, who presented the Elizabeth Usher Memorial Lecture. The title of her address was

"Placing therapy in the context of the self and social connection."

Associate Professor Douglas works in a rehabilitation setting primarily. However her research has wide reaching implications for all Speech Pathologists. In particular, anyone working in a Human Rights framework and Social Inclusion and Social Justice for all.

She identified Social Connections as being paramount to ones needs in returning to the community after an Acquired Brain Injury. This is just as critical in working with any individual with communication needs.

Social Connections and social relationships also have significant power and make a difference in

·         Health mortality;

·         Emotional well being;

·         Self identity.

She noted – “even 1 really good relationship makes a difference. 

In her research she asked people who had more successfully re-integrated into the community after their Acquired Brain Injury,  how do you get Social Connections?

There were 6 critical elements identified

·         family  - which may lead to other connections;

·         friends;

·         paid carers - these do have boundaries. But also don't devalue these, particularly if you are unable to replace them with any other connections;

·         pets;

·         social snacks – these are tangible reminders of what we have done. They could be photos or awards or objects of significance;

·         self narrative - in particular, for those who have their literacy skills, in this climate of technology, the use of Facebook, online groups, blogs or their own websites.

These 6 elements can be seen as being as highly relevant to all members of our community.

Now, think about the people in your world - how socially connected are they?

How can social connectedness be developed, to improve the persons sense of well being?

Talk to Cathy about how you can use Social Connections to improve communication and well being for the people you support in the community.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Speech Pathologist

Access Easy English

0466 579 855

cathy@acesseasyenglish.com.au

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

Equality before the law. Comment from the UN

A recent comment and interpretation of Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, 2006 helps dispel some myths for individuals in their own countries and how the law is applied, is now available.

Article 12 is Equal Recognition before the Law.

In this recent interpretation, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities highlights the importance of supported decision making.

In fact it goes further and states that supported decision making, and access to information to assist the person make a decision is paramount to the interpretation of Article 12.

It states:-

"Supported decision-making must be available to all. A person’s level of support needs (especially where these are high) should not be a barrier to obtaining support in decision-making;

(b)          All forms of support in the exercise of legal capacity (including more intensive forms of support) must be based on the will and preference of the person, not on what is perceived as being in his or her objective best interests;

(c)          A person’s mode of communication must not be a barrier to obtaining support in decision-making, even where this communication is non-conventional, or understood by very few people;

(d)        Legal recognition of the support person(s) formally chosen by a person must be available and accessible, and the State has an obligation to facilitate the creation of support, particularly for people who are isolated and may not have access to naturally occurring supports in the community."   Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Eleventh session, 31 March –11 April 2014, General comment No 1 (2014)

                       

The document from the committee also goes through many of the other articles of the convention and how these relate to the interpretation of Article 12.

Read the article from Disability Scoop and the embedded link for further details.

 To assist supported decision making for people with low literacy, access to written information the person can understand is paramount. 

Talk to Cathy about how to meet your obligations for access to written information.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield.

0466 579 855.

cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

Senate enquiry into prevalence of different types of speech, language and communication disorders

Did you know....

the Australian Federal Government is currently running a Senate enquiry into the prevalence of different types of speech, language and communication disorders and speech pathology services in Australia . You can go to this link to read any of 145 public submissions made to the enquiry.  The submission date has closed.

Many are personal stories, others are from advocacy groups, and others from Speech Pathologists and organisations or departments who employ Speech Pathologists.  Speech Pathology Australia has submitted a significant paper. It does comment upon the need for Easy English and includes recommendations for the development of Easy English by government, community and private sectors.

Significantly, many submissions talk about Communication being a Human Right. With this as a basis, access to services appropriate to needs should also be there.  Read more at the UN Convention on the Rights of Person with a Disability, 2006 the Victorian Government Communication Access Policy, 2006 and the article Applying the World Report on Disability to children’s communication, 2013 .

What and who are Speech Pathologists?

Speech pathologists are university educated professionals with specific knowledge and expertise in all areas of speech, language, communication and swallowing. Speech pathologists work with
infants, children, adolescents and adults with communication and/or swallowing disabilities in the
public and private sectors, across health, education, disability, community, mental health, youth
justice and aged care systems. Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) is the national peak body for speech pathologists in Australia,representing over 6,000 members. 

(Submission to the Senate enquiry into the prevalence of different types of speech, language and communication disorders and speech pathology services in Australia, Speech Pathology Australia, 2014)

 

As the call for submissions has been done via information on the internet, and in complex form, there has been no capacity for people with non-functional literacy to also include their stories or recommendations.

Without Easy English significant percentages of the Australian population are unable to contribute to information flow to and from the government. How do we get this critical information in a form that more people can see, read and consider either submitting briefs or reading about the recommendations.

All projects need to plan for Easy English in their initial phase.  Time needs to be allocated to allow this to be developed appropriately.  People with low literacy also need more time to develop their responses.  Some maybe in written form. but others may use a YouTube or video clip.

Talk to Cathy about how to plan for your critical information and projects to be developed into Easy English.

Cathy 

cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855