Speech Pathology Week 2023: “Communicating for Life”

From 20th to 26th August, Australia celebrates Speech Pathology Week, an event that champions the contributions made by speech pathologists.

1 in 7 Australians will face a communication difficulty at some point in their lives, which may require the support of a speech pathologist. Speech Pathology Week highlights the vital role speech and language pathology plays in supporting quality of life across the lifespan and the impact the profession has on individuals and communities.

Understanding Communication as a Basic Human Right

Communication lies at the very heart of human interaction.

For many of us, the ability to express, articulate, and understand is taken for granted. However, for a significant number of Australians, this isn’t always the case. Speech Pathology Week aims to highlight that everyone deserves the right to be able to communicate, and where they can go to receive support if required.

Theme 2023: “Communicating for Life”

This year’s theme “Communicating for life” beautifully encapsulates the impact of speech pathology across an individual’s lifetime. From the very young to the ageing, speech pathologists play an instrumental role in ensuring that communication barriers do not impede nor impact an individual’s quality of life.

Here is a short video about Speech Pathology Week and how Therapy Pro therapists support their clients to communicate for life.

Certified Practising Speech Pathologists (CPSP) bring a unique blend of skills, competence, and qualities to the table. These professionals are the gold standard in speech pathology, ensuring quality, safety, and efficacy in their services. This year’s theme also underscores the importance of seeking services from a CPSP, emphasising their significance and the benefits of their expertise.

Getting Involved: Digital Resources and Competitions

If you’re a Speech Pathology Australia member, tap into a suite of digital resources to help promote this year’s theme. The team at SPA have developed everything you need to spread the word – from social media tiles, and email signatures through to digital posters. Access these tools on the member only resources page.

Additionally, join in the excitement with two exclusive social media competitions:

1. For Members: Express in 25 words or less what “Communicating for Life” means to you. Tag your post with #SPWeek2023 and #CommunicatingForLife for a chance to win a mini-break, thanks to a $250 voucher to Red Balloon Getaways.

2. For the Public: Know a fantastic speech pathologist? Nominate your favorite certified practitioner in 25 words or less and hashtag your post with #SPWeek2023 and #MyFavCpsp. The winner receives a $250 gift card that can be used at numerous outlets across Australia.

Speech Pathology Week is not just a celebration; it’s a movement. It promotes quality, safety, and the basic human right to communicate. Whether you’re directly involved in the field or someone who believes in the power of communication, now’s the time to get involved, spread the word, and celebrate our speech pathologists who make “Communicating for Life” possible.

Speech and Language Pathology at Therapy Pro

Here at Therapy Pro, our friendly and highly skilled speech and language pathology team works with people with spoken and non-spoken communication challenges to provide support to those experiencing difficulties with communication, language and swallowing. Our vast array of experienced clinicians equips us to support our clients with the best quality of care.

Here are some of what our highly skilled team can do:

• Provide ongoing therapy to improve our clients’ speech, language, fluency, literacy and voice.
• Help individuals who experience difficulties swallowing food and drink by adapting the types of food they eat, as well as teaching techniques that enable safe swallowing.
• Support people who are unable to use words or sounds to form speech, or who may use non-verbal communication tools to express thoughts, intentions and needs.
• Work with people with autism, intellectual disability, developmental delays, losses occurring after a stroke or brain injury, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, dementia or hearing loss.
• Facilitate training for families and carers that improves the individual’s swallowing and/or communication, including use of the Sequenced Oral Sensory Program for feeding, communication app training (such as Proloquo2go), or the use of specific communication techniques and strategies.

If you’re looking for speech and language pathology support for yourself, a family member, or an NDIS participant, complete the form below and our friendly customer support team will reach back out to you with more information.