ACQ Vol 11 No 1 2009

MULTICULTURALISM AND DYSPHAGIA

community-based step-down care (ILTC) to service elderly clients. Further, with increasing awareness of special needs in some children, more SLTs are needed to provide intervention to children in younger age groups. More SLTs are also needed to support children attending mainstream schools, and to provide education and guidance for teachers to identify and help students with speech-language difficulties. This is also a reason why the local Masters program in speech and language pathology has been eagerly anticipated, as it will help to provide a constant stream of qualified SLTs to meet the increasing demand for speech therapy services in Singapore. Increased staffing will also allow SLTs to attend continuing professional development programs to upgrade and update their skills and knowledge, and to venture into the realms of research. Since the clientele of SLTs tends to come from bi­ lingual backgrounds, it is frequently difficult to apply inter­ national (Standard English) norms to assessment and intervention. Hence local research is important to build up a base of evidence for language assessment and intervention. On the professional front, there is a need to standardise practices and look into ethical issues surrounding the practice of speech therapy across sectors and organisations in Singapore. The professional body, SHAS, is fronting these efforts in a bid to protect the profession and ensure high pro­ fessional standards in Singapore. There is also the continuing need to increase awareness about our profession’s roles and scope of practice to the public and other health care professionals. These efforts are again being driven by SHAS, with the formation of a new sub-committee that looks into outreach activities. The inaugural Speech Therapy Day was declared on 1 November 2008. All speech-language therapists were encouraged to participate actively in this event. This move was exciting as it earmarked another chapter in our pro­ fession’s young but vibrant history. References Ministry of Health. (2007). Heathcare financing . Retrieved September 2008 from http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/ hcfinancing.aspx?id=104 Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts. (2008). Country profile: People . Retrieved September 2008 from http://www.sg/explore/profile_people.htm Elizabeth Jane Teh received her degree from Macquarie University, Sydney, and is now working with clients with physical disabilities at the Society for the Physically Disabled. She is also the Vice President of the Speech Language and Hearing Association Singapore. Melissa Hui Ling Chua graduated from University College London and heads the Speech Therapy Department at Singapore General Hospital.

Intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) facilities

ILTC facilities include rehabilitation centres, daycare centres and residential nursing homes. SLTs in rehabilitation centres and daycare centres may serve either paediatric or adult clients, depending on the facility’s programs. Most rehabilitation centres schedule hourly therapy sessions for clients on a regular basis, whereas daycare centres provide day-long programs for clients up to 5 days a week. SLTs are typically involved in man­ agement of speech, language and swallowing issues. They also work closely with clients’ caregivers on how to continue the management plan at home. In contrast, SLTs working in nursing homes serve a largely elderly clientele and often spend a significant amount of time working with care staff in the areas of feeding and swallowing management. Specialised centres Some SLTs in Singapore work in highly specialised areas, such as assistive technology. They are involved in recommending appropriate augmentative and alternative communication devices and training clients to use them. SLTs in such centres typically work very closely with other professionals such as Most of the private practitioners in Singapore offer services to children for developmental speech and language disorders. A small group also offers services to adults for acquired language disorders and swallowing disorders. They also provide services to community-based health care providers. Professional development To ensure that local SLTs continually upgrade their skills, a range of professional development courses are organised throughout the year through three sources. Firstly, SHAS organises an average of three professional development courses involving internationally renowned speakers in the field every year. These workshops are open to all SLTs in Singapore and the region. In recent years, more special interest groups have also started to increase opportunities for sharing of experiences and discussion of ideas in specific professional areas in Singapore. Private training providers also organise varied training events for health care professionals throughout the year. Often, these are workshops targeting management of children with special needs and developmental speech and language disorders. The restructured hospitals are the third source of training providers, filling in the gaps for training that caters towards management for the adult population. Singapore’s Ministry of Health allocates funds each year towards bringing in overseas experts to update the skills and knowledge of the local speech-language therapists under the Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP). Over the years, experts like Dr Jacintha Douglas, Dr Pam Enderby, Dr Giselle Mann, Dr Maggie-Lee Huckabee and Dr Leonard LaPointe, to name just a few, have visited Singapore under this scheme to train local SLTs in their areas of specialty. Challenges The demand for SLTs is increasing in all sectors and caseloads. Increased SLT numbers will be needed to allow lower therapist-to-client ratios and shorter waiting times for clients. In particular, manpower is needed in elderly care to meet the demands of an ageing population in Singapore. The restructured hospitals were recently granted substantial funding by the Ministry of Health for additional staff over the next five years. Likewise, more SLTs will be needed in occupational therapists. Private practices

Correspondence to: Elizabeth Jane Teh Speech Language and Hearing Association Singapore Killiney Road Post Office PO Box 2142, Singapore 912353 phone: +65 6326 5481 fax: +65 6326 5497

email: lizjteh@gmail.com Melissa Hui Ling Chua Head, Speech Therapy Department Singapore General Hospital Outram Road, Singapore 169608 phone: +65 6321 4549 fax: +65 6326 5497 email: melissa.chua.h.l@sgh.com.sg

S p eech P athology A ustralia

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