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different settings were among the most valuable moments of my visit. Seeing students and their clinical educators on placements working with clients allowed me the opportunity to reflect and draw conclusions on how to adapt some practices for the culture and context of Ghana. Reflection on my journey to Australia The profession of SLP is new in Ghana and the training of SLPs is a critical development. However, such developments take time to embed in countries such as Ghana. To make these types of programs sustainable ongoing support from and collaboration with the international community is of immense value. A grant such as the SPA Majority World and Developing Communities grant offers an important and effective contribution to supporting developing programs in Majority World countries like Ghana. To summarise, the key benefits I experienced from my international visit to Australia and professional networking opportunities included: • Two-way sharing of information and experiences • Detailed understanding of how well-established systems of services and education operate in Australia, which allowed me to adapt some of these principles to the new profession of SLP in Ghana • Updating of knowledge to inform and shape EBP within the Ghanaian context • Building a community of learning in relation to services for people with communication disability in both Majority and Minority World countries • Developing and expanding professional networks across the globe, which will provide ongoing support and collaborations across years to come • Exploring and debating the best ways to build research capacity in Ghana. The opportunities afforded me following receipt of the SPA Majority World and Developing Communities Grant have enabled engagement at a global level. In keeping with the SPA Conference theme “INSPRE”, I have experienced inspiration and motivation for continuing to build our approach toward best practice for communication disability rehabilitation in Ghana through our training program at the University of Ghana. Acknowledgements I would like to thank SPA for this great support and for being open to international engagement; the APEC group, Edith Cowan University, and the Autism Association of Western Australia. I would like to acknowledge Associate Professor Bronwyn Davidson and Ms Karen Wylie who helped immensely with the editing of this paper. References Bampoe, J. O., Amponsah, C., Owusu, N. A. V., Wylie, K., & Marshall, J. (2016). A helping hand. Royal College of Speech & Language Therapy Bulletin , October, 18. Busse, H., Aboneh, E. A. & Tefera, G. (2014). Learning from developing countries in strengthening health systems: an evaluation of personal and professional impact among global health volunteers at Addis Ababa University’s Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (Ethiopia). Globalization and Health , 10 (64), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-014- 0064-x

raised was that if one is looking to partner with groups like SLPs in Ghana, it is important to be clear about what kind of vision the prospective partner has. The presentation provided the opportunity for SLPs from Ghana to share the Ghanaian experience of working with international partners. We shared information on how international volunteers

Figure 3. Karen Wylie & I at the 2018 SPA Conference

can be effective collaborating partners in Majority World countries. Our experiences may help SLPs who may want to partner with Majority World countries to consider adjusting practices when working in similar contexts. I also used the opportunity provided by the grant to explore the range of models of support that international partners can offer. Partnering with Majority World countries is much more than about just visiting these countries. Beyond these visits, partners may be willing to share their resources, mentor academic faculty in their roles, sponsor faculty to visit services outside the Majority World country and establish groups of SLPs with an interest in supporting and enhancing the work done in such countries. Observing practices My recent visit to Australia allowed me to observe SLP practices in a Minority World country. A visit to the Early Intervention Centre of the Autism Association of Western Australia in Perth provided me with knowledge about the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Western Australia and the intervention approaches used for early intervention. The opportunity to observe a speech pathologist working with children in groups and individually helped me make sense of the literature on early intervention for children with ASD. This visit also helped to ground information obtained during the conference as it was seen being applied in practice. Observing the well-structured nature of the centre highlighted practices that I believe similar centres in Majority World countries can adopt and adapt to improve services for PWCD. The opportunities offered by the staff at Edith Cowan University to observe students on clinical placements in

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JCPSLP Volume 20, Number 3 2018

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