Speak Out August 2020 DIGITAL EDITION

From the President

Is it just me, or does anyone else have a burning desire to learn how to switch off the weekly ‘Screen Time Report’ on their laptops? Every Sunday morning, I might be checking emails or getting ready for the week ahead, and my laptop smugly throws up a little box, passing judgement on how much time I’ve spent in front of a screen. This inevitably sends me into an internalised meltdown. I’m really getting sick of household appliances telling me off. Because amazing things are going on in our profession right now, and online is where it is all happening. If you flick to the back of this issue you’ll see that the Branches have got it going on, and it’s all online! We’re talking trivia events across the country; new students and graduating professionals learning about the Association; and students pushing boundaries in dysphagia assessment case scenarios, all from the comfort of their living rooms. Excitingly, online is bringing the remote areas of our country into sharp focus. Reading about the successes of the Northern Territory’s Community Allied Health Team going online is nothing short of inspiring. The other incredible event that occurred online last month was SPA’s annual renewal process. At the May meeting (again, online!), the Board of Directors spent considerable time with management planning how best to be responsive to members during 2020 and 2021, while also keeping in sharp focus potential future scenarios. We’re very happy to be able to report that we have maintained our membership over the 10,000 mark. So to all of you, thank you. At the August meeting, the Board will be able to plan for a future building from a strong and stable member base. Then just this week, I received an email letter from a group of private practitioners in Victoria who wanted to recognise the work that Speech Pathology Australia’s National Office has been doing under incredible circumstances. It was really energising having busy clinicians taking time out to write this. The letter’s sentiments are echoed by many other members online. Whenever I log into the Facebook communities, the interactions amongst ourselves as speech pathologists, combined with the assistance and advice from National Office continue to keep us buoyed, making headway. Sometimes the next step forward isn’t exactly clear, but National Office is working hard to gain clarification and get this to us as soon and as clearly as they can. Given all this, as soon as I finish writing this column, I’m going to find that screen time function, and switch it off. Because this month, I’m going to be breaking records for the amount of time I’m online. Speech Pathology Week is shortly on us, and this time it’s all digital. I’ve never been brilliant at keeping up with “the gram”, but I’m hoping to brush up my skills in time for posts around our theme of ‘Communicating with Confidence’. For quite a few years now, we’ve been using Instagram and Twitter to increase public awareness of communication disability. Now we’re more than ten thousand members strong, so there is an opportunity for all of us to become active in using the hashtag #SPweek. If you click on the links in this edition of Speak Out , get your photo ready now, and get involved from your workstation from 23-29 August, wherever you might be based. To finish off, I want to echo the sentiment from Stephanie Verga, who is interviewed in this issue. "No outcome is too small. We dream big and create endless opportunities." I wish I’d been this aware and articulate during the first year of my career. Our profession is constantly generating outcomes and dreaming big, in everything we do. Whether face-to-face, or online, no interaction is virtual.

Tim Kittel

Tim Kittel National President

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Speak Out | August 2020