Speak Out December 2018

Northern Territory

NT 59 members as at November 2018

Speech pathologist Celina Lai at Fun Bus

SPA NT speech pathologists volunteer in the community

This October found speech pathologists from across the Darwin community volunteered with Fun Bus and Smile-a-Mile, in seven different communities to raise awareness about the speech pathology profession, and answer parent’s questions and concerns about their children’s speech and language development. This is the third year we have engaged in this health promotion activity and it seemed to be well received by all involved. Fun Bus is a mobile, government funded, early childhood program which provides a weekly play group in five Darwin communities. The Fun Bus meets in various neighbourhood parks, putting out activities for 0-5- year-olds. This free playgroup is available for families, who can join their little ones for a morning of play and learning. Fun Bus meets from 9:30 to 11:30 each day and includes a story time and songs on the mat. As I watched a small boy running a huge truck through a tray of paint and then up and down a ramp, the Fun Bus educator commented, “if you leave the Fun Bus clean, you haven’t had a good time.” Similarly, Smile-a-Mile is a government funded early childhood program which goes out to

remote and rural communities in the Northern Territory to provide a similar service. Smile-a- mile vary their themes to engage children and their families in a range of different activities. Run by Jacinta McInnerney, Smile-a-Mile are currently finalists in the 2018 Northern Territory Education and Care Awards for Innovative Programming. On the day I visited in Humpty Doo Smile-a-Mile had set up some horse play with a bale of hay made for riding. There was also lots of coloured rice in small containers for children to glue on to squares of card. Children engaged in this art activity for considerable lengths of time, seemingly stuck on picking up the fine grains to put on their paper (pun intended). Despite the hot morning the well shaded play spaces were visually inviting and allowed plenty of room for children and their parents to play alone or with friends. Thanks to all the speech pathologists who gave up their mornings to sit in the shade, play with children and chat with families, and thanks to all our work places who supported this as a valuable health promotion activity.

Bea Staley

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December 2018 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out