Speak Out February 2016

2015 SPA Achievements

Speech Pathology Week 2015 promoted the theme Talk with Me, with the Tasmanian Branch’s No Bars on Books initiative securing donations of over 3000 new and used books.

Ruth Hartman and Wesley Heights win an Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Better Practice Award for their Conversation Club.

Speech Pathology Australia was one of 117 non-government organisations to take part in the launch of ‘Recognise Health’, an initiative of the Lowitja Institute that aims to promote understanding of the important link between health, wellbeing, and constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Fellowship was awarded to Dr Janet Beilby; the Elinor Wray Award went to Karyn Johns; and Life Membership went to Professor Sharyanne McLeod. The inaugural Community-based Innovation in Speech Pathology Award was conferred on the Wollongong Catholic Education Office.

Five books and their author/illustrators were celebrated as part of the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year 2015 Awards, held in Brisbane in partnership with the State Library of Queensland.

So much to celebrate...

The Association endorsed the State Library of Queensland’s First 5 Forever Toolkit for parents , which includes the 2014 Book of the Year winner— I am a Dirty Dinosaur ! The Association’s logo appears on much of the toolkit’s collateral. The Association curated the @WeSpeechies #RoCur on the topic ‘Strategic planning: objectives, deliverables and future directions’. The South Australian Branch launched New and Aspiring Speechies (NAAS) .

The Association’s National Office moved into new premises at Level 1 / 114 Williams Street, Melbourne – less than 200 metres from the Association’s former location of 18 years in Bank Place. The Association’s new Code of Ethics – Advertising Policy came into effect on 1 July, 2015. A total of 64 CPD events were run in 2015. Fifty-four Branch events with1240 registrations, plus 10 online events attracted over 1400 registrations.

The Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology editor’s prize was awarded to Dr Kathryn Crowe and Professor Sharynne McLeod for their article, Communication choices: Translating research to practice for professionals working with children with hearing loss.

Speak Out February 2016

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