Speak Out June 2017

Professional practice

...don’t underestimate the impact you will have on your clients

useful and that you may use with your clients as you embark on the diagnostic journey. It will be added to the website and advertised in National eNews once completed. Finally, don’t underestimate the impact you will have on your clients, particularly as you may be the first health professional they engage with. Clients interviewed for SP 2030 told SPA, “Help us connect – that’s what’s important”, and the information they provided supported SPA to articulate the purpose of speech pathology. Here’s a reminder of what each of you strives for every day. As speech pathologists our work supports each and every person to: • communicate effectively; • eat and drink, balancing safety and enjoyment; • connect and belong; • exercise their right to self-determination; • fulfil their day-to-day needs;

worry more because I thought they were hiding something from me (which they were but that’s a story for another day!). Another thing I learned during my years as a clinician is that you cannot predict how someone will react when given the news that their child has a lifelong disability. But you can deliver the news in a way that gives them confidence in your diagnosis and the support that is available to their child to achieve and thrive. Our clients want us to be confident Speech pathologists are the only professionals with the knowledge and expertise to diagnose language and speech sound disorders. We owe it to our clients to be confident in our skills and to stand by the outcomes of our diagnostic process. We also need to assure our clients that in order to determine an accurate diagnosis it may take time, require other professionals to be involved or it may be necessary to seek a second opinion or refer on to another professional. SPA’s document Second Opinions and Independent Reviews steps you through some of the frequently asked questions about these two processes. Here are some tips as to the how to differentially diagnose common childhood speech, language and communication disorders: 1. Know the red flags 2. Hone your case history taking skills 3. Determine if there are standard assessment protocols 4. Attend PD if required 5. Seek supervision from a speech pathologist with advanced diagnostic knowledge and skills. Speech Pathology Australia is in the process of developing a document for members of the general public that you may find

• participate in, and contribute to, their community;

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learn to their full potential; and

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expand and achieve their life choices.

*This topic will be workshopped at the SPA National Conference and an article about the DLD and LD terminology will be included in the next edition of Speak Out .

Christine Lyons Senior Advisor Professional Practice

Be Inspired at the SPA National Conference in Adelaide 2018

Turn to page 11 for more information

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June 2017 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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