Speak Out October 2018

Simone joins the SPA Professional Standards Team SIMONE ARNOTT JOINED Speech Pathology Australia in July as a Professional Standards Advisor. Simone graduated from La Trobe University in 1994 and was employed as an acute and rehabilitation speech pathologist in regional North East Victoria. She intended to have a long career as an adult therapist, but instead, found her way into paediatrics, clinical education, private practice, academia and most recently into allied health management. Simone also developed a keen interest in stuttering and subsequently obtained her PhD in 2012, investigating group delivery of the Lidcombe Program. Simone has a passion for equipping the profession to work in this area and is a regular presenter of professional development in the Lidcombe Program and school aged stuttering management. Simone’s new role at Speech Pathology Australia involves university accreditations and training, development of competency based documents and contributing to the assessment of overseas applicants and those participating in the re-entry program. Her broad experience across various sectors as well as her skills in competency based assessment make her a valuable addition to the Professional Standards Team. She is looking forward to furthering her skills and knowledge in this role, while maintaining her strong connection with the profession .

THIS PAGE: Bea Staley was one of an Australian contingent to attend the East African conference. PREVIOUS PAGE: Professionals from across the globe shared their knowledge and passion for working with people with communication disabilities.

about Surviving, living and thriving with Autism (their talks are available at https://2018yhconferencekisumu.weebly.com) The conference was born from a desire to connect with professionals across the region. It was started by individuals and has grown over the years because of the efforts and dedication of SLTs who gave up countless hours finding suitable locations, negotiating the costs of lunches, and organizing speakers (both local and international). Attendance at the conference has grown, and continues to both attract and involve a wider variety or SLTs and related professionals globally, with attendees coming from Australia, Cameroon, Canada, France, Germany, Ghana, New Zealand, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The African (and global) representation at the conference has facilitated networking between SLTs working in remote locations in East, Central and West Africa and has helped to bring together individuals and institutions interested in SLT training in Africa, together with people with communication and swallowing disabilities and their families. Though there has been a great amount of effort put into initiatives and projects by foreign individuals and organisations, which have helped shape the development of SLT in Kenya, the Kenyan SLT community now have their own SLT training program, and the knowledge and expertise to carve out their own direction for their future of the profession. These East African conferences help support the creation of a locally distinctive SLT profession that is suitable to meeting the unique challenges of the regional context. For more information see: https://asltk.wordpress.com and https://www.yellowhouseoutreach.org

Simone Arnott

29

October 2018 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out