SpeakOut_Oct2015_FINAL_lo res

study tour insights

From left: Xuan Le visited EPIC Early Childhood

Intervention Service, and spoke at SPA's

2015 National Conference in Canberra.

Report on study tour to Australia May – July 2015

I am a 2012 speech therapy graduate of the two-year course run at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine with the support of Trinh Foundation Australia (TFA). Since my graduation I have worked at the Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and have established an early intervention service there. I have just returned to Vietnam after a productive 10-week study tour in Australia, the main focus of which was to learn more about early intervention services and management. My study tour was made possible by financial and practical support of many organisations and individuals. Speech Pathology Australia provided a free registration for me and supporters of TFA covered my transport and accommodation costs, to allow me attend the National Conference in Canberra. Professor Sharynne McLeod at Charles Sturt University supported my week’s visit to Bathurst to work on a test for the assessment of speech sound disorders in Vietnamese children. In June I was supported by my hospital and TFA to undertake a study tour of early intervention services in Melbourne. In July, I spent two weeks at Central Queensland University (CQU) observing early intervention and AAC sessions with Judy Broadhurst. Dr Susan Morrison from CQU supported this part of my trip. Christine Sheard hosted my few days in Sydney at the beginning and end of my trip. At the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference, I presented a paper on the contributions of volunteer Australian speech pathologists to the development of the speech therapy profession in Vietnam. I also spoke at the TFA dinner for returned volunteers and supporters. It was good to see again several Australian speech pathologists who had lectured and supervised me during the course at PNTU. The highlights of the Conference for me were: 1. Seeing a variety of speech pathology research being presented. 2. Learning about new approaches to the treatment of children with autism: the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) in a group-based community childcare setting and reflections on the role of the speech pathologist in this model. 3. Learning about early intervention: role release in team treatment approaches, and supporting child-caregiver relationships in improving developmental language outcomes for children with special needs.

In June, I spent one week at each of four early intervention services in Melbourne: Kalparrin Early Childhood Intervention Service; Manningham Community Health Centre at Doncaster; EPIC Early Intervention; and Noah’s Arc (who also provided me with a home stay). My learning goals were to: 1. Develop knowledge regarding management and development of client-centered groups and individual intervention programs for children with autism and disabilities, with involvement from speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, special education and psychology. 2. Expand and improve my knowledge of assessment and evaluation of children with autism and disabilities, in the areas of speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, special education and psychology. 3. Develop knowledge regarding administration and caseload management of early intervention program. 4. Increase my ability to work in a multidisciplinary team, which includes other disciplines such as: occupational therapy, speech pathology and special education, pediatrics and psychology. I achieved these goals and in addition learned other interesting things at each site. For example, at EPIC I learned about a transition group at primary school and observed a mainstream class with communication resources (PECs, AAC) and teachers trained to communicate and work with students with autism. At Manningham, I sat in on a case conference to understand parents’ perspectives, and integrated therapy plans. As a result of my time at Noah’s Arc, I have a better understanding of the interrelationship of therapists and teachers, team leaders and key workers. My plan now is bring together other speech therapists in Vietnam to share what I have learned in Australia. I am also implementing PECs, AAC and parent training groups in my early intervention service. I am very grateful to all the organisations and individual people in Australia for their support of my tour and the development of speech therapy in Vietnam. Le Thi Thanh Xuan Head of Speech Therapy and Early Intervention Unit, Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Contact details: bspt.thanhxuan@yahoo.com

Speak Out October 2015

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www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au