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BRANCH news victoria

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who helped spread the word about SPWeek!

From 23–29 of August , events were held in various locations across Victoria to raise awareness and help end the silence that surrounds communication difficulties.

The student representatives from La Trobe University, Australian Catholic University and the University of Melbourne all agree that social media was a valuable avenue to advocate this year’s theme ‘Talk with Me’. Students used Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to ensure they were constantly generating ‘talk’ about communication and swallowing difficulties/disorders to increase awareness. Although Speech Pathology Week 2015 has now passed, this does not mean our work is done. Please continue to help give a voice to those with communication difficulties/disabilities and educate others about the great work that speech pathologists do. Claire Banks and Jaclyn Georgiou

Australian Catholic University.

SPA Student Representatives – The University of Melbourne

we love to talk, so they could not help but speak to people passing by. In just three hours, the sale raised a total of $421, which was donated to Amaze (Autism Victoria). The University of Melbourne also saw a sweet beginning to Speech Pathology Week. With the assistance of the Speech Pathology Students’ Society (SPSS), delicious baked goods were sold and discussion about speech pathology was generated. The movie Still Alice was screened one evening, with popcorn, lollies, soft drink and a few boxes of tissues! At the conclusion of the week, a total of $500 was raised for OIC: The Cambodia Project, an origination working to bring speech therapy to Cambodians who have commutation or swallowing disorders.

La Trobe University.

La Trobe University started the week with a treasure hunt “Walk the Talk”. Posters with fun facts about speech pathology were displayed in various locations across campus, where students hunted for clues. An “Embarrassing Voices” clinic (parody of the TV show Embarrassing Bodies ) was run, inviting students to discuss any concerns they may have about their voices. Thickened fluids were available to try for those brave and curious enough. A special mention goes to Emma McLaughlin, for raising $1,500 for Operation Smile by drinking only thickened fluids for 24 hours. In the heart of the city, Australian Catholic University were selling baked goods, during their not-so- silent bake sale. The students hoped to emphasise the challenges people with communication difficulties face, by encouraging people who visited the stall to use alternative means of communication. As speech pathologists

The University of Melbourne.

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Speak Out October 2015

Speech Pathology Australia