The Association is pleased to offer eligible practising members a special member benefit following the birth or adoption of children. Criteria for this member only benefit are listed below. For practising members who are granted this special benefit, the Association offers two years membership for the price of one year. That is, if you had full continuous financial membership for the immediate last 5 years (from 2007), this will cover your Association membership for 2012. (Continuous membership does not include the reduced membership fee from 1 September that SPA offers.)

To be eligible you need to meet all the following criteria:

• Be the primary carer of the child/children.
• Have held continuous full financial membership for the immediate last 5 years – from 2006
•  ***Previous SPA approved parental leave will count as long as not granted in 2010 as members cannot have consecutive years of ‘parental leave’ granted***
• Be on unpaid leave from all speech pathology positions for a period of 6 months or more during the previous year (may also include period up to 29 February 2012).
• Complete the ‘Parental Leave Benefit application form’ that is available via the website or from National Office. This will include signing the declaration on the form.
• Follow up Professional Indemnity with Guild directly, with respect to your corresponding parental leave benefit.
• Return by mail your updated and signed renewal notice, together with your PSR Declaration form (if applicable) and the Parental Leave Benefit application form to be posted and received at National Office by 29 February 2012 to be considered.

All members of the Association renew their membership under one of these categories:

•  Practising Member - Engaged in speech pathology activities as a practitioner, administrator, educator, researcher, or any combination thereof, for which you receive payment.  (If you are changing to this category you need to provide evidence of 1000 hours of speech pathology practice in the last 5 years.)
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• Non Practising Member - Not engaged in any speech pathology activities for which payment is made during any part of the calendar year.
• Full-time Postgraduate Student Member - Engaged in full-time postgraduate study in a course recognised by the Council, leading to the award of a Postgraduate Diploma, Masters Degree or Doctorate of Philosophy.  The degree must be in speech pathology or clearly related to your practice as a speech pathologist (please supply explanation).  Please note: if changing to this category, you need to supply evidence of enrolment for 2011.  Enrolment in a second undergraduate course does not qualify you for membership in this category.
• Re-entry Member - Members updating their skills by undertaking an approved re-entry program.
• Student Member (Entry Level) - Members who are enrolled in their first degree in speech pathology (whether graduating with a Bachelors or Masters entry-level degree).
• Associate Member - A person holding qualifications in an allied profession who is not eligible for membership as defined in the other membership categories.
• Alumnus Member - Is a person who has practised, but has ceased practising, in speech pathology providing that:
  -   they are not employed in a capacity that involves the management or education of speech pathologists, or of those in allied health professions (as determined from  time to time by the Council);you meet the criteria. (Please contact National Office for further information.
   -   they have held Ordinary Membership (Practising or Non-practising) of the Association in the past for at least ten years; and
  -   they are not registered with a Registration Board, pertaining to the practice of speech pathology, required in the state in which they practise.