Speech Pathology Week 2009 Media Coverage

Television Coverage:

• Channel 31, Adelaide: Diana Bleby, SA Branch President highlighted Speech Pathology Week and the work of speech pathologists – first aired 7pm, 26 August 09
• Ten News, Perth: clients and Louise Cato, speech pathologist featured.  Launch of a book on surviving severe brain injuries. – 21 August 09

Radio Interviews:

• Radio Adelaide 101.5 – Jeff Bull, a 3-time stroke survivor was interviewed
• ABC Central Coast (Gosford, NSW) – Dr Cori Williams, National President of Speech Pathology Australia was interviewed
• ABC Northern Tasmania - Di Symons, SPA member was interviewed
• ABC Newcastle – interviewee Georgi Laney, SPA member and Chair of the Australian Aphasia Association – 24 August 09
  

Print Articles:

Media coverage was received throughout Australia and the following is just a small selection, indicative of quality profile-raising Print Articles:

Speech pathology gives lads a leg-up to join in
Morning Bulletin,Rockhampton, QLD 28 August 09

How to Communicate 
North Shore Times, NSW – 28 August 09

Communication lifts our daily life
Daily Mercury, Mackay, QLD – 27 August 09

The Power of Speech 
Northern Territory News, Darwin, NT - 27 August 09

It’s Cool to be Clear
Penrith City Star, Sydney, NSW – 27 August 09

Career Profile of speech pathologist: Beth King featured in S-Press Newspaper – distributed to students nation-wide – 26 August 09 : http://spress.com.au/w3/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=11&Itemid=19

Helping tots talk to school
Bendigo Advertiser, VIC – 26 August 09

Learning to Speak your Mind
Hawkesbury Gazette, Richmond, NSW– 26 August 09

Speech Therapist Speaks Out
Merredin-Wheatbelt Mercury, Merredin, WA - 26 August 09

Learning to speak again
Moorabbin Leader, Melbourne, VIC - 26 August 09

Raising awareness of speech pathology
News Review Messenger, Adelaide, SA - 26 August 09

Speech difficulties can be overcome
Burnie Advocate, TAS - 25 August 09

Tot takes to sound like duck to water
The West Australian, WA - 22 August 09

Big demand for speech skills 
Courier Mail – CareerOne section, QLD - 21 August 09

Raising a child with Autism
Australian Story, ABC TV – 10.08.09
To read a transcript:
http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/mynamejack/default.htm 
A family spoke about raising their son, Jack, who has autism. 
Elizabeth Watson, speech pathologist with the Lizard Children’s Centre,
spoke about the therapy she had done with Jack

Fostering language Development
Mother & Baby magazine – June/July issue 09
Talking Through the Ages
Karen Nitsche, paediatric speech pathologist, was interviewed about the stages in which toddlers grasp language and what parents can do to encourage speech and language development.

TV and children’s language development
Radio ABC 666 Canberra – June 09
Listen: MP3 file - coming soon
Recent media surrounded the impact of TV watching on children’s development.  Janelle Atkins, Public Affairs leader in NSW was interviewed for a speech pathologist’s perspective.

Raising bilingual children
Huggies website – May 09

Speech Pathology services shortage - northern Tasmania
See the ‘Media Releases/Letters to the Editor’ webpage to read the releases sent
Launceston Advertiser – June 09
Speech Treatment Funding Package
Launceston Times – April 09
Speech Therapist shortage ‘a problem’

Speech Pathology Australia National Conference – May 2009
To read the media releases distributed to Australian newspapers, radio stations and magazines, see the ‘Media Releases/Letters to the Editor’ webpage.

A Case of Mind and Matter
Newcastle Herald, NSW - 22/05/09
Overseas presenter at the National Conference, Professor Travis Threats, spoke about Health not being simply ‘the absence of disease’.  Communication difficulties and mental health disorders also need to be understood as impacting on a person’s quality of life.

Radio ABC South East (NSW) – Professor Sharynne McLeod spoke about a new study which explored an alternate method of exploring the lives of children with speech impairments – by their drawing about talking.  An art exhibition of the children’s drawings was shown at the National Conference and will now tour the USA and Norway  - 21/05/09

Radio ABC South East (NSW) – Dr Julie Marinac highlighted a program which is providing hope for teenage literacy improvement - 19/05/09

Click here to view our Media Archives webpage

Speech Pathology Week 2008 Media Coverage

Television Coverage:

• Channel 7 News, Adelaide: Book of the Year Awards Ceremony – 26 August 08
• Channel 7 News, syndicate to Mackay, Bundaberg, Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Townsville: a mother spoke about how speech pathologists taught her daughter to speak.

Print Articles:

Media coverage was received throughout Australia and the following is just a small selection, indicative of quality profile-raising Print articles:

Awards for Literacy Development
Canberra Times, ACT – 30 August 08

Happy Little Boy Finds Words
Hobart Mercury, TAS – 29 August 08

Sam Uses his PECS for Communication
Western Star, Roma, QLD – 29 August 08

Giving James a Voice
Weekend Courier, Rockingham, WA - 29 August 08

Tara is hungry for new words
Gold Coast Sun, QLD – 27 August 08

Communicating: more than words
Northern Miner, QLD – 26 August 08

Speech pathologists give Aussies a voice
Ararat Advertiser, VIC – 26 August 08

Actions speak louder than words
Bendigo Advertiser, VIC - 26 August 08

Young speech pathologists give Aussies a voice
Young Witness, NSW – 25 August 08

Spreading the word
Mildura Weekly, VIC – 22 August 08

Experts crack the secrets of speech
Centralian Advocate, Alice Springs NT – 22 August 08

Early intervention key to building skills
Launceston Examiner, TAS – 21 August 08

Radio Interviews:

• ABC Wide Bay (Bundaberg): Alice Owen, speech pathologist was interviewed about dance therapy for individuals with Down Syndrome - 02/09/08
• ABC Newcastle (NSW): Libby, stroke survivor, was interviewed on the Drive Show – 28/08/08
• ABC Southern Queensland (Toowoomba): Talkback radio.  Thea Gimpel, speech pathologist was interviewed and spoke to callers - 28/08/08
• ABC South East (SA): Michelle Cook, speech pathologist spoke about AAC devices – 28/08/08
• ABC (Alice Springs, NT): Judy McNee, speech pathologist, spoke about the chronic shortage of speech pathologists in more remote communities – 27/08/08
• 1206 2CC (Canberra, ACT): Libby, a stroke survivor was interviewed on the Drive Show about re-learning how to speak and swallow - 25/08/08
• ABC 891 (Adelaide): BJ, a mother, spoke about learning from speech pathologists many different ways to communicate with her son who has athetoid cerebral palsy – 23/08/08
•  2BS Bathurst (NSW): Natalie Ellston, National Public Affairs Portfolio Coordinator –   23/08/08
• 999 ABC Broken Hill (NSW):  Natalie Ellston, National Public Affairs Portfolio Coordinator - 26/08/08
• 1062 ABC Riverland and Mallee (SA):
  Karen Abdullah – 28/08/08
• ABC South East  (Mt Gambier, SA): Michelle Cook and Nick Hannah – 28/08/08
• ABC 747 (Toowoomba, QLD): Thea Gimpel - 28/8/08

Gap Kids – a radio national feature story (national)
8 June
A feature by journalist Heather Stewart about children with a developmental language disorder. They struggle to create speech and interpret what is being said to them. These children often fall in the gap between state and federal health and education departments. However, appropriate therapy would make a huge difference to their lives.
Dr Cori Williams, President of Speech Pathology Australia and Professor Sheena Reilly were among the interviewees. To listen (Running time: approx 20.00)

Parent workshops for children with delayed language development (ACT)
The Canberra Chronicle – July 08
With a little help, Connor’s now speaking easy.
Member Janelle Atkins, senior speech pathologist with Therapy ACT, speaks about how early speech pathology intervention can give a child the ability to develop their communication skills, for both short and long-term benefits. Parents are an integral part of their child’s therapy.

Living with a prosthetic voice box (WA)
The West Australian – 26 June 08
80 year-old spreads word on loss of voice box
A gentleman speaks about living with a prosthetic voice box; since the removal of his larynx many years ago. An Australian-first DVD has been produced by the Cancer Council of WA and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, outlining how to help someone whose voice valve has become dislodged. Members Melanie Sonsee and Geraldine Harris were interviewed about the DVD.

Early Intervention for speech and language disorders
Melbourne’s Child Magazine – June edition
Ways with Words
Dr Bernice Mathisen of the University of Newcastle, Dr Elise Baker of the University of Sydney and Deb James of  University of South Australia, were interviewed about the emergence of children’s language skills and spoke about early intervention for speech and language disorders. Anthony Meany, completing a PhD at the Australian Stuttering Research Centre, spoke about when parents should be concerned about stuttering.

ABC 720 Perth - Stuttering (WA)
25 June 08
Janet Beilby, a speech pathologist specialising in stuttering, was interviewed.

Studying for a PhD; for the love of it (VIC)
The Age, Education section – 23 June 08
What's up, Doc
Shane Erickson, a private practitioner and PhD student at La Trobe University speaks about why he chose to do a PhD in speech pathology.  His thesis evaluates the impact of stuttering and its successful treatments on adolescents and their families. Dr Susan Block, a course co-ordinator at La Trobe’s School of Human Communication Sciences, was also featured outlining why students chose to pursue PhDs.

“Gap kids” missing out on vital speech pathology services (national)
The Weekend Australian – 14 – 15 June 08
Speech Block a Parental Nightmare
Parents with children who have language disorders speak about the frustration of not being able to obtain appropriate speech pathology services.  Dr Cori Williams, President of Speech Pathology Australia reiterates our lobbying platform of the need for increased funding and improved access to speech pathology services. Professor Sheena Reilly spoke about the long-term consequences of children not having early intervention speech pathology services. Associate Professor Kate Taylor recommended preschool screening so appropriate assistance can begin early.

Tasmania’s state government education budget – speech pathology a focus (TAS)
The Mercury – 11 June 08
Article
Parents groups and teacher union spokespeople highlight the need for speech pathology services to be a budget focus.  Opposition education spokesperson, Sue Napier said that “speech pathology stood out as needy by a mile”.

Speech Pathologist Honoured in Queen’s Birthday Honours List (NSW)
The Illawarra Mercury – 9 June 08
Our Heroes Honoured: Tarryn Bracken
Tarryn Bracken was awarded a public service medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, for services to speech pathology in the Illawarra region.  She was the founding member and president of the Illawarra Communication Support Network which provides families with resources for non-verbal communication eg voice output devices.

ABC 891 Adelaide – A day in the life of a speech pathologist (SA)
4 June 08
Jan Hooper, a paediatric speech pathologist, was interviewed on the radio program “Evenings with Peter Goers” about her work. She spoke about coming to Australia in 1980 and why she became a speech pathologist.  She’s worked at the WCH and the Crippled Children's Association. She says children who have had intermittent hearing loss and a family history of language problems, are more likely to have speech and language delays.
(Running time: approx. 20.00 minutes)

Reflecting Connections Conference (25 – 29 May ‘08) Media Coverage
Media coverage was received throughout Australia and New Zealand and the following is just a small selection, indicative of quality profile-raising Print articles

Television

Channel 9 News (Melbourne): Keynote speaker, Dr Pamela Snow’s research shows a link between delinquency and poor communication skills.  She says early intervention is the key to stopping problems later in life. – 10/06/08

Print

Kids Patter Matters
Herald Sun, VIC – 27 May 08
Hearing Loss a Double Whammy
Bay Post, NSW – 28 May 08
Child’s Play
Sunday Herald Sun, VIC – 1 June 08
Hearing Loss takes toll on spouses
NZ Doctor, NZ – 18 June 08

Radio Interviews during the Conference

ABC 702 Sydney (NSW): Dr Pamela Snow, keynote speaker - 27/05/08
ABC 936 Hobart (TAS): Dr Patricia Eadie – 27/05/08
ABC South East NSW: Professor Sheena Reilly – 27/05/08
ABC 666 Canberra (ACT): Nerina Scarinci – 26/05/08
ABC Norht & West SA: Dr Pamela Snow – 29/05/08
ABC South East: Jemma Skeat – 29/05/08  

Tips for Children’s Speech and Language Development
Playgrouper (magazine of Playgroup Victoria) – Issue February – May 08
You and Your Child’s Language Development
Speech Pathology Australia was asked to provide an article on children’s early speech and language development.  This magazine is distributed to 25,000 homes in Victoria.  Pictured: Robyn Stephen, private practitioner with a young client.