June 12, 2023

Emeritus Professor Lindy McAllister has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia

I am so proud of my colleague Emeritus Professor Lindy McAllister who has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours List today for her outstanding achievements and contributions to speech pathology in Australia and Vietnam.

Here is my summary of her immense contribution to the world:

Professor McAllister is a visionary and an enabler who has changed the profession of speech pathology in Australia and internationally. Throughout her career, Lindy has changed the profession of speech pathology/speech and language therapy throughout the world in seven ways. 

1. Leading, envisioning and enacting change for the profession of speech pathology in Australia and internationally 

a. Mutual Recognition Agreement. During her term as President of Speech Pathology Australia, Lindy not only undertook the extensive duties required of the role, but also initiated the Mutual Recognition Agreement between the speech pathology professional associations in Australia, US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland and initiated dialogue with South Africa and countries in South-East Asia. 

b. Competency Based Occupational Standards for Speech Pathologists – Entry Level (CBOS). Lindy initiated CBOS for Speech Pathology Australia, a core document for entry to the profession of speech pathology (for university students), accreditation of university courses, assessment of overseas qualified speech pathologists, and re-entry program for speech pathologists wishing to return to practice after a career break. Subsequently other health professions in Australia and other speech pathology associations across the world have used CBOS documentation to develop their own. 

c. Competency Assessment in Speech Pathology (COMPASS). Following on from Lindy’s PhD in clinical education, then leadership in clinical education at The University of Sydney, Lindy envisioned a competency-based tool designed to validly assess the performance of speech pathology students in their clinical education placements. Over many years, and through Lindy’s mentoring and encouragement of many individuals, COMPASS® was developed using evidence-based educational principles. It has been psychometrically validated as part of a 4-year national collaborative research program. It is now a landmark tool used by Speech Pathology Australia and in other speech pathology programs including in Scotland. 

d. Code of Ethics. Lindy formalised the Code of Ethics for Speech Pathology Australia in the 1990s. She brought a depth and wealth of knowledge and expertise, that was captured in her co-authorship of the book Ethics in Speech and Language Therapy (Wiley-Blackwell). She has continued to work with Speech Pathology Australia to revise the Code of Ethics and formalise the Ethics Board for ~20 years. 

2. Innovations in Clinical Education. Lindy’s extensive research and scholarship, vision, and innovations in clinical education have informed and standardised clinical education for speech pathology across Australia. Her final paid employment was as Professor of Work Integrated Learning in the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences at The University of Sydney. She led a team of more than 30 academics and administrative staff who manage student placements in all the Faculty courses. She has informed the establishment of clinical education programs in many universities including Charles Sturt University and The University of Melbourne. In 2016 Lindy was an invited keynote speaker at the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association National Conference when they celebrated their 65th anniversary. The theme was Enhancing Lives Through Partnership and there were over 200 participants. 

3. Enabling and mentoring generations of speech pathology professionals, academics and leaders. An example of the significance of her mentorship is that she is acknowledged in the speeches of almost every elected Fellow and Life Member at Speech Pathology Australia award ceremonies. Lindy’s students, including PhD graduates now are now head of speech pathology programs. Lindy’s ex-PhD student, A/Prof Jane McCormack is the Assistant Deputy Head, School of Allied Health and the National Course Coordinator of the Speech Pathology Program at Australian Catholic University (largest speech pathology program in Australia). A/Prof Sarah Verdon has been taught and mentored by Lindy, and now is the Discipline Lead of Speech Pathology at Charles Sturt University. 

4. Establishing the first non-metropolitan speech pathology program in Australia. In 1999 Prof. McAllister commenced the speech pathology program at Charles Sturt University in Albury, developing a curriculum that created brave and resourceful speech pathologists with a client- and community-centred focus. Graduates from this program now are working in rural and remote locations across Australia and the world (e.g., Vanuatu), as well as changing practice in metropolitan areas. 

5. Establishing the speech and language therapy profession in Vietnam. For the past 20 years Lindy has been involved in speech pathology in Vietnam as a volunteer, supporting Australian speech pathology students’ fieldwork placements, then in 2008 as a Founding Director of Trinh Foundation Australia to create sustainable speech therapy services in Vietnam. She has worked together with Trinh Foundation Australia, key people in Vietnam and over 200 volunteers from Australia and other countries to 

a. establish the first fulltime two-year courses in Speech and Language Therapy in Vietnam at Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University in Ho Chi Minh City (2010-2012 and 2012-2014). 

b. establish the one-year training course in Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy (2014-2015). 

c. establish continuing professional development and training in medical universities 

d. establish the Masters and Bachelor courses in Speech and Language Therapy in two universities in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang 

e. co-author journal articles and conference papers with people from Vietnam. For example, “Practice innovations from the emerging speech-language pathology profession in Vietnam: Vignettes illustrating indigenised and sustainable approaches” by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, Le Khanh Dien, Christine Sheard, Le Thi Thanh Xuan, Trà Thanh Tâm, Hoàng Văn Quyên, Le Thi Dao, and Lindy McAllister 

f. Lindy was awarded a medal from the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for services to Speech Therapy and Education in Vietnam (2014) 

g. Lindy has also consulted, evaluated and advised on curricula for other courses in Malaysia, Kuwait and Ghana. 

6. Establishing the qualitative research paradigm within the field of speech pathology throughout the world. The speech pathology profession traditionally has used quantitative methods in research. Lindy went against tradition and undertook her PhD using qualitative research. Since then, she has worked to establish qualitative research as a mainstream paradigm within the speech pathology profession. As well as publishing many papers and supervising many higher degree students using this paradigm, she has co-authored two landmark texts in the field on the topic: Qualitative Research in Communication Disorders (2019) and Analysing Qualitative Data in Communication Disorders Research (2022). “Plan your qualitative research project” was a free workshop for speech pathologists held at The University of Queensland in 2019. It was the first time that a large group of speech pathologists came together to discuss qualitative research. 

7. Undertaking scholarly work to support social justice and equity for people with communication disabilities. Lindy has written numerous books, chapters, journal articles and reports that are highly cited and implemented in practice. 

Recognition. Lindy’s contributions to the speech pathology profession have seen her receive the following awards: 

  • Fellow of Speech Pathology Australia (1995) 
  • Eleanor Wray Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession (Speech Pathology Australia, 2002) 
  • Elizabeth Usher Memorial Award and Address (Speech Pathology Australia, 2006) “Pioneering in professional practice: Creating your own frontiers and crossing those established by others” 
  • Life Member of Speech Pathology Australia (2006). This is the highest level of recognition the Association bestows. Lindy was the 23rd Life Member and SPA has over 12,000 members. 
  • Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT, UK) (2021). This honour is rarely offered to non-members. 

To conclude, Professor Lindy McAllister is an exceptional person. She is a visionary and an enabler who has changed the profession of speech pathology in Australia and internationally. She values the contribution of all those around her, establishes networks, scaffolds and mentors others, then is happy when they receive accolades for work based on her original ideas and mentorship. She consistently maximises the potential of those around her to promote communication for all.

 Here are the accolades recognising her immense contribution: 

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