I have been in Auckland this week as an invited keynote speaker at the
New Zealand Speech-language Therapists' Association National Conference. The theme was Enhancing Lives Through Partnership. To open the conference the invited guests participated in a
Māori pōwhiri.
There were over 200 participants and over 80 sessions during the conference. During the conference the NZSTA celebrated their 65th anniversary, and launched the Giving Voice campaign.
My Wednesday keynote address was titled: "Enhancing lives through partnerships with children, families, professionals, communities and governments" and my 3-hour workshop on Friday was titled: "Assessing
multilingual children's speech: A workshop monolingual SLTs". The other keynote speaker was Professor Lindy McAllister from The University of Sydney and Ann Smaill presented the Grace Gane Memorial Lecture along with two women, Lusi and who had cerebral palsy. I was impressed by the work presented by my colleagues, particularly the authentic incorporation of Maori language and culture as an integral part of the conference.
The photos below are courtesy of Rouan Lucas van Ryn / Freestyle Event Photography / www.freestylephotography.co.nz
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| Sharynne participating in the
Māori
pōwhiri
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| Sharynne's keynote address |
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| Many of the participants in Sharynne's 3-hour workshop |
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| Dr Linda Hand (University of Auckland), Sharynne, Professor Lindy McAllister (University of Sydney), Dr Dean Sutherland (University of Canterbury, Christchurch), Ann Smaill (TalkLink Trust) |
