CSU CVC researchers featured on SPA website and communications

Speech Pathology Australia has featured us on their website! https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/

 

Speech Pathology Australia National Conference

This week I am co-presenting the following papers at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference on the Gold Coast https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/CPD-events/SPA-conference/2026/Home.aspx

1. Marie Ireland and Sharynne McLeod: School speech pathologists’ navigation of nine tensions regarding evaluation and eligibility in USA 
2. Kate Margetson and Sharynne McLeod: Assessing children’s speech in unfamiliar languages: Acceptability of the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL) 
3. Sharynne McLeod and Helen L. Blake: Resources in 131 languages and dialects: Multilingual minds have unlocked global knowledge about children’s speech 
4. Sarah Bartlett, Sharynne McLeod: Implications of caregiver-implemented intervention for three underserved communities

CSU speech pathologists at SPA2026: Sarah Bartlett, A/Prof Suzanne Hopf, Prof Sarah Verdon, D/Prof Sharynne  McLeod, Dr Marie Ireland

Keynote speaker Dr Anita Heiss with CSU delegates at the SPA2026 conference

Sarah B and Sharynne  having a PhD meeting at SPA2026

Marie Ireland presenting her research 

 

Speech Pathology Australia National Conference submission outcomes for 2026

We have just learned the outcome of our Speech Pathology Australia National Conference submissions for 2026. In the letter they wrote

"This year we received 326 submissions, reflecting a 22% increase on last year. With limited presentation space available, only around one-third could be included in the final program"

While some of our papers were not accepted for presentation - the following papers were accepted:

• Assessing children’s speech in unfamiliar languages: Acceptability of the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL)
• Resources in 131 languages and dialects: Multilingual minds have unlocked global knowledge about children’s speech
•  Implications of caregiver-implemented intervention for three underserved communities
•  School speech pathologists’ navigation of nine tensions regarding evaluation and eligibility in USA

I am glad that two of my PhD students' papers were accepted.  

Speech Pathology Australia National Conference

The Speech Pathology Australia National Conference (https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/CPD-events/SPA-conference/2025/Home.aspx) is in Adelaide 13-15 June 2025. I am unable to attend as I am going to Greece. Sarah Bartlett and Suzanne Hopf are attending. Here are our papers:

• What is the evidence-base for Hanen® programs? A narrative review - Sarah Bartlett and Sharynne McLeod (Rapid impact)
•  Rural Australians’ ratings of Indigenous children’s books to support communication and literacy  -Sharynne  McLeod, Emily-Jane Woodhead, Jamie Newman, Ebony Hay, Sarah Bartlett, Carolyn Gregoric (Research insights)
• Child-focused participatory action research: Seeking children's voices in speech-language pathology research  - Holly McAlister, Sharynne McLeod, Suzanne C. Hopf (Research insights)
• Knowledge, practices and aspirations of speech-language pathologists’ provision of culturally responsive practice for Pacific Islander families - Holly McAlister, Suzanne C. Hopf, Sharynne McLeod (Research insights)

Jamie Newman and Sarah Bartlett presenting our paper at SPA 2025

 

Reconciliation week at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference

Reconciliation week occurred at the same time as the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference. Members of our team attended and learned from these and other sessions: 

• Elizabeth Usher address: Speech Pathology practice in Aboriginal spaces: A journey of learning and unlearning - Elizabeth Armstrong

"Key messages 1. Aboriginal leadership and collaboration is central to any clinical or research endeavour aiming to be culturally secure for Aboriginal peoples. 2. Only Aboriginal clients and research participants can ultimately judge the cultural security of a service or project practices. 3. Cultural immersion is the optimal way to learn about Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing and develop a critical perspective on current clinical practices"

• What does a culturally secure speech pathology space for Aboriginal clients with brain injury and their families look like? [Workshop] - Elizabeth Armstrong and Kerri Colegate
•  Yarning together: Incorporating telehealth into the provision of culturally secure speech pathology services for Aboriginal Australians after brain injury - Natalie Ciccone and Mitchell Walley

Speech Pathology Australia National Conference

Our team is in Perth this week for the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference. Here are our presentations:

1. How can I assess children’s speech in a language I do not speak? Insights from VietSpeech research - Kate Margetson and Sharynne McLeod
2. Assessing the language skills of multilingual Vietnamese-Australian children - Sarah Faulks, Sarah Verdon and Sharynne McLeod
3. Caregivers’ insights into supporting late talkers using Target Word™ Hanen Program® for parents  - Sarah Bartlett and Sharynne McLeod
4. Supporting 2-yearold’s communication: Collaborations between rural health professionals and early childhood education services - Cathie Matthews, Sharynne McLeod, et al.
5. Children Draw Talking: Insights from 200 children from 24 countries - Sharynne McLeod, Carolyn Gregoric, Jessamy Davies, Lysa Dealtry, Laura Delli-Pizzi, Belinda Downey, Sheena Elwick, Suzanne C. Hopf, Nicola Ivory, Holly McAlister, Elizabeth Murray, Azizur Rahman, Shukla Sikder, Van H. Tran, Cherie Zischke, Julian Grant
6. International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP): Making global and professional connections - Brian B. Shulman, Sharynne McLeod and Emily Hunt
   

Sharynne presenting Cathie Matthews' research

SLM team at SPA2024 - Sarah F, Kate M, Sharynne, Sarah B, Emily-Jane

Sarah Faulks presenting her honours research

Sarah Bartlett

Kate Margetson introducing the SACHL

Some attendees at the IALP session

IALP president Brian Shulman, Emily Hunt, Sharynne McLeod

Kate Margetson

Sharynne presenting about the Children Draw Talking research

RHRI Project 8 meeting and planning in Perth

Our RHRI Project 8 began earlier this year and is progressing very well. We met in Perth on the Sunday before the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference to progress our research to the next stage of data collection. 

We are presenting three papers from our research undertaken as part of this grant:

1. How can I assess children’s speech in a language I do not speak? Insights from VietSpeech research - Kate Margetson and Sharynne McLeod
2. Caregivers’ insights into supporting late talkers using Target Word™ Hanen Program® for parents  - Sarah Bartlett and Sharynne McLeod 
3. Supporting 2-yearold’s communication: Collaborations between rural health professionals and early childhood education services - Cathie Matthews, Sharynne McLeod, et al.

We have arranged a number of meetings to progress our research. Additionally, there are many papers on the conference program that are very relevant to our work - so we are learning a lot.

Emily-Jane, Sharynne and Sarah B discussing our research

Hello Perth

I have traveled from Bristol to Perth to attend the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference with my students and research team. Perth was much warmer than Bristol  - even though it is nearly summer in Bristol and nearly winter in Perth.

A huge sculpture at Elizabeth Quay

Kangaroo paws growing in the centre of the city

Black swans are symbolic of Perth

The sun setting over the ocean

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion framework for Speech Pathology Australia

I have been invited to be on a focus group to work with Speech Pathology Australia on their new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion framework.

Here is the invitation Over the past 12 months, Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) has been working with Diversity Partners to develop a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) framework. The framework will include the commitments and aspirations of Speech Pathology Australia to support diversity, equity and inclusion across the profession. The framework will guide and support Speech Pathology Australia with future implementation of DEI initiatives, as well as providing guidance to members to increase their understanding of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issues within the speech pathology profession and inform practice. Initial consultation with key stakeholders was undertaken in 2022 and an advisory committee was formed to support the project planning. Diversity Partners undertook a literature review and have drafted the structure of a DEI framework for Speech Pathology Australia. Diversity Partners will now hold focus group discussions with key groups, including internal stakeholders and staff and external stakeholders, to gather feedback on the draft and to inform next steps. We are seeking your input by requesting you consider attending a focus group. 

 

Presenting virtually at two conferences this week

There are two wonderful speech-language pathology conferences being held this week and I am virtually attending both of them and physically attending neither of them due to health issues.

1. Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) National Conference being held in Melbourne, Australia
2. European Congress of Speech and Language Therapy (ESLA) being held in Salzburg, Austria.

I am so glad I can follow along on Twitter.

Recording a podcast for Speech Pathology Australia

Today I recorded a podcast for Speech Pathology Australia week. The theme is "Speak Up for Communication Rights" so they interviewed me about speaking at the United Nations (https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2019/06/presentation-at-united-nations-in-ny.html)

It was an honour to be interviewed by Anneke Flinn from SPA and to relive the wonderful opportunity I had in 2018 to edit a special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology on communication rights then to speak at the United Nations in 2019.

 

My paper in the special issue of IJSLP that was titled "Communication rights: Fundamental human rights for all" has been downloaded over 25,000 times! https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549507.2018.1428687

Here are some links about communication rights:

• Speech Pathology Australia: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SpeakUp
• Special issue of IJSLP: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iasl20/20/1
  
• International Communication Project: https://internationalcommunicationproject.com/2019/05/international-communication-project-event-united-nations/

Presenting at the United Nations in 2019

Recently, the International Communication Project submitted comments about the impact of communication disability on employment to a United Nations (UN) committee that monitors the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 

https://internationalcommunicationproject.com/2021/05/icp-submits-comments-to-un-committee/

Speech Pathology Australia Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony

Tonight I virtually attended the Speech Pathology Australia Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony . We were meant to have this at our National Conference that would have begun last night in Darwin, but was postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19. There were 132 attendees and 6 panelists (SPA Board).

Congratulations to the City of Adelaide for their Community Contribution Award for their commitment to communication access.
Congratulations also goes to:

• Cathy Clark - Service to the Association Award
• Dr Robyn O'Halloran - Elinor Wray Award
• Jennifer Peach - Elinor Wray Award
• Dr Hilary Johnson - Life Member
• Prof Pamela Snow - Life Member

COVID-19 postpones conferences in 2020

The following conferences have been postponed due to COVID-19

• Craniofacial Society of Great Britain & Ireland Annual Scientific Meeting (Cardiff, Wales, April 2020) https://craniofacialconference20.co.uk/programm.html 
• Speech Pathology Australia National Conference (Darwin, May 2020) 
https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/spaconf2020
• International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association (Glasgow, Sept 2020) https://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/psychologicalscienceshealth/speechlanguagetherapy/icpla2020/

At this stage the the only conference I am participating in during 2020 that is still listed as going ahead is

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (San Diego, Nov 2020) https://convention.asha.org

Our team had planned to present papers at each of these conferences and will miss the face-to-face contact with our colleagues from across the world.

Here is advice from the American Psychological Association regarding how to cite cancelled conferences: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/canceled-conferences

Early storybook research profiled at three conferences

Over the next 2 months Dr. Michelle Brown (my postdoc) is presenting her research at three conferences as part of her CSU Senior Research Fellowship postdoc:

• Speech Pathology Australia National Conference (SPA)- Brisbane, 3-5 June - "Reading with babies impacts literacy, language, and numeracy skills at 8-9 years"
• Australian Literacy Educators Association (ALEA) - Melbourne 9-12 July - "Reading with young children promotes literacy and language development nine years later "
• Macquarie University Infants and Toddlers Conference - Sydney 19 July - "Reading during infancy strengthens academic achievement" (Brown, Wang & McLeod)

Additionally, Michelle's research will be profiled in a Speech Pathology Australia SpeakUp podcast. Congratulations Michelle!