Speech-Language-Multilingualism team at SPA2023

It was wonderful to met up with Speech-Language-Multilingualism team members at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference in Hobart. We made opportunities to caatch up and plan future research projects.

Jane McCormack, Kate Margetson, Sharynne McLeod, Suzanne Hopf, Helen Blake

Kate Margetson, Kerry Ttofari-Eecen, Helen Blake, Sharynne McLeod

Welcome Ruby to the Speech-Language-Multilingualism team

I had the great privilege to welcome little Ruby to the Speech-Langauge-Multilingualism team on Thursday in Albury when I was visiting her mum Sarah.

Presentations at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference, Brisbane, June 2019

The Speech Pathology Australia  and New Zealand Speech-language Therapists' Association Conference is being held in Brisbane 2-5 June 2019.

The conference began with an excellent workshop from Professor Susan Rvachew from McGill University in Canada titled "Input-oriented approach to phonological intervention: Why? When? How?".

Dr Alison Holm, Dr Suzanne Hopf, Dr Nicole Watts Pappas, Prof Susan Rvachew,
Dr Elise Baker, Nicole McGill, Anna Cronin, Prof Sharynne McLeod

Here are the presentations from our Charles Sturt University Speech-Language-Multilingualism team.

Oral presentations:

1. Cronin, A., McLeod, S., & Verdon, S. - Expert practice for children with cleft palate across the world: Application of the ICF-CY
2. Cronin, A., Verdon, S., & McLeod, S. - What are the experiences of families of young children with cleft palate?
3. McGill, N., Crowe, K., McLeod, S., & Hopf, S. - Waiting lists and prioritisation for paediatric speech pathology services: Speech pathologists’ perspectives.
4. McGill, N., Crowe, K., & McLeod, S. - “Struggling and needing help”: Experiences of waiting for speech pathology services in Australia.
5. McCormack, J., McLeod, S., & Crowe, K. - Comparing children’s and parents’ perspectives about speech in the Sound Start Study.
6. McLeod, S., Cronin, A., Masso, S., & Phạm , B. - Transcribing Vietnamese: English-speaking speech pathologists’ transcription of child and adult speech.

Poster presentations:

1. Blake, H. L., McLeod, S., & Verdon, S. - Enhancing the English intelligibility of multilingual speakers.
2. Brown, M. I., Wang, C., & McLeod, S. - Reading with babies impacts literacy, language, and numeracy skills at 8-9 years.
3. Davis, E., McLeod, S., Rohr, K., Roberts, K., McGill, N., Miller, K., Thornton, S., Ahio, N. - Randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of advice versus device for children on speech pathology waiting lists.
4. McGill, N., McLeod, S., Davis, E., Rohr, K., & Miller, K. - ‘Wait’ lifting: Randomised controlled trial evaluating active versus passive waiting for speech pathology by children with speech and language difficulties.
5. Lyons, R., McAllister, L., Atherton, M., Bickford, J., Bright, F., Bryant, L., Davidson, B., Easton, C., Foster, A., Hersh, D. McLeod, S., O'Halloran, R., Siyambalapitiya, S., Spencer, S., Verdon, S., & Worrall, L. - Introducing qualitative research in speech pathology.
6. Verdon, S., Wang, C., McLeod, S. & Tran, V. - Vietnamese-Australians’ language use, proficiency, and maintenance. 
7. Tran. V., Verdon, S., McLeod, S., & Wang, C. - Factors affecting home language maintenance: A narrative review. 

SLM team at SPA2019: Back: Dr Michelle Brown, Kate Margetson, Anna Cronin, Anniek van Doornik, Sadie and Dr Sarah Verdon. Front: Helen Blake, Prof Sharynne McLeod, Prof Susan Rvachew, A/Prof Jane McCormack, Nicole McGill

Dr Michelle Brown presenting her poster

The SLM team at the conference dinner

The SAGE encyclopedia of human communication sciences and disorders

The SAGE encyclopedia of human communication sciences and disorders has just been published. The 4-volume encyclopedia was edited by Jack Damico and Martin Ball. The website states "The editors have recruited top researchers and clinicians across multiple fields to contribute to approximately 640 signed entries across four volumes"  Members of our SLM team have written seven of these entries:

1. Blake, H. L. & McLeod, S. Intelligibility enhancement. 
2. Cronin, A. & McLeod, S. Cleft lip and palate: Speech effects. 
3. Cronin, A. & McLeod, S. Craniofacial anomalies.
4. McLeod, S. International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. 
5. McLeod, S. Prevalence of communication disorders.
6. McLeod, S. & Verdon, S. Multilingualism and speech sound disorders. 
7. Phạm, B. & McLeod, S.  Tone languages and communication disorders.

Anna Cronin with volume 1 (of 4) of the encyclopedia

Speech-Language-Multilingualism Team Publications for 2018

Here is a list of the Speech-Language-Multilingualism Team publications for 2018 that are registered with Charles Sturt University. What a productive team!

	Type	Citation
1.	Book chapter	Crowe, K. (2018). DHH multilingual learners: Language acquisition in a multilingual world. In H. Knoors & M. Marschark (Eds.) Evidence-based practice in deaf education (pp. 59-79). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
2.	Book chapter	Wren, Y., McCormack, J., Masso, S., McLeod, S., Baker, E., & Crowe, K. (2018). Digital tools to support children’s speech and language skill. In S. Danby, M. Fleer, C. Davidson, & M. Hatzigianni (Eds.), Digital childhoods: Technologies and children's everday lives (Vol. 22, pp. 235-251). Singapore: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-6484-5_15
3.	Journal article	Baker, E., Masso, S., McLeod, S., & Wren, Y. (2018). Pacifiers, thumb sucking, breastfeeding, and bottle use: Oral sucking habits of children with and without phonological impairment. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 70(3-4), 165-173. doi:10.1159/000492469
4.	Journal article	Baker, E., Williams, A. L., McLeod, S., & McCauley, R. (2018). Elements of phonological interventions for children with speech sound disorders: The development of a taxonomy. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27(3), 906-935. doi:10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0127
5.	Journal article	Blake, H. L. & McLeod, S. (2018).  The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Considering individuals from a perspective of health and wellness. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups (SIG17: Global issues in Communication Sciences and Related Disorders), 3(17), 69-77. doi:10.1044/persp3.SIG17.69
6.	Journal article	Blake, H. L., & McLeod, S. (2019, published online 2018). Speech-language pathologists’ support for multilingual speakers’ English intelligibility and participation informed by the ICF. Journal of Communication Disorders, 77, 56-70. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2018.12.003
7.	Journal article	Blake, H. L., McLeod, S., Verdon, S., & Fuller, G. (2018, published online 2016). The relationship between spoken English proficiency and participation in higher education, employment and income from two Australian censuses. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(2), 202-215. doi:10.1080/17549507.2016.1229031
8.	Journal article	Guiberson, M. & Crowe, K. (2018). Interventions for multilingual children with hearing loss: A scoping review. Topics in Language Disorders, 38(3), 225-41. doi: 10.1097/TLD.0000000000000155
9.	Journal article	Hegarty, N., Titterington, J., McLeod, S., & Taggart, L. (2018). Intervention for children with phonological impairment: Knowledge, practices and intervention intensity in the UK. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 53(5), 995-1006. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12416
10.	Journal article	Hopf, S. C., McLeod, S. & McDonagh, S. H. (2018, published online 2017). Linguistic multi-competence of Fiji school students and their conversational partners. International Journal of Multilingualism, 15(1), 72-91. doi:10.1080/14790718.2016.1241256
11.	Journal article	Hopf, S. C., McLeod, S., McDonagh, S., Wang, C., & Rakanace, E. (2018, published online 2017). Communication disability in Fiji: Community self-help and help-seeking support. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(5), 554-568, doi:10.1080/17549507.2017.1337226
12.	Journal article	Hopf, S., McDonagh, S., Wang, C., & McLeod, S. (2018). English language and literacy proficiency of students in an urban Fiji primary school. Language, Culture and Curriculum, Advance online publication doi:10.1080/07908318.2018.1541999
13.	Journal article	Howland, C., Baker, E., Munro, N., & McLeod, S. (2019, published online 2018). Realisation of grammatical morphemes by children with phonological impairment. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, 33(1-2), 20-41. doi:10.1080/02699206.2018.1518487
14.	Journal article	Marschark, M., Walton, D., Crowe, K., Borgna, G., & Kronenberger, W.G. (2018). Relations of social maturity, executive function, and self-efficacy among deaf university students. Deafness and Education International, 20(2), 100-120. doi:10.1080/14643154.2018.1474330
15.	Journal article	Masso, S., McLeod, S., & Baker, E. (2018). Tutorial: Assessment and analysis of polysyllables in young children. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(1), 42-58. doi:10.1044/2017_LSHSS-16-0047
16.	Journal article	McCormack, J., Baker, E., & Crowe, K. (2018). The human right to communicate and our need to listen: Learning from people with a history of childhood communication disorder. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 142-151. doi:10.1080/17549507.2018.1397747
17.	Journal article	McLeod, S. (2018). Communication rights: Fundamental human rights for all. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 3-11. doi:10.1080/17549507.2018.1428687
18.	Journal article	McLeod, S. & Masso, S. (2019, published online 2018). Screening children’s speech: The impact of imitated elicitation and word position. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 50, 71-82. doi:10.1044/2018_LSHSS-17-0141
19.	Journal article	McLeod, S., & Crowe, K. (2018). Children's consonant acquisition in 27 languages: A cross-linguistic review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27, 1546-1571. doi:10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0100
20.	Journal article	McLeod, S., Crowe, K., McCormack, J., White, P., Wren, Y., Baker, E., ... Roulstone, S. (2018). Preschool children’s communication, motor and social development: Parents’ and educators’ concerns. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(4), 468-482. doi:10.1080/17549507.2017.1309065
21.	Journal article	McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J., & Wang, C. (2019, published online 2018). A longitudinal population study of literacy and numeracy outcomes for children identified with speech, language, and communication needs in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 47, 507-517. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.07.004
22.	Journal article	Van Doornik, A., Gerrits, E., McLeod, S., & Terband, H. (2018). Impact of communication partner familiarity and speech accuracy on parents’ ratings of their child for the Intelligibility in Context Scale: Dutch. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(3), 350-360. doi:10.1080/17549507.2018.1472808
23.	Journal article	Wang, C., Harrison, L. J., McLeod, S., Walker, S., & Spilt, J. L. (2018). Can teacher–child relationships support human rights to freedom of opinion and expression, education and participation? International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 133-141. doi:10.1080/17549507.2018.1408855
24.	Commissioned report	McLeod, S., Harrison, L., Wang, C., & Verdon, S. (2018). Indigenous Australian children’s speech and language: Academic outcomes and access to services. Melbourne, Australia: Speech Pathology Australia.
25.	Commissioned report	Verdon, S., Mackenzie, N., McLeod, S., Davidson, C., Masso, S., Verdon, L., & Edwards-Groves, C. (2018). Assessment of children as effective communicators in early childhood education and care: Literature review. Melbourne, Australia: Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
26.	Editorial	Crowe, K., Masso, S., & Hopf, S. (2018). Innovations actively shaping speech-language pathology evidence-based practice. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(3), 297-299. doi:10.1080/17549507.2018.1462851

Functional Word Lists for Indigenous Languages of the South Pacific: QUOTA Scholarship

Congratulations Dr Suzanne Hopf who has just received a QUOTA South Pacific Area Scholarship for Work in the Fields of Speech and Hearing. Her research grant is titled "Functional Word Lists for Indigenous Languages of the South Pacific"
Here is the abstract:

Communication specialists rely on data that document children’s typical speech and language development when diagnosing and treating speech and language disorders in children. In many South Pacific nations there are no recognised communication specialists or recognised tools to assist with this process (e.g., Fiji – see Hopf, 2013; 2017). Thus, suspected diagnoses are mostly based on implicit language knowledge within communities. Tools that can assist with early diagnosis and treatment of communication disability are needed to support communication specialists working with children from language groups other than their own. In alignment with the aims of the 2019 UNESCO International Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019), this ambitious project will bring together speakers of Pacific Islands indigenous languages, and communication specialists from around the world, to create consensus functional word lists for indigenous languages of the South Pacific nations of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu. Significantly, this project will capitalise on a network of communication specialists who will work together beyond the stated languages to continue to document functional word lists in all of the indigenous and immigrant languages of the South Pacific. These word lists will be invaluable for communication specialists working both within and outside the South Pacific with people with communication disability who speak these languages.

2019 students and postdocs

I am very fortunate to be working with some amazing women in 2019:

PhD students

• Helen Blake (CSU)
• Anna Cronin (CSU)
• Nicole McGill (CSU)
• Dr Van Tran (CSU)
• Natalie Hegarty (Ulster University, Northern Ireland)
• Anniek van Doornik (Utrecht University, The Netherlands) 

Postdoctoral scholar

• Dr Michelle Brown

Research fellows

• Dr Audrey Wang 
• Dr Ben Pham
• Dr Kate Crowe

as well as other members of the Speech-Language-Multilingualism team including:

• Dr Sarah Verdon
• Dr Suzanne Hopf
• Dr Sarah Masso
• Dr Jane McCormack 
• Kate Margetson