CVC collaborative research just published - Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children’s voices across the globe

Gregoric, C., McLeod, S., Hopf, S. C., Downey, B., Rahman, A., Sikder, S., Zischke, C., Tran, V. H., Murray, E., McAlister, H., Ivory, N., Delli-Pizzi, L., Elwick, S., Dealtry, L., & Davies, J. (2025). Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children’s voices across the globe. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251406102

Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children’s voices across the globe

Our Children's Voices Centre has collaborated to write another paper based on the informative Children Draw Talking data set - and it has just been accepted for publication. Hooray!

Gregoric, C., McLeod, S., Hopf, S. C., Downey, B., Rahman, A., Sikder, S., Zischke, C., Tran, V. H., Murray, E., McAlister, H., Ivory, N., Delli-Pizzi, L., Elwick, S., Dealtry, L., Davies, J. (2025, in press November). Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by listening to children’s voices across the globe. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590251406102 

Here is the abstract:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (United Nations, 2015) represent a global agenda for achieving a sustainable future for people and the planet to inform decision and policy making at all levels. Children should have a significant voice in shaping the world they will inherit; indeed, SDG 17 is focussed on partnership for the goals. The aim of the present study was to investigate which SDGs are depicted in children’s drawings of themselves talking to provide researchers and policy makers insights into their perceptions about, and solutions for, the SDGs. The Children Draw Talking Global Online Gallery (https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-voices) included 200 drawings from children from 24 countries. Children aged 2–12 years responded to the online prompt “draw yourself talking” and submitted their drawing and explanation. A 15-member interdisciplinary research team analysed the drawings to determine their alignment with the seventeen SDGs. Most of the 200 drawings (n = 191, 95.5%) could be coded with at least one SDG. Overall, there were 359 representations of SDGs coded across the data set of 200 drawings. Many children highlighted access to green public spaces and housing (SDG11), education (SDG 4), and decision-making (SDG 16) while others portrayed reducing inequality (SDG 10) and addressing poverty (SDG 1). This research demonstrated that children may be implicitly aware of factors related to the Sustainable Development Goals across their lives and provides an exemplar of how children’s voices could be included by inviting them to contribute drawings.  

Electric car

It's been fun to drive CSU's new electric car to the Orange campus this week - in the rain!

 

Sustainable Development Goals - Speech Pathology Australia podcast

Sustainable Development Goals - Speech Pathology Australia podcast

The Speech Pathology Australia Sustainable Development Goals podcast has been released: https://soundcloud.com/speechpathologyaustralia/rebroadcast-un-sustainable-development-goals-s7e19?si=cee835ba2d994b928d6381f9823712b8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

Resources:

• IJSLP Issue on Communication, Swallowing, and the Sustainable Development Goals (Open-Access): https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iasl20/25/1  
• SPA introduction to the special issue of the IJSLP: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SPAweb/whats_on/Speak_Up_for_Communication_Rights/Special_edition__Communication_Swallowing/SPAweb/What_s_On/Speak_Up_for_Communication_Rights/Table_of_contents_Swallowing.aspx?hkey=4159a312-eca2-4070-88cc-ec4fc98e2f4e  
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals  

Nord University - Children's Voices Group

This afternoon Dr Belinda Downey presented a paper during our Nord University and Charles Sturt University collaboration for the Children's Voices Group. Her presentation was titled "Children's voices and the Sustainable Development Goals". The second presentation was titled "Sami Education Language Assessment Guide" by Prof Karianne Berg. There were 5 people from Nord University and 3 from CSU in attendance. What an interesting session.

ACU interview for SPHY406 Module 1: Human Dignity and Human Rights

This morning I was interviewed by A/Prof Jane McCormack for her subject SPHY406 Module 1: Human Dignity and Human Rights. It was a privilege to discuss this important topic.

Here are some of the questions she asked:

• Tell us a little about yourself - what motivated you to become a speech pathologist? What keeps you in the profession?
• What work are you most proud of doing? Why?
• What are "human rights"?  
• What does it mean to say that "Communication is a basic human right"?
• Why are human rights important to our work as speech pathologists?
• Tell us about your experience researching and working in the area of human rights.
• Can you provide an example of when your work has advocated for a client's human rights and a time when you have advocated for the community (eg through legislation or policy)?
• What do speech pathologists need to know/do to be advocates of human rights and human dignity?
• How can graduates be change-makers in this space?

Sustainable Development Goals - Speech Pathology Australia podcast

Today Julie Marshall and I received an email from Nadia Marussinszky, Professional Education Senior Officer and Speak Up Podcast producer at Speech Pathology Australia. She wrote:

"From time to time Speech Pathology Australia will re-broadcast an episode, and to add a different angle to this we ask speech pathologists to select a previous episode to re-run, and then to share a brief, introductory reflection. I wanted to let you know that one of the members of our conference planning committee for 2025 has chosen the episode you recorded about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and recorded a reflection to introduce the episode. We will rebroadcast this in June this year...Once the episode has been re-broadcast we will send over a copy of the social media image SPA are using to promote the episode and link to the episode...

I also thought you might like to know that the episode has been streamed 3,946 times since publication! The information and guidance you shared has reached a lot of people, thank you for sharing it!"

Here are some of the resources that Speech Pathology Australia will share with the podcast: 

• IJSLP Issue on Communication, Swallowing, and the Sustainable Development Goals: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iasl20/25/1  
• SPA introduction to the special issue of the IJSLP: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Members/News-and-publications/Publications/Speak-Out-Articles/Latest/Communication-swallowing-S-D-G.aspx 
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals 

Sustainable Development Goals - Contributions to CSU's report

Charles Sturt University has just released their Sustainability Development Goals Report. The report highlights the university’s continued commitment to environmental and social sustainability.

Here is the CSU media release: https://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/charles-sturt-university-releases-sustainability-development-goals-report

Here is the report: https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/files/552252729/M3125_SDG_REPORT_2023_WEB_FINAL_VERSION_2.pdf

We are featured on pages 18 and 67

Interventions presented at the World Health Organization Regional Commmittee Meeting for the Western Pacific

During the World Health Organization Regional Commmittee Meeting for the Western Pacific I presented two interventions on behalf of the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP) relating to:

• Agenda item 11 - Oral Health
  
• Agenda item 13 - Digital Health 
  
  

I thank Fiona Given, Meredith Allan, Shaun McCarthy and Bronwyn Hemsley for their insightful paper that I quoted in the intervention discussing digital health.

Given, F., Allan, M., McCarthy, S., & Hemsley, B. (2023). Digital health autonomy for people with communication or swallowing disability and the Sustainable Development Goal 10 of reducing inequalities and Goal 3 of good health and well-being. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(1), 72-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2092212

Prof Sharynne McLeod reading the intervention regarding people with communication disability at the WHO meeting in Manila, Philippines (from the perspective of the Chairperson)

 

I was honoured to read the intervention on Digital Health on the morning of Thursday 24th October. Here is the #RCM75 YouTube channel for Day 4 with my  IALP intervention (53:00 – 57:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvgPIaZKlo0

Seventy-fifth session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific

This week (21 to 25 October 2024) I am honoured to represent the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP) at the Seventy-fifth session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (RCM75) in Manila, the Philippines. 

Dr Ferdiliza Garcia (IALP, Philippines), Honourable Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown (Chairperson, Cook Islands) Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala (WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Tonga), Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod (IALP, CSU, Australia)

I was invited to present an intervention addressing communication disability. Here is the #RCM75 YouTube channel for Day 4 with my  IALP intervention (53:00 – 57:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvgPIaZKlo0

Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod presenting an intervention at WHO RCM75 in Manila

My colleague, Dr Ferdiliza Garcia from the University of the Philippines is also representing IALP and we have been promoting the right to communicate and the work of IALP in WHO's goal of "reaching the unreached" sharing IALP's book "The Unserved – Addressing the needs of those with communication disorders".

Prof Sharynne McLeod and Dr Ferdzila Garcia representing the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP) at the Seventy-fifth session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (RCM75) in Manila, the Philippines

"Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025−2029): Working together to improve health and well-being and save lives" is the vision presented by the first-ever WHO Regional Director from the Pacific - Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala.

"Our societies need to be better organized to support health systems that are inclusive and respectful of diversity – regardless of disability, race, ethnicity or gender – in order to combat inequity."

During Monday's discussion Dr Saia exhorted everyone: “We must do this work with our hearts – not just our minds”

The 2024 theme is "Weaving Health for All"

• WHO documents: https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/governance/regional-committee/session-75/documents
• Live statements will be published at https://rcm.wpro.who.int/NSAstatements

The Regional Director's dinner was a celebration of cultures and accomplishments over the past year.

Catching up with Pauline McNeil, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Solomon Islands at the Regional Director's Dinner (my PhD student Holly McAlister will visit Pauline and the Solomon Islands later this years as part of her PhD)

The Regional Committee sang "Stand by me"

WHO Western Pacific has implemented a zero alcohol policy
- so the conference dinner has coconuts

Presenting two papers at the International Conference on Sustainable Development 2024

The 12th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD2024) https://ic-sd.org/ is being held 19-21 September 2024 in New York and online. The website states:

"The theme of the 2024 ICSD is “Solutions for the Future”. The aim of the conference is to bring together persons involved in research, policy, practice, and business, in advance of the 2024 United Nations Summit of the Future. Participants will share practical solutions for achieving the SDGs at local and national levels."

We are presented two papers:

• Listening to children's communication: Partnership for the Goals (SDG 17) - Presented by Carolyn Gregoric and Belinda Downey on behalf of the Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group - Session 1B Children, youth and the future of the SDGs. 
  
• Communication for all: Amplifying all voices for SDG achievement - Sharynne McLeod & Julie E. Marshall - Session 1C Intergenerational dialogues to improve policy and accountability at all levels of governance
  

They are available on the SDSN YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Bwtrg9IpDnypQ7t_jjAYQ

Here is information about ICSD from their website (https://ic-sd.org/about/):

"The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) provides a forum for academia, government, civil society, UN agencies, and the private sector to come together to share practical solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."

"ICSD is the top academic international conference for discussing sustainable development issues. The parallel sessions include over 300 oral and poster presentations from researchers and development practitioners from across the world, presenting their work on topics ranging from gender equity to climate change to economic development, all focused on solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, ICSD’s plenaries allow participants to hear thought provoking speeches and conversations from leaders in the field of sustainable development. Speakers and panelists include heads of state, UN officials, CEOs, economists, and university professors. ICSD is a truly global event with programming that spans across all time zones and welcomes participants from all across the world – 149 countries in 2020 to be exact! Side events offer participants additional opportunities to meet with fellow participants, explore specific topics with more detail, and learn something new."

Session chairs and presenters in Session 1C
"Intergenerational dialogues to improve policy and accountability at all levels of governance"

More information about my session

1C Intergenerational dialogues to improve policy and accountability at all levels of governance

Chairs: Patrick Paul Walsh, University College Dublin; Enda Murphy, University College Dublin; Aparajita Banerjee, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)

"Intergenerational dialogues bring together individuals of different age groups, and can be used to achieve numerous objectives, including improved governance. This session seeks case studies and analyses of how intergenerational dialogue can improve processes such as agenda setting, implementation, and follow up and review. The ambition is to change the discount rate, which prioritizes today over the future. Planning and implementation should embody future generations’ welfare across all policy dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) at all levels of governance."

SUBMITTED - Two papers for the International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD)

Today I submitted two 9 page papers for the International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD). Our abstracts were accepted for presentation some time ago, and today was the submission date for the full papers. The conference will be held in September. Our papers are titled: 

• Communication for all: Amplifying all voices for SDG achievement 
• Listening to children’s communication: Partnership for the goals (SDG17)

Charles Sturt continues to be a global leader in sustainability

CSU News has just announced that "Charles Sturt University holds its status as a global leader in gender equality, climate action and other sustainable practices as recognised within the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings." https://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/charles-sturt-continues-to-be-a-global-leader-in-climate-action,-gender-equality-and-sustainability

• SDG5 - Gender equality - 33rd in the world (top 2%)
  
• SDG13 - Climate action - 48th in the world (top 5%)
• SDG15 - Life on land - 72nd in the world (top 10%)
• SDG17- Partnership for the goals - 99th in the world (top 5%)

"THE’s Impact rankings are the only global University rankings that measure progress towards the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. They evaluate our university programs and initiatives including research, teaching and learning, partnerships and engagement, and facilities and operations." DVC-R Mark Evans

Invited presentation to the Cylch Ieithyddiaeth/Bangor Linguistics Circle

I was honoured to be invited to speak to the staff and students at Bangor University https://www.bangor.ac.uk/ and the Cylch Ieithyddiaeth/Bangor Linguistics Circle. Thank you to Bethan Collins who organised the event and to the engaged students and staff who attended.

Here is the title of my presentation: Communication professionals need to advocate for communication rights and the Sustainable Development Goals

Here is the abstract:

Communication is a human right for all. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression… regardless of frontiers” (Article 19, United Nations, 1948). As communication professionals, we have the power to enhance everyone’s participation in day-to-day life, families, communities, and society. When we support everyone’s ability to communicate, we contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the five pillars of the 2030 Agenda: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships.

McLeod, S. (2018). Communication rights: Fundamental human rights for all. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2018.1428687

McLeod, S., & Marshall, J. (2023). Communication for all and the Sustainable Development Goals. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2160494

Thank you Bethan Collins (PhD student) who organised the event

Some of the audience in Bangor and online

 

During my conversations I learned about Bangor University's commitment to sustainability and Prof Thora Tenbrink's work. She is Professor of Linguistics and Dean of Research at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Bangor University:

• Director of the Places of Climate Change Research Centre at Bangor University https://www.bangor.ac.uk/plocc and Co-leading the PATCCh WISERD research network (Place-based Approaches To Climate Change)  https://wiserd.ac.uk/project/patcch-network/
  
• Involved in the Public Map Platform project, which gives children on the island of Anglesey a voice regarding their local place, expressed through various arts methods in addition to language (https://publicmap.org/en)
  
• Part of the Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership which aims at co-creating solutions to local challenges through communication with rural communities https://www.arsyllfa.cymru/cymru-wledig-lpip-rural-wales-phase-two/
  

 

Finally, I love this message on emails from the university as it encourages multilingualism: 

"Mae croeso i chi gysylltu gyda'r Brifysgol yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi. You are welcome to contact the University in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to delay."

Reporting Sustainable Development Goals at CSU

Today I met with the CSU team who document our engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

Dale Curran, Ben Heard, Sharynne McLeod, Dr Emmaline Lear

I have just found the updated URL for our Speech Pathology Australia pages reporting our SDGs research: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/About-Us/Advocacy/Communication-swallowing-SDG.aspx

Presentations about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2023

I have been honoured to provide international presentations about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) this year promoting our special issue of the Q1 journal: International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549507.2022.2160494 and have been pleased to learn that during 2023 the special issue has had 40,703 downloads and has a mean citation rate of 2.28 

Presentations during 2023 have included: 

• McLeod, S. & Marshall, J. E. (2023, November). Speech-language pathologists and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. [Oral presentation]. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA USA. 
• McLeod, S. & Marshall, J. E. (2023, August). Speech-language pathology and its contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP), Auckland, New Zealand. 
• McLeod, S. & Marshall, J. E. (2023, May). Communication, swallowing and the Sustainable Development Goals. Speech Pathology Australia National Conference, Hobart, Australia
• McLeod, S. & Marshall, J. E. (2023, August). International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association (ICPLA), Salzburg, Austria
• Marshall, J. E. & McLeod, S. (2023, September). XXXIII Congreso Internacional AELFA-IF Santande, Spain

ASHA, Boston, MA, USA

 

SPA, Hobart, Australia

IALP, Auckland, New Zealand

IALP, Auckland, New Zealand

I presented the special issue at the World Health Organization in Manila, Philippines in October.

World Health Organization in Manila, Philippines

I have also presented seminars/workshops at

• Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
• University of Iceland, Iceland

In 2024 I have presentations scheduled for 

• University of Bristol, UK
• 23rd Congress of Otorhinolaryngology Foundation, Brazil
  

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA, USA

It is exciting to be in Boston for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention. Our team is presenting a number of papers and seminars, including:

1. McLeod, S., Blake, H. L., Crowe, K., Louw, B., Farquharson, K., Bérubé, D., Goldstein, B., Babatsouli, E., Kakia Petinou, Zajdó, K., Washington, K. N., Auza, A, Buntová, D., Oravkinová, Z., & Masdottir, T. (2023, November). Children’s speech development in 70+ languages and dialects. [1-hour oral presentation]. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA, USA. 

2. Ireland, M., Verdon, S., & McLeod, S. (2023, November). Team decision making for SLPs in schools: Tensions and the impact of rules. [Oral presentation]. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA, USA. 

3. McLeod, S. & Marshall, J. E. (2023, November). Speech-language pathologists and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. [Oral presentation]. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA USA. 

4. Washington, K., Crowe, K., McLeod, S., Margetson, K., Kokotek, L., van der Straten Waillet, P., Masdottir, T., Volhardt, M. (2023, November). Methods for accurate differential diagnosis of speech sound disorder in multilingual children. [1-hour oral presentation]. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, Boston, MA USA.  

 The final attendance numbers are: 15,904 (1,458 – Virtual Only 14,446 – In Person)

 

RCSLT conference presentation about SDGs

Prof. Julie Marshall and I are presented a paper at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' Conference (1-2 November, 2023). This conference was held online https://www.rcslt.org/events/rcslt-conference-2023/

Keynote with Julie Marshall - XXXIII Congreso Internacional AELFA-IF Santander, Spain

This week Prof Julie Marshall presented a keynote address at the XXXIII Congreso Internacional AELFA-IF Santander, Spain describing our work on Communication, Swallowing and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) based on our special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology published earlier this year.

Communication and the SDGs at the IALP World Congress

Communication and the Sustainable Development Goals were profiled during the 32nd World Congress of the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP) in Auckland, New Zealand. 

Speech Pathology Australia had copies of our special issue of IJSLP available for delegates.

https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iasl20/25/1

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549507.2022.2160494

Julie Marshall and I presented a session titled "Speech-Language Pathology and its Contribution to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals"

Authors in the IJSLP special issue

Prof Sharynne McLeod, Prof Julie Marshall, A/Prof Natalie Munro (IJSLP Editor)

SPA Deputy CEO, Prof Lindy McAllister, Prof Sharynne McLeod, SPA CEO, Nicole P

 

 We discussed papers within the special issue with authors

The representatives at Cochlear were interested in the paper written by Graeme Clark, inventor of the Cochlear implant: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549507.2022.2142290