Visiting the University of Malta

Over the past 20 years I have collaborated with Prof Helen Grech from the University of Malta. Today I was able to visit the University of Malta's campus in Valetta.

Helen has written in books I have edited, including The Oxford Handbook of Speech Development in Languages of the World. Here is a book chapter Helen and I have written together a while ago:

Grech, H., & McLeod, S. (2012). Multilingual speech and language development and disorders. In D. Battle (Ed.), Communication disorders in multicultural and international populations (4th ed., pp. 120–147). Elsevier. 
 

International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children's Speech in Malta

Members of the International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children's Speech met in Malta during the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders Conference to continue working on our tutorial paper to support speech-language pathologists to provide intervention for multilingual children who do not speak the same language as the SLP.

Sari Kunnari (Finland), Carol Westby (USA), Carol To (Hong Kong SAR China), Helen Grech (Malta), Sharynne  McLeod (Australia)

 

International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP) Congress in Malta - 24-28 August 2025

I am in Malta to attend the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders Congress (IALP https://ialpglobal.org/). IALP is a Non-State Actor in Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and fosters professional knowledge and exchange of science and services across 55 affiliated societies in 35 countries around the world representing more than 300,000 members.  

During the congress I received the Honoured Member Award from IALP. Over the past 100 years (since 1924 when IALP began) the website lists only 22 Honoured Members and only one from the Southern Hemisphere (Brazil) (https://ialpglobal.org/individual-members-2/). 

The IALP Congress is attended by over 550 people from 58 countries offering 4 keynotes, over 90 sessions (with many papers per session), and 150 posters. One of the keynote speakers at IALP is Dr Antony Duttine, Technical Lead (Rehabilitation), World Health Organization, Switzerland "Telling the Story of Rehabilitation in a Changing World".

 Prof Wiebke Scharff Rethfeldt (IALP Vice President), Dr Antony Duttine (WHO), Prof Sharynne McLeod (CSU)

I have chaired a session and Dr Helen L. Blake and I have presented a paper titled "Unlocking global knowledge γνώση, 认识, إدراك, דַעַת, ज्ञान about children’s speech published by multilingual researchers".  We were honoured to receive this email on acceptance of our paper:

On behalf of the Scientific Committee of the 33rd World Congress of the IALP, we are delighted to inform you that your abstract, titled "Unlocking global knowledge about children’s speech published by multilingual researchers," has been accepted as an Oral Presentation. The Committee would like to commend you on your abstract, which scored among the highest of the abstracts submitted.

I have also attended the IALP Child Speech Committee meeting on Sunday.

IALP Child Speech Committee

The Congress is a fantastic time of networking, learning, and planning new research and opportunities. 

IALP Child Speech Committee meeting - Helen Grech (Malta), Krisztina Zjado (Hungary), Carol To (Hong Kong, SAR China), Joanne Cleland (UK), Sharynne McLeod (Australia)

IALP President, President Elect and Executive Committee Members

Sharynne, Egill (Iceland), Pam Enderby (UK), Carol Westby (USA)

Networking with IALP friends and colleagues in Malta

While at the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP) Congress in Malta I have had the chance to network with and learn from so many colleagues from across the globe (58 countries are represented).

With IALP President Elect Professor Tamer Abou-Elsaad

A colleague from Mexico who chose to buy our books on the first day of the conference

With Dr Eleftheria Geronikou from University of Patras, Greece

Enjoying chatting IALP's youngest delegate (10 weeks old!) with Prof Joanne Cleland

I appreciated the graphic illustrating the Global South - as well as the thoughtful presentations

Exploring the conference venue with Krisztina Zjado (Hungary) and Carol To (Hong Kong, SAR China)

Friends from Ireland and Australia

Tommy Robinson in Mdina

Joanne Cleland (Scotland), Eleftheria (Greece), Sharynne 

Gozo, Malta

This week I have traveled to Malta and Gozo to prepare for the IALP conference. I have never visited Malta before, but I have collaborated with Professor Helen Grech from the University of Malta for many years.  Malta's history, culture and languages are a fascinating mixture. The VisitMalta site says that over the years they have "hosted the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Knights of St. John, Napoleon and the British Empire." Malta was ruled by the British 1813-1964 - so English is a dominant language alongside Maltese (e.g., the main city in Gozo is called Ir-Rabat and Victoria as shown in the sign below). 

The various blues of the water colour are stunning (impacted by the limestone and sand reflecting the sky)! These photos are true to the colour.

Children Draw Health: Children's advisory group to analyse drawings and podcast

Today Dr Belinda Downey and Dr Travis Holland I met to plan the 4 x weekly sessions in September where our children's advisory group will analyse drawings from our Children DRaw Health project - and create podcasts. We had LOTS of great ideas.

 

Enjoying PhD student meetings

I really enjoy my PhD student meetings. Thanks Sarah and Holly!

Holly's colleagues wrote on the board - "Be like Holly!"

Children's perspectives of health - informing WHO

Tonight we met again with Mel Greaux from WHO about our project considering children with disability's perspectives of health. We had a LOT to discuss - but some of the exciting news was that we currently have received 79 drawings from 12 countries: Australia, Botswana, Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Malta, Netherlands, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States. The children have a mean age of 8, 15 have a diagnosed health condition and 11 have a disability.

Mel shared information about this week's launch of the WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative https://www.who.int/initiatives/disability-health-equity-initiative "The WHO Disability Health Equity initiative aims to close the avoidable health gaps between persons with disabilities and the broader population."
 

 

Dhuluny: Wiradyuri language workshops

This week I have attended a 2-day beginner-level workshop held in Kelso, Bathurst this week to learn the fundamentals of the Wiradyuri language. The workshop was funded by the NSW Aboriginal Languages Trust and taught us to pronounce Wiradyuri sounds, words, and phrases, including: family terms, numbers, animal names, and a basic Acknowledgement of Country. 

"Dhuluny: Wiradyuri language workshops commemorating the 1824 declaration of martial law" 

The workshops were held at the Wundirra Kelso Community Centre (with Wahluu Health Aboriginal Corporation Bathurst). Workshops were facilitated by Aunty Joylene Simpson and Aunty Leanna Carr assisted by Jonathon Jones. Wiradyuri people, other Aboriginal people, and parents/carers of Aboriginal children were given preference; however, non-Aboriginal people were also welcome to attend.

Just published - Children Draw Talking Around the World

Hooray!

McLeod, S., Gregoric, C., Davies, J., Dealtry, L., Delli-Pizzi, L., Downey, B., Elwick, S., Hopf, S. C., Ivory, N., McAlister, H., Murray, E., Rahman, A., Sikder, S., Tran, V. H., & Zischke, C. (2025). Children draw talking around the world. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_LSHSS-23-00190 
 

Children Draw Playing - Data coding is mostly finished - planning next steps

This morning 9 members of our interdisciplinary research team met to discuss our coding of the Children Draw Playing drawings. We are now up to analysis and writing papers. The children are teaching us so much through their 181 drawings.

 

Invited lecture - Faculty of Arts and Education 2025 seminar series "What are schools for?"

Tonight I provided a lecture for the Faculty of Arts and Education 2025 seminar series "What are schools for?". The lecture was titled "Listening to children's voices" and will be held on 13 August, 2025 7-8pm. I presented it on behalf of the Children's Voices Centre and am grateful to A/Prof Tamara Cumming and A/Prof Kathy Cologon for their support in preparing the presentation. There were 90+ people registered for the event, 39 people attended for the evening event - and the people registered will receive the recording.

 Here is the abstract

Have you ever wondered what it might look like to uphold children’s communication rights by listening to their voices about social issues? In this session, you’ll hear about some of the ground-breaking methods our multi-disciplinary researchers have used to seek and listen to children’s voices. You’ll learn about the types of issues on which children’s voices can be sought as well as ways of using arts-informed practice to empower children to share their experiences. Methods covered in this session can be used by teachers working in early childhood right through to senior school education. 

 

 

Editors' meeting - Multilingual Aspects of Children's Speech Sounds (2nd ed.)

This afternoon Helen Blake, Kate Margetson and I met to keep working together on our edited book - Multilingual Aspects of Children's Speech Sounds (2nd ed.). The book is coming along really well. It is ahead of schedule thanks to Helen's excellent oversight. We have 28 submitted chapters and 10 have finished two reviews and copyediting - with the others at various stages in the process.

We also had to have a moment or two talking about puppies :)

 

 

Meeting with Monique Smith - DVC-R's office

This morning the CVC team met with Monique Smith from the DVC-R's office. We have a lot to do with Monique so it was great to connect.

 

Children Draw Playing - Data coding

We are getting close to finishing the data coding for the Children Draw Playing Global Online Gallery. Around 20 CVC affiliates have been working in teams to code the drawings. Today Dr Carolyn Gregoric and Dr Helen Blake and I finalised the coding for The World Gallery. The children have provided wonderful insights into play through their drawings.

 We also had helpful companions during our analysis task :) 

 

Meeting with Bright Ideas Media

This morning I met with Shontaye Glover Jones from Bright Ideas Media and Dr. Kelly Farquharson from Florida State University to plan presentations for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the USA. We are working on a 90 minute live session on children's speech sounds and then a 2-hour pre-recorded masterclass on assessing multilingual speakers.

 

Shontaye has written a children's book titled Liam's First Cut https://www.amazon.com/Liams-First-Cut-Taye-Jones-ebook/dp/B0BP9LZN39 

In debut, children's book, "Liam's First Cut," Taye Jones weaves together the beauty of fatherhood, community, and neurodiversity as Liam, a black boy with an autism spectrum disorder, approaches a day he's been anticipating for quite some time. Liam takes us on a journey towards a big rite of passage in every boy's life as he prepares to get his hair cut on his first visit to a barbershop.
 

Busy day at The Treehouse

Today, after a slow-moving time of changes to The Treehouse we had a lot of action. We had old bookcases moved from another building and installed, desks and furniture moved, notice boards put up, discussions about getting taps fixed, and a first-aid kit obtained, and a fire-safety team made recommendations. 

We also welcomed Dr Belinda Downey who was bringing the Lego treehouse we purchased using our prizemoney from our CSU Research Excellence Award that was constructed by her children.

It is such a long road to getting our building ready for children and families - but we are getting closer.

Welcome: PhD scholar to study in The Treehouse

We are delighted to welcome Nicole Simone to The Treehouse! Nicole is studying her PhD at QUT in early childhood - and living locally. She has an MOU with CSU - and we are so pleased she will spend time with us at The Treehouse during her studies. We look forward to learning from her.

Discussing future collaborations to enhance health equity for children with disabilities

Tonight a team met to discuss future collaborations to enhance health equity for children with disabilities. There are a number of grants and opportunities available that will enable us to undertake research to change children's lives if we are successful.

Prof Sharynne McLeod, Dr Mel Greaux, Carly Evans (CSU Advancement), A/Prof Tamara Cumming

 

Page proofs of our next paper

Today Dr Kate Margetson and I discussed many topics including data analysis for our work on the SACHL, very positive feedback on a journal article, a book chapter, and page proofs on her latest journal article:

Margetson, K., McLeod, S., & Verdon, S. (2025, in press June). Cross-linguistic transfer in Vietnamese-English speech. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools.