2019 Speech Pathology Week: Communicating with confidence!
Yooralla has several Speech Pathologists in our Therapy team who support adults and children with disability at all ages.
This week is Speech Pathology Week, which aims to reinforce that communication is a basic human right.
Did you know that in Australia, more than 1.2 million people have a communication or swallowing disorder that impacts their daily life? People with disability are more likely to face swallowing difficulties.
Yooralla has several Speech Pathologists in our Therapy team who support adults and children with disability at all ages.
Our qualified and experienced Speech Pathologists support customers to overcome communication barriers, specialising in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
They also specialise in prescribing communication devices and can complete funding applications for AAC devices to the Electronic Communication Devices Scheme (ECDS).
The theme for Speech Pathology Week this year is – Communicating with confidence! Speech Pathology Australia developed tips for successful communication with people who have a communication or swallowing disorder:
- Be welcoming and friendly.
- Listen carefully.
- Speak normally. There is no need for you to raise your voice or slow your speech.
- Speak directly to the person and make eye contact. (Though be mindful that there are some people who may not want you to look at them, e.g. some people with autism spectrum disorder).
- Try asking the person ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions if you are having difficulty understanding them.
- If you ask a question, wait for the person to reply, and
- Allow the person time to respond, so always be patient.
Read more about Yooralla’s Therapy team.