Unit rationale, description and aim
Speech pathologists work with children who experience communication and/or swallowing difficulties. Therefore, they need to have knowledge and skills for working with different populations and in a range of different settings. This unit has a focus on building skills for working with children, particularly those who experience speech and/or language difficulties.
This is the third of seven professional practice units. This unit provides students with an increased focus on the provision of speech pathology intervention. Specifically, students will apply and integrate theory of typical and atypical speech and language development to a paediatric professional practice setting/s. Students will consolidate their knowledge of speech pathology assessment, analysis, and interpretation and develop their knowledge of the planning, implementation and outcome measurement of evidence based intervention/s. Students' clinical reasoning, communication, lifelong learning and professionalism will continue to be developed along with reflective practice.
Additionally, this unit contains a learning outcome from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (HCF, 2014) specifically addressing the HCF cultural capability- Self Reflexivity.
The overall aim of this unit is to prepare and support students to demonstrate greater independence in knowledge and skills for working with paediatric clients, and to identify transferable skills for future professional practice experiences.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Demonstrate reasoning, communication, learning and...
Learning Outcome 01
Demonstrate skills in ethical and evidence-based a...
Learning Outcome 02
Describe how knowledge and skills in assessment an...
Learning Outcome 03
HCF 11.1* Examine own cultural worldview and value...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Practice areas of focus
· Paediatric speech, language, literacy, and/or multimodal communication
Professional Conduct (Professional Standard 1)
Provide ethical and evidence-based practice
· Professional (clinical) reasoning and the ICF: Integration of Functioning and Disability Level and Paediatric contextual factors.
· Using EBP processes to support clinical decision-making
· Principles which underpin ethical practice and decision making
· Application of SPA Code of Ethics to practice context.
Comply with legislation, standards, policies and protocols
· Organisational policies etc including curriculum
Collaborate with individuals, their supports, our colleagues and the community
· Inter-professional communication Understanding the basics and importance of team dynamics in an education setting whilst working towards a common goal
Maintain high standards of communication, information sharing and record keeping
· Writing session plans
· Writing reports
· Progress notes, file management, and Medico-legal considerations
· Communicating with empathy: Talking to parents, carers and older children
Reflective Practice and lifelong learning (Professional Standard 2)
Demonstrate self-awareness and use of critical reflection to guide professional development and practice
· Professional Learning goals pre and post placement
· Acquire, critique and integrate knowledge from a range of sources
· Reflection on and for Action (ROA and RFA)Examine own cultural worldview and values
· Describe implications of personal values for clinical practice.
· Describe how knowledge and skills may be transferable across clients and contexts
Speech Pathology Practice (Professional Standard 3)
Plan speech pathology intervention or service response
· Long-term, short-term, session goals and Goal Attainment Scaling
· Application of the ICF framework and collaborative goal setting
· E3BP Goals and rationales;
· Contingency development;
· Outcome measurement and data collection.
· Discharge planning and documentation
Implement and evaluate intervention or service response
· Behavioural Goals and managing challenging behaviour in practice
· Managing therapy groups
· School-aged language and literacy intervention
Assessment strategy and rationale
To pass this unit students are required to participate in classroom based and professional practice experiences and receive a satisfactory grade on four hurdle tasks.
Mandatory documentation. In order to attend professional practice experiences students must have mandatory documentation in place that is approved by ACU staff. Students are unable to progress to placement unless all mandatory requirements have been met. Documentation includes both state-based public health requirements, as well as internal ACU requirements (including Fitness to Practise).
Professional Practice Assessment. Students will be assessed dynamically throughout their professional practice experiences within a familiar and supported environment. The Professional Practice Assessment tool will enable supervisors to record student progress, assist with goal setting, and assist in determining levels of competency across Domains 1-3 of the Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia. They will be expected to demonstrate increased independence in familiar clinical tasks. Students also attend an interview with their professional practice educator in which students will have an additional opportunity to demonstrate their reflective practice skills as they report on their achievement of personal goals, acquisition of knowledge, understanding of speech pathology and skills in assessment and intervention. This will help inform their Reflective Assignment.
Reflective Assignment. This assessment task requires students to reflect on their development and growth in knowledge and skills across the experienced Practice areas and to describe how they can transfer this to other clients and contexts. In order to pass this hurdle task, students must submit a written reflection which demonstrates their progression in the generic professional competencies, discusses the role of the SLP and examines the student’s own cultural world view and values in the education setting.
Clinical skills exam (OSCE). Students are required to demonstrate competency in speech or language assessment and intervention in a whole of cohort assessment format. In addition to providing students with the opportunity to receive further feedback on their developing skills, this task will familiarise students with the assessment format used in future years of the program when more advanced competency standards are to be met. If students do not pass the OSCE(s) on their first attempt, they will be offered another opportunity to achieve the required competency.
Overview of assessments
Mandatory Documentation Students will submit ma...
Mandatory Documentation
Students will submit mandatory documents to fulfil requirements of external agencies and comply with ACU Policy and Procedures.
Ungraded Hurdle
Assessment 1: Professional Practice Assessment S...
Assessment 1: Professional Practice Assessment
Students will demonstrate satisfactory clinical skills in working with paediatric clients, and professional skills in reasoning, communication, learning and reflection.
Hurdle (Pass/Fail)
Assessment 2: Reflective Assignment Students wil...
Assessment 2: Reflective Assignment
Students will reflect on their development and growth in knowledge and skills and describe how they can transfer these to other clients and contexts.
Hurdle (Pass/Fail)
Assessment 3: Objective Structured Clinical Exam ...
Assessment 3: Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE)
Students will complete clinical skills exam(s) targeting assessment and intervention.
Hurdle (Pass/Fail)
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Learning and teaching strategies for this unit comprise tutorials as well as supervised professional practice experiences. This unit provides opportunities for students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations, and to reflect on developing professional identity, confidence and competence.
Tutorials prepare students for professional practice experiences with clients in a controlled academic environment. Professional practice activities will be conducted via a small group format by a professional practice educator/s to facilitate greater independence in clinical skills, clinical reasoning, and reflection compared to Year 2, Semester 2 professional practice experiences.
This Year 2, Semester 2 professional practice experience scaffolds student learning and supports their identification of transferable knowledge and skills to assist their preparation for future professional practice experiences.
Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia
In connection to the learning outcomes, the Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia (Professional Standards) detail
- the knowledge, skills and attributes a speech pathologist practising in Australia must demonstrate and apply, at any point in their career, as relevant to their speech pathology role and work context
- the knowledge, skills and attributes a graduating speech pathology student must demonstrate and be able to apply by the time they complete their entry-level degree.
The Professional Standards should not be read in isolation. Speech pathologists should also be cognisant of, and comply with, relevant legislation, Speech Pathology Australia policies and the Speech Pathology Australia Code of Ethics.