Celebrating Speech Pathology Week 2025: Impact Through Communication

Sunday 24th – Saturday 30th August

This year’s Speech Pathology Week, led by Speech Pathology Australia, celebrates the theme Impact Through Communication. The theme highlights how speech pathologists change lives through fostering connection, confidence, inclusion, empowerment, opportunity, wellbeing, and independence.

At the University Department of Rural Health South West (UDRH SW), we’re proud to recognise the vital role speech pathologists play in our communities, especially across rural and regional settings.

Speech pathologists are woven into UDRH SW at every level, from leadership to student support:

• Professor Beth Armstrong – Director, Speech Pathologist
• Abigail Lewis – Senior Lecturer, Speech Pathologist
• Emily Jackson – Discipline Advisor, Speech Pathologist

Their expertise enriches our programs, ensuring that interdisciplinary education is central to the rural clinical placements we deliver. Skills gained from speech pathology extend beyond the profession itself, strengthening learning opportunities for students across all health disciplines.

Speech pathology is about much more than speech, it supports swallowing, communication, language development, and quality of life. Yet access in rural areas remains limited. There are fewer speech pathologists distributed across rural and remote areas. New graduates often face limited capacity for supervision and support when managing broad caseloads. Despite these challenges, rural practice offers unique opportunities for diverse, meaningful, and community-driven work. (Reference: Speech Pathology Workforce Analysis: Preparing for our future, March 2023)

At UDRH SW, we help address these challenges by supporting clinical student placements across the South West and building local capacity through training, supervision, and professional networks.

UDRH SW has a strong record of providing and supporting clinical training opportunities to Speech Pathologists:

• 24 Speech Pathology placements supported in 2024, and 10 placements supported so far in 2025.
• Students have been hosted in Margaret River, Collie, Manjimup, Busselton, and Bunbury, with many also travelling with supervisors and allied health teams to see clients in Bridgetown, Balingup, Boyup Brook, Donnybrook, Cowaramup, Yallingup, and Dunsborough.
• Diversifying placement opportunities throughout the region by identifying and fostering new student clinical placement sites

These placements allow students to experience the breadth of rural practice while providing much-needed services to communities throughout the region.

One student, Gabrielle completed her placement in Bunbury and surrounding areas, supported by senior clinical supervisors. Her eight-week experience gave her the skills, independence, and confidence to step into the workforce. She is now employed and working in the South West!

Reflecting on her placement final year placement in the South West, Gabrielle shared:

“I had two senior speech pathologists as my clinical supervisors. We had a really good chat at the beginning about how I learn best. They adjusted their approach, and as we progressed, they pulled back more and more, so I felt more and more independent. I’m solo now.”

Her story reflects how placements in the South West not only support students’ professional growth but also help retain passionate graduates in regional communities. Listen to her story here.

Across the South West, dedicated speech pathologists continue to supervise students and help community members achieve their communication and swallowing goals. Speech pathologists located across the South West are encouraged to attend annual meet ups, get involved by contacting the UDRH SW!

This Speech Pathology Week the UDRH SW proudly celebrates the speech pathologists in our team, speech pathologists working in the South West, and the students who are shaping the future of rural healthcare. Their impact through communication is felt every day across the South West.