Inherent requirements for speech pathology programs

Speech pathology is a profession governed by professional standards, a code of ethics, and a national code of conduct where speech pathologists are both accountable and responsible for ensuring safe and professional behaviour in all contexts. 

The student will demonstrate knowledge of, and engage in, ethical behaviour in practice. 

Complying with standards, codes, guidelines, and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and the people and communities they engage with. Ethical behaviour protects the rights and dignity of all and supports physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. 

Reasonable adjustments must ensure that standards, codes, guidelines, and policies are maintained and do not result in unethical behaviour. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Comply with the values, standards and duties of the profession as outlined in the Code of Ethics. 

• Reflect on ethical issues and take responsibility for demonstrating ethical awareness and conduct in the delivery of care. 

Behavioural stability is necessary to effectively and sensitively function and adapt in speech pathology roles. 

The student will demonstrate behavioural stability in diverse, unpredictable, and challenging academic and clinical environments. 

Behavioural stability is necessary to work in diverse, unpredictable, and challenging environments, whether individually or in a team. Speech pathology students will be exposed to disability and human suffering and are required to have the behavioural stability to manage themselves and their activities in these environments. 

Reasonable adjustments must support stable, effective, and professional behaviour in both academic and clinical settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Be receptive to constructive feedback and respond appropriately when feedback is provided. 

• Effectively manage your emotions and behaviour in classroom and clinical/practice education settings. 

Speech pathology practice is regulated by Australian laws and professional standards to enable safe and effective speech pathology management. 

The student will demonstrate knowledge of and compliance with Australian laws, professional standards, and scope of practice. 

Showing an understanding of and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements reduces the risk of harm to self and others and are a necessary prerequisite to clinical placements and other practice education contexts. Compliance with Australian laws and regulations ensures students are responsible and accountable for their practice.  

Reasonable adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Comply with professional standards relating to professional behaviour and competency in academic and clinical/practice education settings. 

• Comply with relevant child protection, privacy, and safety legislation. 

• Provide evidence where required of your personal history and activities (e.g., police check and/or Blue Card) before any clinical placements. 

• Comply with infection control policies as required in specific workplace contexts (e.g., bare arms below the elbows during client interaction). 

Effective verbal communication in English is an essential requirement to provide safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

• Respect for diversity during individual, family, and community interactions. 

• Accurate and timely processing and comprehension of conversational speech, verbal instructions, and feedback. 

• Clear expression with intelligible and appropriate instructions and feedback required for the communication context. 

• The capacity to provide an accurate and timely model of relevant communication skills in clinical/practice education settings. 

• Effective presentation of information in a group/team setting. 

• The ability to use interpersonal communication skills to positively interact and build rapport with others. 

• The ability to respond appropriately during communication interactions with others when ‘higher level’ language skills are required, including understanding abstract concepts, humour, and responding appropriately to cynicism or sarcasm. 

• The capacity to adapt your own communication to provide accessible information and facilitate others to effectively communicate. 

• Verbal communication is a core element of speech pathology practice. 

• Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy with others underpins effective professional relationships. 

• Comprehension of conversation, instructions, and feedback is integral to clinical learning and practice. 

• Accurate, clear, and appropriate communication models are required to provide effective assessment and therapy. 

• Presenting verbal information in group situations is consistently required in speech pathology workplaces. 

• Timely, accurate, and effective delivery of instructions and feedback is essential for safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

• Speech pathology students will need to recognise and repair communication breakdowns and adapt their communication in response to clients’ communication needs. 

• Speech pathology practice may include communication in face to face and online environments. 

Reasonable adjustments must address issues concerning the effectiveness, timeliness, clarity, and accuracy of verbal communication to achieve safe and appropriate care. Adjustments must enable effective verbal communication in individual, small, and large groups (consistent with speech pathology practice). Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Participate in tutorials, simulation activities, verbal presentations, and clinical discussions.

• Demonstrate verbal communication skills to convey complex clinical speech pathology information, concepts, assessment, and management with individuals, families, and communities. 

• Communicate effectively with peers, educators, and team members to plan, implement, and evaluate speech pathology services. 

Appropriate non-verbal communication is fundamental to speech pathology and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, appropriate, and professional. 

• The capacity to recognise, interpret, and respond appropriately to behavioural cues. 

• The capacity to use non-verbal behaviours to facilitate positive interpersonal interactions. 

• Consistent and appropriate awareness of your own behaviours. 

• Appropriate responsiveness to children and adults who communicate using multimodalities, augmentative communication and/or Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. 

• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues helps to build rapport and develop trustful and respectful relationships in academic and professional contexts. 

• Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions and eye contact, and being aware of spatial boundaries, body movements and gestures, facilitates effective communication. 

• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for safe and effective observation of client communication and mealtime management. 

• Understanding and responding to multimodal communication, including the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), by children and adults is core speech pathology practice. 

Reasonable adjustments must enable the recognition and initiation of effective non-verbal communication and avoidance of inappropriate non-verbal behaviours. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Recognise and respond appropriately to cues in academic and clinical settings. 

• Use appropriate non-verbal communication to facilitate interactions with individuals and families. 

• Interact appropriately with clients who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). 

Effective written communication in English is essential to speech pathology practice and has professional and legal ramifications. 

• The ability to construct written communication that is cohesive, accurate, and demonstrates appropriate grammar and spelling. 

• The capacity to construct written communication in a timely manner.

• The ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and other information.

• The capacity to administer and analyse client assessments that include written textual components.

• The capacity to prepare and use treatment materials that include written textual components.

• The capacity to adapt written communication to meet the communication needs of clients, families, and the community. 

• Accurate processing of client notes, reports, and feedback is vital to provide consistent and safe client care. 

• Construction of written text-based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter for professional practice. 

• Accurate written communication, including record-keeping and client notes which meet legal and ethical requirements, is vital to provide consistent and safe client care. 

• Assessment of clients’ reading and writing is required during speech pathology practice. 

• Written communication needs to be adapted so that information is accessible for clients, families, and communities. 

Reasonable adjustments must enable a student to meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy, and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and clinical/practice education settings, and that competent literacy support may be provided to speech pathology clients. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Construct a written academic assessment that meets minimum academic standards. 

• Construct client notes, reports, and educational information in a timely manner that meets minimum professional standards. 

• Provide written material using style and content that is accessible for individuals, families, and communities. 

Cognitive ability and the capacity to learn and recall complex information are essential in providing safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

• The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information.

• The ability to process and recall information relevant to practice.

• The ability to integrate and implement knowledge in a timely and responsive manner.

• The ability to reflect on performance and develop action plans.

• The capacity to develop and apply clinical reasoning skills. 

• Safe and effective speech pathology practice relies on comprehensive knowledge that is sourced, understood, and applied appropriately. 

• Reflection, reasoning, and professional development are essential for speech pathology practice. 

Reasonable adjustments must ensure knowledge can be clearly demonstrated and cognitive skills are not compromised or impeded. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.

• Appropriately apply knowledge of theory, research evidence, policies and procedures in clinical/practice education settings.

• Learn or change behaviours in response to feedback. 

Competent English literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective speech pathology management. 

• The ability to acquire information and accurately convey appropriate and effective information in English.

• The ability to read and comprehend a range of information in English.

• The capacity to understand and apply academic conventions to write coherent English in a scholarly and professional manner. 

• The ability to acquire information and write and speak clearly and accurately in English is fundamental to the safe and effective assessment, treatment, and delivery of care. 

• The ability to read, interpret and understand multiple sources of information is fundamental to the safe and effective assessment, treatment, and delivery of care. 

• Literacy skills are necessary to provide effective speech pathology services to children and adults. 

Reasonable adjustments must ensure a student can demonstrate an appropriate capacity to acquire, comprehend, apply, and communicate accurately in English. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Successfully paraphrase, summarise, and reference in English, in accordance with appropriate academic conventions. 

• Critically review evidence on assessment and therapy approaches in speech pathology practice in academic and clinical/practice education contexts. 

• Create accurate, concise, and clear documentation in English. 

Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential to provide safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

The student will demonstrate the ability to interpret and apply numerical information, whether data, measurements, or other numbers correctly and accurately. 

Competent numeracy skills are essential to facilitating safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

Reasonable adjustments must ensure a student can demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply numerical concepts and processes in a timely, accurate and effective manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Record accurate data in client notes. 

• Score and analyse speech pathology assessments. 

Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

The student will demonstrate sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of speech pathology skills. 

• Sufficient visual acuity is needed to complete the required range of skills, learning activities, and assessment tasks in this program, and to provide consistent, accurate, and safe care. 

• Visual observations, examinations and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

Reasonable adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent, and not compromise treatment or safety. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Observe and examine the functioning of oral muscles required for communication and swallowing. 

• Observe and interact with clients using multimodal communication. 

Sufficient auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

The student will demonstrate sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills. 

• Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to monitor, assess and manage a patient’s communication and swallowing needs consistently and accurately. 

• Auditory assessments, examinations and observations are fundamental to safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

Reasonable adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the hearing impairment must be effective, consistent, and not compromise treatment or safety. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Discriminate speech sounds in a range of communication environments. 

• Respond appropriately to a client’s responses during assessment and management in a range of clinical contexts. 

• Accurately model speech sounds in a range of communication environments. 

Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe speech pathology management. 

The student will demonstrate sufficient tactile function to undertake the required range of skills and assessments, which will include physically touching clients of all ages and genders. 

• Sufficient tactile ability is needed to monitor, assess, and detect a client’s functioning during communication and mealtimes for appropriate delivery of care. 

• Tactile assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective speech pathology practice. 

Reasonable adjustments must ensure a student can demonstrate the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Assess changes in oral muscular functioning. 

• Palpate muscles required for swallowing and detect anatomical or movement abnormalities. 

• Demonstrate treatment techniques e.g., swallowing rehabilitation. 

Speech pathology can be physically demanding and requires adequate gross motor function. 

The student will demonstrate the ability to perform gross motor skills to function within scope of practice. 

Gross motor skills are needed to perform, coordinate, and prioritise care. Tasks that involve gross motor skills include carrying, pushing, pulling, sitting, standing, twisting, and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others. 

Reasonable adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others, and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

Safe evaluation of clients who: 

• have varying physical capacity,

• may be positioned in hospital beds, wheelchairs, on chairs of varied size and when standing,

• may reside in diverse health or community settings. 

Speech pathology practice requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills. 

The student will demonstrate the ability to perform fine motor skills to function within scope of practice. 

Fine motor skills are necessary to administer speech pathology assessments and conduct therapy with children and adults. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to manipulate various objects required for communication and mealtime management. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others. 

Reasonable adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self and others, and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Record data and write client notes in a timely and legible manner. 

• Manipulate utensils and resources required to conduct communication and swallowing assessments and management. 

• Use hand signs and other augmentative and alternative communication methods with clients. 

Speech pathology practice requires physical and cognitive  performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet individual needs over time. 

• The ability to perform diverse tasks with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on each activity until it is completed appropriately. 

• The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time. 

Sufficient physical and mental endurance are essential to performing multiple tasks in an assigned period and to provide safe and effective care. 

Reasonable adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with a Student Adviser. 

• Actively participate in tutorials, lectures, and practicals.

• Manage attention and fatigue to provide consistent speech pathology services over a negotiated time frame while on clinical/practice education placements.