Developing teachers’ knowledge and confidence for supporting students with speech, language, and communication needs in Flexible Learning Program classrooms
Tracks
6
Adolescent
Education
Interprofessional collaborative practice
Multidisciplinary practice
Oral language
| Sunday, June 15, 2025 |
| 11:20 AM - 11:30 AM |
Overview
Prof Suze Leitao
Details
⏫ Research insights
⏲️ 11.20am - 11.40am
⌛20-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
⏲️ 11.20am - 11.40am
⌛20-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
Presenter
Professor Suze Leitao
Curtin University
Developing teachers’ knowledge and confidence for supporting students with speech, language, and communication needs in Flexible Learning Program classrooms
11:20 AM - 11:40 AMPresentation summary
Flexible Learning Programmes (FLPs) are alternative education options that aim to enhance educational engagement among disadvantaged high school students. Young people attending FLPs have disengaged from mainstream schooling for a range of reasons, which may include domestic violence experiences and chaotic family structures, histories of low academic achievement, school suspension or expulsion, and health and wellbeing issues. In our research with FLPs, we have also identified that more than half of these young people experience significant difficulties with oral language, further impacting their academic engagement and socioemotional wellbeing.
In this presentation, we will discuss the findings of our exploration into the effectiveness of a pilot workshop designed to increase educators’ confidence to support students with oral language difficulties in FLP environments. We explored changes in educator confidence as well as their perspectives on training needs and opportunities.
Thirty-one educators (including classroom teachers, school leaders, and psychologists) from a local network of FLPs attended the workshop, with 25 completing the pre- and 15 completing the post-workshop survey. Quantitative findings indicated significant increases in educator confidence in areas such as identifying students with SLCN and providing adjusted assessments and support for students’ oral and written language needs. Content analysis of open-ended responses highlighted the need for further training and resourcing, including opportunities to collaborate with speech pathologists to implement a systems-level approach.
The study’s findings underscore the importance of a collaborative approach between speech pathologists and educators in the unique and complex FLP environment. The findings will guide research that co-designs and evaluates classroom-based supports for students with SLCN in FLPs.
In this presentation, we will discuss the findings of our exploration into the effectiveness of a pilot workshop designed to increase educators’ confidence to support students with oral language difficulties in FLP environments. We explored changes in educator confidence as well as their perspectives on training needs and opportunities.
Thirty-one educators (including classroom teachers, school leaders, and psychologists) from a local network of FLPs attended the workshop, with 25 completing the pre- and 15 completing the post-workshop survey. Quantitative findings indicated significant increases in educator confidence in areas such as identifying students with SLCN and providing adjusted assessments and support for students’ oral and written language needs. Content analysis of open-ended responses highlighted the need for further training and resourcing, including opportunities to collaborate with speech pathologists to implement a systems-level approach.
The study’s findings underscore the importance of a collaborative approach between speech pathologists and educators in the unique and complex FLP environment. The findings will guide research that co-designs and evaluates classroom-based supports for students with SLCN in FLPs.
Refrences
Anaby, D. R., Campbell, W. N., Missiuna, C., Shaw, S. R., Bennett, S., Khan, S., Tremblay, S., Kalubi‐Lukusa, J. C., Camden, C., & GOLDs. (2019). Recommended practices to organize and deliver school‐based services for children with disabilities: A scoping review. Child: Care, Health and Development, 45(1), 15-27.
Australian Government. (2005). Disability Standards for Education 2005. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005
Conti‐Ramsden, G., Durkin, K., Toseeb, U., Botting, N., & Pickles, A. (2018). Education and employment outcomes of young adults with a history of developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(2), 237-255.
Dubois, P., St-Pierre, M-C., Desmarais, C., & Frédéric, G. (2020). Young adults with developmental language disorder: A systematic review of education, employment, and independent living outcomes. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(11), 3786-3800.
Foley, K., D’Arcy, C., & Lawless, A. (2023). “There’s been a huge change”: Educator experiences of a whole-school SLP-led project to address developmental language disorder in three Australian secondary schools. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(4), 619-629.
Guskey, T. R., & Yoon, K. S. (2009). What works in professional development? Phi Delta Kappan, 90(7), 495-500.
Hollands, K., van Kraayenoord, C. E., & McMahon, S. (2005). Support to adolescents experiencing language difficulties: A survey of speech-language pathologists. Advances in Speech Language Pathology, 7(3), 113-129.
Johnson, C. J., Beitchman, J. H., & Brownlie, E. (2010). Twenty-year follow-up of children with and without speech-language impairments: Family, educational, occupational, and quality of life outcomes. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 19, 51-65.
Kyngäs, H., Elo, S., Pölkki, T., Kääriäinen, M., & Kanste, O. (2011). The use of content analysis in Finnish nursing science research. Hoitotiede, 23(2), 138-148.
Leitão, S., Jackson, E., Kippin, N., Glisson, L., Tomlin, T., & Boyes, M. (2022). Profiling the language skills of adolescents in curriculum and re-engagement in education (CARE) schools in WA. International Developmental Language Disorder Research Conference, Online.
Leitão, S., Jackson, E., Kippin, N. R., Glisson, L., Tomlin, T., & Boyes, M. (2023). ‘They make it easier to learn and cope’: The views of adolescents with speech, language and communication needs on attending a flexible learning programme. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 39(3), 234-247.
McGinty, S., Bursey, S., & Babacan, H. (2018). I just want an education! Young people’s perspectives. In S McGinty, K Wilson, J Thomas and B Lewthwaite (eds) Gauging the value of education for disenfranchised youth. The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 63-81.
McLeod, S., & McKinnon, D. H. (2007). Prevalence of communication disorders compared with other learning needs in 14 500 primary and secondary school students. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 42(S1), 37-59.
Snow, P. C., Graham, L. J., Mclean, E. J., & Serry, T. A. (2020). The oral language and reading comprehension skills of adolescents in flexible learning programmes. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 22(4), 425-434.
Starling, J., Munro, N., Togher, L., & Arciuli, J. (2012). Training secondary school teachers in instructional language modification techniques to support adolescents with language impairment: A randomized controlled trial. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 43(4), 474-495.
Te Riele K (2014) Putting the jigsaw together: Flexible learning programs in Australia final report, project report, Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity and Lifelong Learning, Australia, viewed 16 October 2022, https://vuir.vu.edu.au/31758/
Thomas, J., & Nicholas, C. (2018). Estimating the economic returns to flexible learning options in Australia: A social return on investment analysis. James Cook University.
Australian Government. (2005). Disability Standards for Education 2005. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005
Conti‐Ramsden, G., Durkin, K., Toseeb, U., Botting, N., & Pickles, A. (2018). Education and employment outcomes of young adults with a history of developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(2), 237-255.
Dubois, P., St-Pierre, M-C., Desmarais, C., & Frédéric, G. (2020). Young adults with developmental language disorder: A systematic review of education, employment, and independent living outcomes. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(11), 3786-3800.
Foley, K., D’Arcy, C., & Lawless, A. (2023). “There’s been a huge change”: Educator experiences of a whole-school SLP-led project to address developmental language disorder in three Australian secondary schools. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(4), 619-629.
Guskey, T. R., & Yoon, K. S. (2009). What works in professional development? Phi Delta Kappan, 90(7), 495-500.
Hollands, K., van Kraayenoord, C. E., & McMahon, S. (2005). Support to adolescents experiencing language difficulties: A survey of speech-language pathologists. Advances in Speech Language Pathology, 7(3), 113-129.
Johnson, C. J., Beitchman, J. H., & Brownlie, E. (2010). Twenty-year follow-up of children with and without speech-language impairments: Family, educational, occupational, and quality of life outcomes. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 19, 51-65.
Kyngäs, H., Elo, S., Pölkki, T., Kääriäinen, M., & Kanste, O. (2011). The use of content analysis in Finnish nursing science research. Hoitotiede, 23(2), 138-148.
Leitão, S., Jackson, E., Kippin, N., Glisson, L., Tomlin, T., & Boyes, M. (2022). Profiling the language skills of adolescents in curriculum and re-engagement in education (CARE) schools in WA. International Developmental Language Disorder Research Conference, Online.
Leitão, S., Jackson, E., Kippin, N. R., Glisson, L., Tomlin, T., & Boyes, M. (2023). ‘They make it easier to learn and cope’: The views of adolescents with speech, language and communication needs on attending a flexible learning programme. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 39(3), 234-247.
McGinty, S., Bursey, S., & Babacan, H. (2018). I just want an education! Young people’s perspectives. In S McGinty, K Wilson, J Thomas and B Lewthwaite (eds) Gauging the value of education for disenfranchised youth. The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 63-81.
McLeod, S., & McKinnon, D. H. (2007). Prevalence of communication disorders compared with other learning needs in 14 500 primary and secondary school students. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 42(S1), 37-59.
Snow, P. C., Graham, L. J., Mclean, E. J., & Serry, T. A. (2020). The oral language and reading comprehension skills of adolescents in flexible learning programmes. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 22(4), 425-434.
Starling, J., Munro, N., Togher, L., & Arciuli, J. (2012). Training secondary school teachers in instructional language modification techniques to support adolescents with language impairment: A randomized controlled trial. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 43(4), 474-495.
Te Riele K (2014) Putting the jigsaw together: Flexible learning programs in Australia final report, project report, Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity and Lifelong Learning, Australia, viewed 16 October 2022, https://vuir.vu.edu.au/31758/
Thomas, J., & Nicholas, C. (2018). Estimating the economic returns to flexible learning options in Australia: A social return on investment analysis. James Cook University.
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Suze is a speech pathology clinician, researcher and academic. She is passionate about working with the DLD community to improve services for language, learning and mental health. She works with her research team: language and literacy in young people and is a member of Engage with DLD and the DLD Project Research Institute.
The information contained in this program is current at of the time of publishing but is subject to changes made without notice.
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Important Notice, please read: The views expressed in this presentation and reproduced in these materials are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited ("the Association"). The Association makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content, currency or accuracy of any of the materials comprised in this presentation. The Association expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of these materials and the information contained within them. The Association recommends you seek independent professional advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this presentation including in any of the materials referred to or otherwise incorporated into this presentation.
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