The training experiences of Australian support workers assisting people with communication support needs: Where do speech language pathologists fit?
Tracks
7
Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)
Complex communication needs (CCN)
Disability
| Friday, June 13, 2025 |
| 3:10 PM - 3:20 PM |
| Exhibition area | Halls MNO, Ground Level |
Overview
Clancy Conlon
Details
⏫ Rapid impact
⏲️ 3.10pm - 3.20pm
⌛10-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Intermediate (Some previous learning/working knowledge of topic e.g. treated a few cases)
⏲️ 3.10pm - 3.20pm
⌛10-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Intermediate (Some previous learning/working knowledge of topic e.g. treated a few cases)
Presenter
Miss Clancy Conlon
CQUniversity
The training experiences of Australian support workers assisting people with communication support needs: Where do speech language pathologists fit?
3:10 PM - 3:20 PMPresentation summary
Since its launch in 2013, the NDIS has dramatically reshaped the landscape of disability services in Australia. Support workers have taken on pivotal roles, becoming the primary providers of daily assistance for individuals with communication support needs including AAC users. Despite the significance of their role, the NDIS does not mandate any minimum training requirements for support workers. Furthermore, there has been no research conducted to identify the training experiences or needs of support workers in Australia. Therefore this study aimed to investigate the training experiences and needs of Australian support workers who are assisting NDIS participants with communication support needs. In total, 278 support workers completed an online, mixed methods survey which investigated self-perceived knowledge, training experiences and training needs. Overall, 75.1% of support workers had received training in assisting clients with communication support needs including training through their clients’ therapists. When asked about future training, 86% of support workers expressed interest with recorded webinars, face to face workshops and online live webinars being the preferred formats. While interest in further training was high, support workers described many barriers to participating in further training including time and scheduling limitations, format and mode of training currently available and financial and geographical accessibility. When asked to describe strategies used to support communication, four themes emerged including ‘following recommendations provided by therapists’. Given that support workers now form an integral component of an AAC team, speech language pathologists (SLPs) should be considering ways to capacity build these essential communication partners. This presentation will assist SLPs to understand the barriers faced by support workers when accessing critical training. In addition, suggestions will be made for ways that SLPs can be innovative in their approach to ensure support workers are an integral and effective component of any therapy team.
Refrences
Gilchrist, D., & Perks, D. (2023). See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil: the grey literature and Australia’s failure to address change in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 58(3), 476-493. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.270
Koritsas, S. (2023). Decision-making support: the impact of training on disability support workers who work with adults with cognitive disability. Brain Impairment, 24(3), 649-589. https://doi.org/10.1017/BrImp.2022.14
Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2019). Individualised funding and its implications for the skills and competencies required by disability support workers in Australia. Labour & Industry: A Journal of the Social and Economic Relations of Work, 29(1), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10301763.2018.1534523
Shire, S. Y., & Jones, N. (2015). Communication partners supporting children with complex communication needs who use AAC: A systematic review. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 37(1), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525740114558254 5) Simmons, A., McCarthy, J.,
Koszalinski, R., Hedrick, M., Reilly, K., & Hamby, E. (2019). Knowledge and experiences with augmentative and alternative communication by paediatric nurses: a pilot study. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 16(6), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2019.1685015
Smith-Merry, J., Gilroy, J., & Watharow, A. (2023). The NDIS at ten years: designing an equitable scheme for the next decade. The Medical Journal of Australia, 218(7). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51899
Tegler, H., Pless, M., Johansson, M. B., & Sonnander, K. (2019). Speech and language pathologists’ perceptions and practises of communication partner training to support children’s communication with high-tech speech generating devices. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 14(6), 581-589. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2018.1475515
Koritsas, S. (2023). Decision-making support: the impact of training on disability support workers who work with adults with cognitive disability. Brain Impairment, 24(3), 649-589. https://doi.org/10.1017/BrImp.2022.14
Moskos, M., & Isherwood, L. (2019). Individualised funding and its implications for the skills and competencies required by disability support workers in Australia. Labour & Industry: A Journal of the Social and Economic Relations of Work, 29(1), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10301763.2018.1534523
Shire, S. Y., & Jones, N. (2015). Communication partners supporting children with complex communication needs who use AAC: A systematic review. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 37(1), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525740114558254 5) Simmons, A., McCarthy, J.,
Koszalinski, R., Hedrick, M., Reilly, K., & Hamby, E. (2019). Knowledge and experiences with augmentative and alternative communication by paediatric nurses: a pilot study. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 16(6), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2019.1685015
Smith-Merry, J., Gilroy, J., & Watharow, A. (2023). The NDIS at ten years: designing an equitable scheme for the next decade. The Medical Journal of Australia, 218(7). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51899
Tegler, H., Pless, M., Johansson, M. B., & Sonnander, K. (2019). Speech and language pathologists’ perceptions and practises of communication partner training to support children’s communication with high-tech speech generating devices. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. 14(6), 581-589. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2018.1475515
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Clancy Conlon is a lecturer at CQUniversity in Rockhampton, QLD. Clancy’s teaching areas include paediatric speech and language as well as augmentative and alternative communication across the lifespan. Clancy is currently enrolled in her PhD through CQUniversity investigating the training experiences, attitudes and self-perceived competence and confidence of Australian speech language pathologists in Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Clancy continues to provide clinical services within the disability sector in Australia and overseas in under resourced settings.
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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