"Eat Your Words"
“Eat Your Words” was created as part of a final year Bachelor of Speech Pathology project at La Trobe University by Heather Darnley, Tanya Falcone, Louise Hennessy, Kerry Hicks, Brianna O’Connor and Rebekah Oh; completed under the guidance of Justine Slattery (La Trobe University).
We would like to thank the external clinicians who contributed to this website:
- Janella Christie, Richa Mishra, Sue Lester, Amy Rynsent and Gloria Tzannes.
We would also like to thank the Health Sciences IT department at La Trobe University, specifically Jennifer Bainbridge for her assistance with uploading this website.
"Eat Your Words" was developed in response to the limited theoretical and practical focus on swallowing and communication in the 0-12 month old infant population in the La Trobe University undergraduate Speech Pathology course. Many undergraduate Speech Pathologists are not provided with the opportunity to develop competency in this area and may graduate with limited knowledge of this population. The limited focus within the university curriculum appears to reflect in large part the specialised nature of Speech Pathology practice in this area, however graduates are frequently employed in early intervention services and required to work with infants under the age of 12 months.
Prior to the commencement of the project, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to fourth year undergraduate Speech Pathology students regarding their knowledge and skill base required to work with infants under 12 months of age. The results of this survey demonstrated that most final year students lacked the knowledge to pursue a career pathway working with swallowing and communication difficulties in the 0-12 month old infant population. The questionnaire data informed the development of this resource.
"Eat Your Words" is a resource aimed at new graduates and practising Speech Pathologists who may be interested in working with feeding, swallowing and communication in the 0-12 month old infant population. It is divided into three subcategories;
- Career pathways
- Knowledge and skills
- Roles and responsibilities