Health Sciences

School of Human Communication Sciences

Dr Beverly Joffe
Lecturer

Tel: 03 9479 1814

Fax: 03 9479 1874

Email: b.joffe@latrobe.edu.au

I specialize in managing child speech and language disorders and in clinical reasoning. I have lectured and provided clinical education in the School of Human Communication Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, since 1988.

Before then, as a Speech Pathologist and Audiologist, registered with the South African Medical and Dental Council, I was employed overseas within:

• general and paediatric hospitals (Edenvale General and Transvaal Memorial Hospital for Children, Johannesburg, South Africa)
• clinics
• psychological services divisions of educational facilities
• a specialist kindergarten affiliated to the Units for Language-Impaired Children, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of the Witwatersrand

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Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Therapy (University of the Witwatersrand)
• Master of Arts in Speech Pathology (University of the Witwatersrand)
• Doctor of Philosophy (University of Melbourne)

Research Theses completed toward Degrees:

• Honours: 'Motivational aspects in Speech Pathologists'
• Masters: 'Pragmatic communicative competence in rehabilitated language-impaired pre-school children'
• PhD: 'A Complementary Form of Speech / Language Intervention: Can Music and Movement help children with Communication Disorders?'
  

Areas of Interest

• Assessment and diagnosis of child speech and language disorders.
• Efficacy of treatment strategies and forms of delivery for child speech and language disorders and pre-literacy skills.
• Auditory perceptual judgements and instrumentation in evaluating speech disorders.
• Assessment and treatment of motor speech disorders, particularly suspected Childhood Apraxia of Speech (sCAS).
• Praxis and temporal and spatial aspects in CAS
• Cleft Lip and Palate and residual speech disorders.
• Analysing and/or treating child speech or language disorders via: non-linear phonology, prosody, rhythm,phono-semantics, syntax and discourse.
• Kinesics and proxemics in appraising and treating speech/language/communication in children with autism spectrum disorder.
• LARSP, language and pre-literacy skills.
• Structured use of music and movement in speech pathology practice.
• Interdisciplinary investigations: Speech Pathology/ Linguistics/ Occupational Therapy.
• Clinical education for health professional students.
  
  
  

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Teaching, Clinics and Supervision

Over the years my work at La Trobe University has covered a wide range of activities including being a clinical educator in: voice and stuttering clinics, hearing screening programs, child language and phonology clinic and a clinical elective involving application of music and movement to speech pathology practice. I have also supervised students in completing various paediatric pass degree projects (cf. HCS website). I have had extensive involvement as a presenter on multi-disciplinary, ‘across universities’ Quality Supervision (QS) courses (more recently Advancing Clinical Education – ACE) run for external supervisors of health professional students.

I coordinate two large units (that address the teaching of professional practice and clinical reasoning) and lead the Child Speech Team in teaching for the Problem Based Learning courses. I contribute to level coordination and extensively to course/curriculum design and development (including PBL case development) in both the Undergraduate Speech Pathology Course and in the Master of Speech Pathology graduate-entry programmes. I teach students at all levels, for example: I lecture in child speech/language and clinical reasoning; and facilitate problem-based learning tutorials in both the Undergraduate and Masters Courses. I have also done invited lectures to students in the Master of Occupational Therapy graduate-entry programme. I have supervised student research projects at Honours, Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Levels and have been an external examiner for Honours and Masters Theses. I have coordinated seven conference modules, done 40 conference presentations and provided 33 invited workshops. I have a demonstrated capacity for innovative projects and cross-disciplinary research.

Research

Research grants (since and including 1992)

Joffe, B., Ozanne, A., Wakefield, S. Kipka, P. (2003) Temporal and spatial characteristics of speech and movement in young children with dyspraxia. Granting Organization: Faculty Research Grant

Ozanne, A., Eadie, P., Froude, E., Heine, C., Joffe, B., Merrigan, C., Santamaria, L., Serry, T. (2003). A multidisciplinary approach to evaluating and optimising school readiness: Phase One: Analysis of factors contributing to determining school readiness. Granting Organization: Faculty Research Grant.

Rose, M., Martens, E., Douglas, J., Oates, J., Joffe, B., McCormack, S. (2003). The comparative efficacy of traditional didactic and problem-based learning (PBL) undergraduate Speech Pathology curricula. Granting Organization: Faculty Research Grant.

Joffe, B. & Parsons, C. (1992). Comparison of grammatical skills of individuals with Down Syndrome and three control groups matched for CA, MA and MLU. - Granting Organization: Lincoln School of Health Sciences Research Grant.

Best, D., Brown, L., Bortoluzzi, G., Edwards, H., Harris, M, Joffe, B. & Franke, M. (1992). Support kits for clinical education in the Health Sciences. Granting Organization: Quality Teaching Support Grant.

Parsons, C. Georgiou, A. Joffe, B. & Madsen, M. (1992). Development and evaluation of interactive multimedia tutorial materials for developing skills in analyzing communication. Granting Organization: Quality Teaching Support Grant.

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Publications

Publications (since and including 1996)

Joffe, B. & Zuckermann, G. (2006). Working with words: Imagine new ways. ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing (ACQ) 8, 3, pp 133-136.

Joffe, B. & Kipka, P. (2006). Re-viewing the LARSP framework from a twenty-first century perspective. ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing (ACQ) 8, 2, pp 60 - 62.

Joffe, B. & Wakefield, S. (2006). 'Developmental dyspraxia': Innovative interdisciplinary investigations. ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing (ACQ) 8, 1, pp 7-11.

Joffe, B.& Kipka, P. (2005). A case study of linguistic/speech pathology collaboration. ACQuiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing, 7, 3, 125-127.

Joffe, B. (2005). Models of clinical education. In M. Rose & D. Best. Transforming practice through clinical education, professional supervision, and mentoring. London /Marrackville: Elsevier.

Joffe, B. & Reilly, S. (2004) The evidence base for paediatric motor speech disorders. In S.Reilly, J. Oates & J. Douglas (eds.). Evidence based practice in speech pathology. London: Whurr Publishers.

Joffe, B. & Serry, T. (2004) The Evidence Base for the Treatment of Articulation and Phonological Disorders in Children In S.Reilly, J. Oates & J. Douglas (eds.). Evidence based practice in speech pathology. London: Whurr Publishers.

Serry, T. & Joffe, B. (2004). Differential diagnosis: How practical is it for paediatric speech pathologists. ACQuiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing, 6, 1, 3-4.

Heine, C., Joffe, B., Greaves, E. & Robinson, E. (2003). The dilemma of APD: Clinical decision-making. In C. Williams, & S. Leitao (Eds). Proceedings of the 2003 Speech Pathology Association of Australia National Conference. Melbourne: Speech Pathology Australia.

Skeat, J. & Joffe, B. (2003). Developmental apraxia of speech: Terminology, nature, diagnoses and treatment of a controversial disorder. In C. Williams, & S. Leitao. Proceedings of the 2003 Speech Pathology Association of Australia National Conference. Melbourne: Speech Pathology Australia.

Dixon, G., Joffe, B. & Bench, R. J. (2001). The efficacy of visualising and verbalising: Are we asking too much? Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 17, 2, 127-141

Joffe, B., Raban, B. & Bond, K. (2001). Practicability of treating children via music and movement ACQuiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing, 3, 1, 34-36.

Joffe, B. (2000). Connecting speech pathology, movement and music. ACQuiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing, 2, 3, 109-111.

Joffe, B., Raban, B. & Bond, K. (1998). Strategies for intervention: Movement plus speech plus established speech pathology techniques. Proceedings of the 1998 Speech Pathology Australia National Conference Fremantle, Western Australia. Editor K. Hird. Perth: Curtin Printing Services 153-161.

Rose, M. McGartland, M. & Joffe, B. (1997). Current clinical supervisory practice: Results of a survey. Proceedings of the 2nd Biennial Conference of the Foundation for Quality Supervision, 78 - 94.

Joffe, B.S., Doyle, J. & Penn, C. (1996). The persisting communicative difficulties of "remediated" language-impaired children. European Journal of Disorders of Communication, 31, 369-386.

• 43 conference presentations
• 33 other invited presentations
• 7 modules

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Past and Current Student Research Areas

Areas in which I have provided and continue to provide supervision for honours and post graduate research include:

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Committee Membership and Representation

I am a team member on committees working in the following areas:

• Clinical Education
• Clinical Services
• Undergraduate Curriculum
• Masters Curriculum

I am a HCS Representative on:

• Speech Pathology Australia Victorian Branch Committee
• Faculty of Health Sciences Ethics Committee

I am also:

• International Student Coordinator
• Level Coordinator

I am a Practising Member Speech Pathology Australia Association engaged in Professional Self Regulation (MSPAA) (CPSP) (PSR)

I have been/ am a reviewer for the following:

• Member Editorial Board for Publication ACQ
• Reviewer SPA 2005 Conference in Canberra
• Reviewer SPA 2006 Conference in Perth
• Reviewer SPA 2007 Conference in Sydney

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