Helping our students find their voice

27/08/2024
Recognising the work of BCE Speech Pathologists

Some of our BCE Speech Pathology team (l-r) Amanda Tighe, Anh Le, Talita Campbell, Max Squires, Cath Court and Lauren Annear. ©Brisbane Catholic Education

​Helping a student find their unique voice and flourish is the mission behind every BCE Speech Pathologist.  

From supporting students with their communication, to empowering them to reach their potential, our Speech Pathologists are at the forefront of expert support in our schools.  

This support was recognised recently when Education Officer – Speech Pathology, Catherine Court won the Archbishop’s Award for Leadership at the 2024 BCE Excellence Awards for her inspiring approach to leading a dedicated Speech Pathology team and her contribution to the adaption of literacy monitoring tools.  

As we celebrate national Speech Pathology Week (26 – 31 August) with the theme ‘Communicate Your Way’, we are highlighting the valuable work our Speech Pathologists do in partnership with our schools.  

 Catherine said their work goes beyond working with students directly but incorporates working with families and educators to develop a deeper understanding of a student’s communication needs. 

 “Speech Pathologists work with students, teachers and families to help them understand what a diagnosis of Developmental Language Disorder means. We work together to support their access to, and participation in, school life,” Catherine said. 

“We see such positive outcomes when we bring together multidisciplinary teams to support our students to have their voices heard.” 

BCE Speech Pathologist - Inclusive Education, Amanda Tighe said communication was foundational to learning in the classroom. 

“Understanding instructions, expressing thoughts and opinions or participating in discussions – communication underpins all of these things,” Amanda said.  

“By supporting students with their communication, we’re not only helping them to access the classroom, but giving them skills for life.” 

In partnership with BCE schools, our Speech Pathologists help students who may need support with speech, language, fluency, literacy, or who may require alternative or augmentative forms of communication (AAC) such as signing or the use of an electronic AAC device. 

BCE Speech Pathologist - Inclusive Education, Lauren Annear said Speech Pathologists empower students to reach their potential by communicating the way they feel most confident.  

“By understanding their unique communication style, and embracing this, we can help our students connect with others, participate in learning and build a strong sense of self.” 

BCE Senior Manager - Student Diversity and Wellbeing, Dionne Lloyd said our Speech Pathologists play a vital role in building school communities that value diversity. 

“They are a key part of our school support network of Allied Health professionals, removing barriers to learning and making adjustments for our students so they can learn on an equal footing with their peers,” Dionne said. 

“It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the work they do this week in truly changing the lives of students with communication needs.” 

​Watch to learn more about the work of our Speech Pathologists. 

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