Eat Play Speak Allied Health

14/03/2025

At Eat Play Speak we provide support for children with dysphagia, often a part of speech pathology that is lesser known than all the speech & language work we do!

Supporting families to help their children safely eat and drink and help them to thrive is such a rewarding role 🍼🍎

Dysphagia. What is that?

Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulty – something most of us do without thinking, 500 to 700 times a day. We swallow during sleep, throughout the day, and even more during meals.

On 19 March, Swallowing Awareness Day shines a light on people with swallowing needs and the role of speech pathologists who help them eat, drink, and live safely.

Help us to raise awareness about dysphagia. Download the digital kit on our website and share across your networks. 👉 https://bit.ly/3XMSegz

11/03/2025

Communication is a fundamental human right, and the first 5 years of a child’s life are crucial for speech, language, and communication development. These early skills lay the foundation for success in school, work, and relationships later in life.

Yet, 1 in 5 children in Australia who start school are not developmentally on track with their communication skills. Children who start behind often stay behind.

Early access to speech pathology can change lives, improving outcomes and reducing long-term costs for individuals, families, and communities.

We’ve outlined 3 critical asks to strengthen access to speech pathology care so that no child is left behind.

✅ Expand access to speech pathology services through Medicare
✅ Invest in access to speech pathology services in early childhood education and care centres in areas of greatest socioeconomic disadvantage
✅ Ensure continued access to care by supporting speech pathologist recruitment and retention

Will you stand with us? Visit the SPA website to find out more: https://bit.ly/4i25aY1