Sunday 24 August 2025
This week (August 24-30) we’re celebrating Speech Pathology Week and the difference communication makes in learning, belonging and wellbeing. The week raises awareness that more than a million Australians live with a communication disability and highlights the essential work Catholic Education Sandhurst (CES) speech pathologists do in schools, health and the community.
In our 51 schools across the Sandhurst Diocese, communication is at the heart of learning and that’s where our speech pathology team shows up – for every student, in every school, every day.
The CES speech pathology team work directly with our primary schools to provide a service in which they partner with teachers, education support staff, families and students to remove barriers, strengthen learning and ensure every student has the opportunity to be heard, understood and included. Communication is central to learning, building relationships and living life to the fullest, yet many children and young people experience challenges with speech, language and literacy.
From our CES speech pathology team, Lauren C, Lauren N, Jess and Arti share what school-based speech pathology really looks like.
“Speech pathologists in schools are busy everyday helping students develop accurate production of speech sounds, build vocabulary, understand instructions and express ideas, and connect with friends and teachers. Speech Pathologists also help school staff to understand the communication profiles of their students and how best to make their classrooms language friendly.” — Lauren C
“We help staff understand what language is, how it can be broken down and/or built up for their students to access the curriculum and learn about relevant topics. We also help in advocating for our students’ needs since language difficulties often appear ‘hidden’.” — Arti
MORE THAN “SPEECH”
If you picture a speech pathologist just helping with tricky sounds, you’re missing most of the story.
“Speech pathology is about more than speech sound production and fluency. Speech pathologists support communication. Communication is pervasive, it shapes how people think, interact and understand the world. Therefore, this is the work of a speech pathologist.” — Lauren C
“‘Speech pathologists just help kids say their sounds properly’. Reality? This is one small piece. School-based speech pathologists work on language, literacy, fluency, voice and social communication.” — Jess
And the work is collaborative by design:
“‘Speech pathologists only work one-on-one’. Reality? In schools, speech pathologists collaborate with teachers, run small group sessions, support classroom programs, and provide strategies so language and communication goals are embedded into everyday learning.” — Jess
A DAY IN THE LIFE
No two school days look the same but they’re always student-centred and team-based.
“A typical day for a CES speech pathologist involves a balance of working directly with students and supporting teachers. This might include running one-on-one or small group sessions to build speech and language skills, visiting classrooms to support whole-class learning, and completing assessments for students who need extra support. We also collaborate with teachers and parents to share strategies, plan activities and resources, and keep records or update goals. No two days are ever the same, and being flexible is essential!” — Jess
“Our work involves deeply understanding our children’s communication strengths and difficulties, and how they are impacted in different environments (school, home, birthday party, etc.). It requires a range of deep skills such as observation, connecting the dots (where the impact may be), and what strategies may benefit the child at different times.” — Arti
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Progress shows up in data and in the small, human moments.
“Success for me means a student can connect with peers, teachers and their learning. Success looks like students who can choose what they want to do in life.” — Lauren C
“Success isn’t just reflected in the data – it's also seen in the intangible moments, like a child’s eagerness to come to school, their confidence to try new tasks, or their ability to make new friends. Success for me is also in the quality of relationships with the team surrounding each student.” — Jess
“Success reveals itself in many forms, shapes, and sizes… staff and families being a part of following-through with the student’s program and knowing that I have done my best with the capacity I have.” — Arti
LOOKING AHEAD
Time is always tight in busy school lives, and the profession is broader than many realise.
“One of our biggest challenges is time… how do you choose which interventions or which classes are less important, which ones to miss to complete speech and language interventions?” — Lauren N
“One of my biggest challenges is knowing that the role of a speech pathologist is not fully understood, which subsequently impacts the understanding of how clear speech, language, and literacy are deeply integrated.” — Arti
There’s also a lot to look forward to especially in how we work together.
“The changes Magnify Sandhurst have brought have allowed our team to work more collaboratively than ever before. I would love to see more schools using CES speech pathology services to ensure every student, in every school, along with every teacher are receiving the same valuable contributions that our speech pathologists can provide!” — Lauren N
“We have a unique opportunity at CES to work in an integrated manner, which is especially important within Magnify Sandhurst.” — Arti
THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN SCHOOL SPEECH PATHOLOGY?
“Do you want to work in a community? Do you want to work with a team, a family? Avoid the revolving door of once off referrals and find a home in a school!” — Lauren N
“Be ready to collaborate closely with teachers, aides, and families… It also helps to enjoy problem-solving and being creative as you’ll often need to adapt therapy to fit in with classroom topics or student interests.” — Jess
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