EVERY day more than 1.1 million Australians have difficulty communicating, according to Tweed-based speech pathologist Cathy Hudson, who is raising awareness for Speech Pathology Week (25-31 August).
“By starting the conversation about communication during Speech Pathology Week, we want to encourage people to think about what life is like for the large number of Australians living with a communication problem, as well as how life would change if they were to have a communication difficulty themselves,” Cathy said.
“Even though communication is often taken for granted, people who have difficulty getting their message across are disadvantaged in many parts of their lives.
“It’s estimated that one in five people will experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives. This can range from mild to very severe and can impact on the way they participate in family life, the community, education and the workplace.”
Speech pathologists are specialists in all forms of communication and work with people to maximise their ability to communicate in a way that best meets their needs and abilities.
They work with people who have difficulty communicating because of developmental delays, stroke, brain injuries, learning disability, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy and hearing loss, as well as other problems that can affect speech, language and communication.
