A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic has received international accolades for her research into speech impairment in young children.

 

Dr Jane McCormack, a lecturer and researcher in speech pathology with the School of Community Health at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, was named runner-up in the prestigious international Pursuit Award for PhDs in childhood disability research for 2013.

 

“Speech impairments, or difficulties in producing sounds, are the most common form of communication impairment in young children, affecting one in five preschool children in Australia,” Dr McCormack said.

 

Traditional intervention has concentrated on correcting children’s production of sounds and words in the clinic, without addressing the full impact of speech impairment on a child’s life.

 

“Recently, however, there has been a shift for health professionals to incorporate the views of their clients in intervention decisions and to develop a more holistic approach to intervention,” Dr McCormack said.

 

The research was the first in the world to provide clients’ accounts of what it’s like to have this condition and she investigated how it impacted on their lives.

 

“I collected information from children of various ages, from preschool to adolescence, as well as parents and speech pathologists,” Dr McCormack said.

 

“Results revealed the range of difficulties that children may experience, from learning to read and write to interacting with peers and families. However, the research also showed the way in which communication impairments can impact on others, causing parents to feel guilty for not understanding their child, and stressed about trying to assist them.

 

“Early intervention is recommended for children with speech impairment due to growing evidence of the potential long-term consequences of unresolved speech impairment, such as poorer school results which may restrict employment opportunities.”

 

“As speech pathologists, we need to ensure we’re supporting children to communicate more effectively in their everyday lives, but also supporting their families and those who communicate with them.”