Speech-language pathology and our diverse landscape of research and practice!

Speech-language pathology has a diverse landscape of research and practice and Volume 26 Issue 2 2024 does not disappoint! We are met with a wonderland of research, insights, and challenges that shape our understanding and practice in our dynamic profession. Collectively, the twelve papers contribute to advancing our knowledge about therapeutic relationships, novel interventions, rare developmental and acquired conditions, and challenging and critical issues in speech-language pathology practice.

Insights into therapeutic relationships

The study by Cochrane et al. (2024) “Working together … I can’t stress how important it is…:” sheds light on the invaluable perspectives and experiences of Indigenous Health Liaison Officers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples post-stroke or traumatic brain injury and the speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who provide services to these peoples. These insights underscore the importance of Connection in contributing to culturally safe and responsive SLP practice. Hansen et al. (2024) continues the idea of professional relationship building with their scoping review of studies that have investigated therapeutic relationships between SLPs, clients and caregivers across all ages and areas of professional practice. It may surprise you as to what they find about the connections between clinical outcomes and relationship quality!

Innovations in intervention and education research

The pilot telepractice parent-training study by Ellis et al. (2024) on Enhanced Milieu Teaching with Phonological Emphasis (EMT + PE) using a multiple baseline design across behaviours presents an innovative intervention, paving the way for improved outcomes in speech and language intervention for young children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip. For children with childhood apraxia of speech, Gomez et al. (2024) report on the findings of a research-operationalised protocol for the Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol. They found that the protocol was effective in improving articulatory accuracy (percent phonemes correct) for some but not all children who have CAS. For education research, Edwards et al. (2024) report on a randomised clinical trial comparing blended and online training approaches for novice analysts’ videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) skills. Their findings support the application of independent online training to prepare for VFSS competency training. Stanley et al. (2024) describe and evaluate SLPs’ ability to interpret oesophageal sweep on VFSS before and after training. They recommend that education and training on normal and oesophageal sweep patterns in the context of the entire swallow process and the use of standardised VFSS protocols for SLPs would provide useful information to the diagnostic team.

Investigating rare developmental and acquired conditions

Issue 2 also provides insight into rare developmental and acquired conditions. Hayton et al. (2024) investigated the semantic fluency skills of primary school-age children with vision impairment. They compared children with and without vision impairment and found that their semantic fluency skills do not significantly differ from each other. Being an auditory-alone task, Hayton et al. (2024) conclude that the semantic fluency task may be a suitable addition to the speech-language pathologists’ assessment toolkit for vocabulary skills for children with vision impairment. Moving to acquired conditions, Bouvier et al. (2024) investigate the speech and pause measures in passage reading and syllable repetition tasks for French Canadian speakers with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with and without bulbar symptoms and healthy controls while Petroi-Bock et al. (2024) examine whether differences in motor speech impairments are related to presentations of dysphagia in participants diagnosed with probable or possible progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). These papers truly reflect the diversity of the SLP profession!

Challenges and critical issues in SLP

Finally, Issue 2 also reflects challenges and critical issues in SLP. As we strive for excellence in SLP practice, we are confronted with challenges and critical issues that demand our attention. The exploration of dysphagia management within emergency settings (Lal et al., 2024), the legal complexities of end-of-life care as identified within the extant literature relevant to social workers and SLPs (Feeney et al., 2024), and the enablers and barriers to hearing assessment for children across Australia (Zussino et al., 2024) all underscore the multifaceted nature of our profession. These studies highlight the need for ethical, equitable, and collaborative considerations in our practice.

In closing

The landscape of the editorial team at International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (IJSLP) also changes this year. Professor Elizabeth Cardell has stepped down as Editor In Chief and Professor Natalie Munro starts her term in that role. Professor Cardell continues as Co-Editor for 2024 and we thank her for her strong leadership and mentorship of the editorial team at IJSLP.

We are proud to offer this issue as a window into the ever-evolving and diverse landscape of our profession. From insights into therapeutic relationships, innovations in intervention to rare developmental and acquired conditions and the exploration of critical issues and challenges, these papers inspire us to continue our quest for research excellence and practice. We can draw strength from the research, collaborate across disciplines, and advocate for the well-being of individuals with communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan. Together, we can advance speech-language pathology and make a meaningful difference in the lives of all those we provide services to.