Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year 2014 Shortlist

If you are considering additions to your home library, gifts for children or a donation to a school or pre-school library, the SPA Book of the Year shortlist and lists of previous winners can be an excellent guide. The 2014 winners will be announced in August:

Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) has released the shortlist for its annual Book of the Year Awards.

The awards aim to promote literacy and the need for good literacy skills, while building a library of resources that speech pathologists, teachers and parents can use to help promote literacy and reading.

The year’s shortlist consists of over 40 books in five categories: Best Book for Language and Literacy Development birth to 3 years, 3 to 5 years, 5 to 8 years, 8 to 10 years and Indigenous Children, with entries from favourite Australian authors such as Alison Lester, Mem Fox and Margaret Wild.

SPA President, Professor Deborah Theodoros said that literacy levels in Australia are at alarming levels and SPA hopes the Book of the Year Awards will help promote literacy as a fun and engaging activity and provide enjoyable and culturally appropriate resources that foster language and literacy skill development.

“In Australia today 14 per cent of 15 year olds have only basic literacy skills, while the literacy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children is depressingly wide and continues to widen with each year that passes.”

“As the peak professional body for speech pathologists we are in a unique position to recommend books to parents and educators that can assist children’s speech, language and literacy development.”

Each year, Speech Pathology Australia selects children’s books based on their appeal to children, educational value, graphics and design, as well as their ability to facilitate communication, interaction and discussion.

For more information about Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year awards, visit
www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

• Previous award winners are listed at the foot of the webpage for this year's awards.

“Will my child ever be done with therapy?”

Image: Pixabay.com

Jennifer Bekins's experience and expertise as a speech and language therapist and family member of people with Down syndrome is evident in her blog, Talk - Down syndrome, like this recent post on the potential for guilt about therapy:

Beyond Therapy Burnout and Parent Guilt
16th September 2013
Parents of children with Down syndrome are often familiar with the three therapies most frequently recommended for their child: physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Therapy frequently begins when the child is just months or even weeks old. 

Once in an established therapy routine, parents may find themselves asking, “Will my child ever be done with therapy?”

Talk - Down Syndrome post: interview on childhood apraxia of speech

Jennifer Bekins, herself an expert speech and language therapist specialising in communication skills development in children with Down syndrome, interviews Shelley Myers, a colleague with particular interest and expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood apraxia of speech in children with Down syndrome, on her blog, Talk - Down Syndrome, today: 

I believe that childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) should not be diagnosed in a child with (Down syndrome) until the child has been in therapy for several months or longer. The reason for this is that what may look like CAS on day one, may turn out to be an entirely different speech sound disorder. A lot can happen when a child is provided with the right approach to treatment.

... click here to read the entire post.