I Have Something to Say

09/12/2025

Did anyone catch this episode of Grey’s Anatomy last week? I love that it depicted an AAC user and highlighted why AAC systems should be out and with the user not tucked away ‘safely’ in their bag.

04/12/2025

Unfortunately a ‘journalist’ wrote an article in the Financial Review saying that speech pathology (and other therapies) aren’t evidence-based and that we are essentially tutors claiming to know more so than we can rort the system and take money from the NDIS. My four year undergrad degree then three year PhD beg to differ. Maybe they should have checked their own evidence before spreading damaging misinformation!! 😡

Australia is pumping infinite money into supply-constrained markets such as disability and childcare, while the government also mandates and helps fund hefty wage increases in these sectors.

13/11/2025

I’d love to see an AAC user featured on Play School!

Do you know a child who'd love to be on Play School? 👀

Play School are on the lookout for children with disability to appear in our 'Through The Windows' segments for new and exciting upcoming series! ✨🎥

Full instructions on how to make a submission can be found below.
Submissions close Friday 28th November at 11:59pm AEST.

02/09/2025

Hi Everyone! Alison (and Lara) here. I’m back from maternity leave and have speech pathology appointments available for Term 4. Please get in touch to book a time before they’re all gone!

09/06/2025

🔔 Action Required: Important Changes to LAMP Words for Life App 🔔

PRC-Saltillo, the creator of LAMP has announced that a new version of LAMP Words for Life is now available.

While your current app will continue to work, upgrading before September 2025 will ensure uninterrupted access to your communication tools.

The existing app will be removed from the App Store this September. This means you won't be able to reinstall it or receive updates on your device after this date.

Please follow the instructions at the following link for information on how to upgrade:
https://www.liberator.co.uk/blog/blog/2025/06/05/lamp-wfl-app-upgrade/

Does this upgrade cost money?
No, current users can switch to the new LAMP Words for Life version at no cost.

Will I lose my current settings?
We recommend backing up your vocabulary before transferring to the new app. No current settings or vocabularies will be migrated over to the new app, so your current settings should be noted and stored. Please follow the link above to see the video tutorial on how to do this.

Ready to try the new and improved LAMP Words for Life app? We're excited to offer all LAMP WFL app users a NEW version with more languages and features to better support...

06/06/2025

Incredible opportunity alert! 🚨 I’m not affiliated with this camp at all, but cannot overstate how beneficial it is for AAC users and their families to have such an intense block of interaction with likeminded people. If you can go, go!

Variety Kids Motor Mouth Camp 2025 Registrations Now Open!


Variety Motor Mouth Camp (VMMC) will be held for Queensland families in 2025! The camp is for children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems, and their families. There will be lots of fun activities, where your child will get help to develop their AAC skills, and for the whole family to feel more confident using AAC.
This 3-day event is open to kids aged 6 to 17 and the camp will be organised by Variety Queensland with the help of teachers, therapists and AAC communicators.

To apply for your family please follow this link: https://variety.smartygrants.com.au/qldmotormouth2025
To volunteer please follow this link: https://variety.smartygrants.com.au/motormouthvol2025
Open Date - 1st June 2025
Close date - 30th June 2025
Confirmation of registration and attendance: July 2025
For further information, please contact our Kids Support Team - kidssupport@varietyqld.org.au

21/11/2024

I’m always on the hunt to find new and engaging resources so was excited to come across these alphabet sand moulds at Kmart! I can see them being a fun ‘sensory pencil’ for early literacy learners and an engaging activity for clients who love to use and talk about the alphabet. If only they came in lower case too!

04/10/2024

This movie looks incredible! If it does as well at addressing attitudes to people with disabilities as the shorts suggest, it should be essential viewing in every classroom. Fingers crossed!

28/08/2024

Lots of speechies I supervise ask me about how to get AAC systems funded via the NDIS. It’s a difficult and frustrating process because every plan manager seems to interpret the rules differently.

If you want answers so that you can advocate for your clients, check out this webinar I recorded with Amy Fitzpatrick. It is currently discounted in celebration of Speech Pathology Week. I get no financial benefits from you watching- it’s just helpful knowledge for everyone to have!

In celebration of the Speech Pathology Week theme, 'Communicate your way', we're bringing back two Clinical Bites from last year.

Join us as we revisit the insights shared by Dr Alison Moorcroft and Amy Fitzpatrick on the topics of 'Accessing AAC systems for trials' and 'Documentation for access to AAC within the NDIS'.

Here's the cherry on top - enjoy a 20% discount on these two resources until 3 September. Visit the Learning Hub to learn more and register.

https://bit.ly/3T0ro2c

24/08/2024

Happy Speech Pathology Week!! This year we are celebrating the diverse ways that people communicate.

An estimated 1.2 million Australians have communication support needs. Speech pathologists empower people to communicate THEIR way so that they can make connections and express themselves. All communication methods are valid and no one method of communication is ‘better’ than any other!

19/08/2024

For some kids costumes are fun. For others, costumes are itchy, hot, uncomfortable, or too different to a usual routine. If your child has difficulties wearing costumes but still wants to be involved in Book Week, I just came across the perfect book! You can read it for free online or buy a copy:

The Kid Without A Costume: The clever book that lets you dress as yourself for Book Week. by David Tensen | 4 Apr, 2024 | All, Books, family, Fathering, parenting, Resource | 0 commentsAbout the BookNot every kid enjoys dressing up, and not every parent or caregiver wants to argue or stress over cos...

22/06/2024

I saw Inside Out 2 tonight and it was fantastic! A couple of highlights:
- They talked about how Fear is worry about what we can see but Anxiety is worry about what we can’t. Anxiety can make our imagination can get carried away thinking about all of the things that COULD happen and it can be hard to control, but it is trying to protect us.
- It highlighted how we can have conflicting emotions but they are all important!
- It introduced how as well as our emotions and memories, we have our belief systems and sense of self which make us who we are. However, our sense of self can get challenged…

I highly recommend the movie and can’t wait to incorporate it into many future sessions (and more than likely my own life).