26/06/2025
Flexing our professional development muscles, our very own internationally renowned and widely published Dr Judy Gould spent part of a recent weekend in great company - rubbing shoulders with world leaders in speech pathology and linguistics at the Speech Pathology Australia Conference held here in Adelaide.
Judy caught up with keynote speakers:
Dr Vishnu KK Nair – University of Reading (UK)
Dr Nair is an absolute force in the field. With a PhD in Cognitive Science, postdoctoral work at NYU, and clinical experience across India and the UK, Vishnu’s work boldly reimagines how we support multilingual children through critical, decolonial, and neurodiversity-affirming lenses. He is a leading voice in rethinking “cultural competence” into cultural humility and equity-driven practice and has led cross-continental collaborations focused on language justice and systemic reform in allied health. A keynote speaker at global conferences and author of numerous thought-leading publications, Vishnu is changing not just how we practise, but why.
Professor Betty Yu – San Francisco State University (US)
Professor Yu is a globally respected scholar, clinician, educator, and editor. Her research is internationally recognised for reshaping how we understand the intersections of race, language, disability, and neurodiversity, particularly for autistic and bilingual children. She’s co-Managing Editor of the Journal of Critical Study of Communication and Disability and recipient of the prestigious Certificate of Recognition for Multicultural Contributions from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Betty’s leadership has been instrumental in developing culturally responsive training for future speech pathologists, and her body of work continues to influence policy, research, and education worldwide.
And while we’re bragging about the fabulous people in our lives, Judy is no stranger to the spotlight either!
With numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous other achievements, including being the creator of the Solid Foundations Assessment Series, Judy has significantly shaped how we understand and assess communication in culturally and linguistically diverse children, especially in First Nations communities. Her work is cited internationally and has become essential reading for clinicians and researchers committed to inclusion, equity, and diagnostic clarity.
Also in the crowd at the SPA conference was our very own Nat, who won a highly competitive RDWA grant to get there (go Nat!)
Yes – we sometimes work weekends. Yes - we love it. And yes - we are incredibly proud to be part of a team connected at the highest levels of research, innovation, and real-world change in allied health.
Let’s keep learning, leading, and showing up – sometimes, even on the weekend!
