The perspectives of key stakeholders on contemporary topics in augmentative and alternative communication in Australia: A qualitative investigation.

PURPOSE: To explore contemporary topics in augmentative and alternative communication through the perspectives of six Australian stakeholders.

METHOD: Following a panel session at the Speech Pathology Australia Conference, panellists responded to a Qualtrics survey which was analysed in Nvivo. Questions had been curated from speech-language pathologists and panel members to address current challenges in augmentative and alternative communication service delivery.

RESULT: Thematic network analysis identified two global themes. Global theme 1 - 'The role of the speech-language pathologist in the contemporary augmentative and alternative communication workforce' linked to four organising themes: 'The augmentative and alternative communication user at centre stage', 'augmentative and alternative communication is not a solo sport', 'champions in the funding arena', and 'right tools, right way, right place'. The second global theme - 'Always learning, always adapting' linked to three organising themes: 'Need to learn about current tools', 'values and attitudes of the speech-language pathologist', and 'how to keep growing'. The intersection between professional roles, training, and contextual factors such as funding, workplace contexts, and systematic policies was highlighted.

CONCLUSION

This research recognises the multifaceted and evolving role of speech-language pathologists in augmentative and alternative communication, shaped by a changing practice landscape. There is need for sustained professional support to equip practitioners for diverse demands, including advocacy and navigation of funding and service systems.