Allied Health Discipline
Evidence-Based Practice for
Speech Pathology in Australia
Speech pathologists in Australia are regulated under Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) professional standards and AHPRA. The discipline encompasses a vast clinical scope — dysphagia assessment and management, aphasia rehabilitation, voice disorders, stuttering, paediatric speech and language delay, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The evidence base spans from large international RCTs to pragmatic trials conducted within the Australian healthcare system. OpenBook Clinical aggregates this evidence across PubMed, Cochrane, and SPA-linked resources.
Key Clinical Conditions
- Dysphagia — neurogenic and structural
- Aphasia following stroke or brain injury
- Childhood speech sound disorders
- Language delay and developmental language disorder (DLD)
- Stuttering in adults and children
- Voice disorders — dysphonia and laryngeal pathology
- Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
- Dementia-related communication and swallowing
Key Assessment Tools
- Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) — dysphagia screening
- Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R)
- Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI-4)
- Functional Communication Profile-Revised (FCP-R)
Databases Searched
- PubMed / MEDLINE (communication disorders)
- Cochrane Stroke and ENT Groups
- SpeechBITE (Speech Pathology database of best interventions)
- NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines
Australian Guidelines
- SPA Clinical Guideline: Dysphagia — Adult Neurogenic
- SPA Position Statement on Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Australian Stroke Foundation Clinical Guidelines 2023
- National Disability Insurance Scheme — AAC Funding Guidelines
Ready to search the Speech Pathology evidence base?
OpenBook Clinical searches 35 million papers across PubMed, Cochrane, and Australian guidelines. AI-synthesised summaries. Evidence graded by quality. Free to try.