Dr. Yvonne Lynch:

I will address the waiting list question first. I do not have figures here, but I know the waiting lists are very long and are having a big impact throughout the country. From an AAC perspective, the big concern is that frustration builds if a person is waiting for speech and language therapy. Having no way to communicate means the problem and the need get bigger. If we could get in and provide speech and language therapy early when someone has that need, before they have experienced that frustration, it needs less intervention. It is not just a matter of the AAC assessment; it is also a matter of getting in for that speech and language therapy early. The waiting lists are a very significant issue. They also affect the retention piece. Speech and language therapists want to work with families and with individuals to help them to achieve their potential. Many of our speech and language therapists are firefighting. They are managing these waiting lists and telling people they cannot have the service, which is demoralising for speech and language therapists. They are not going to stay in posts where they cannot do what they want to do. Waiting lists must be the first issue we address, and we must look at the retention piece following on from that. We need proper clinical supervision. We need mentoring and support within clinical specialist areas. We need access to continuing professional development to let therapists build their skills and then use those skills to their best ability to help people to achieve their potential.

Ms McCleary will talk on the prescription piece so I will not go into that. However, I wish to talk about societal change. We need people with communication disability to be in all the conversations we have, in order that they can say that the way that problem is being looked at does not include them and does not address their needs. There are many initiatives we can take but we must have their voices in there so that we do things in an appropriate way.

We have seen some initiatives internationally. Canada has developed a system of communication intermediaries which ensures that when someone with a communication disability is in the justice system, there is someone there to support, to analyse what is happening in terms of communication and to ensure that person is not prejudged or discriminated against in the justice system. We do not have anything similar here. I was in Australia recently for a conference around communication disability. Every service provider on the Gold Coast has been trained in communication accessibility. They have been tested and certified in order to ensure everybody is able to communicate in an appropriate way and in a way that makes sure all services are accessible. We need such things here. Our police service needs support and training. We need to make changes in every facet of society. It is about involving people with communication disability in how decisions are made so we can reflect their needs within those decisions.