National Speech Pathology Week 2026

National Speech Pathology Week

23 - 29 Aug 2026

This week we celebrate National Speech Pathology Week, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the important contribution speech pathologists make to the educational outcomes and wellbeing of students across Australia.

I encourage you to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the speech pathologist working within your school community. Their expertise, dedication and collaboration help students develop the communication, language and literacy skills that are essential for learning, participation and life success.

Celebrating 10 Years of Speech Pathology for Schools

This year, Speech Pathology for Schools (SPS) proudly celebrates its 10-year anniversary.

"Ten Years. Thousands of Students. One Vision."

It is simple. It is true. Across ten years, across many schools, and through countless meetings, conversations, assessments, challenges, breakthroughs and successes, one vision has united us:

Collaborating with schools. Changing lives through language and literacy.

As we reflect on this milestone, we are incredibly grateful for the partnerships we have built with schools and the opportunity to support students, educators and families.

Thank you for the privilege of working with your school community.

Why Speech Pathology Matters

Communication is fundamental to learning, social participation and long-term success. Some important facts highlight the significance of this work:

• 1.2 million Australians live with a communication disability, with many requiring formal support to communicate effectively.

• 1 in 4 children in Australia are not developmentally on track with their communication skills when they begin school.

• 1 in 14 students has Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

• People with communication disabilities are significantly less likely to achieve post-school qualifications and participate in the workforce than those without communication disabilities.

• A Dynamic Assessment Process can help distinguish whether a student's learning difficulties are related to English as an Additional Language (EAL) factors or Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), supporting more accurate identification and intervention.

The SPS Impact

Our commitment to improving student outcomes continues to grow.

In 2025 alone, SPS speech pathologists:

• Supported and impacted more than 20,000 students.

• Implemented over 18,000 student goals targeting communication, language and literacy development.

Over the past decade, these numbers have grown into the hundreds of thousands of students and goals supported, representing an extraordinary collective effort by our team and our partner schools.

We are also proud that almost 100 Learning Support Staff have graduated from the SPS Learning Intervention Support Program (SLIP), strengthening the capacity of schools to support student learning outcomes.

Thank You.

National Speech Pathology Week is an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable difference that communication support can make in a child's educational journey.

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to ensuring all students have the opportunity to develop the communication, language and literacy skills they need to thrive.