Welcome to the stars, intrepid traveller.

It's Speech Pathology Week in Australia!

http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/news-and-events/speech-pathology-week

You can also check out Speech Pathology fact sheets on working with stroke victims, elderly people and multicultural and indigenous persons, babies, children and teenagers:

http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/information-for-the-public/fact-sheets

This means a lot to me as I used to have major problems with reading comprehension and pronounciation when I was a kid. I remember the first time when I was a child, I was allowed to pick a free book for doing so well in class. I kept on picking picture books till I was 10, because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to understand novels. 

I had an awesome Year 6 teacher who encourage us to read aloud with our peers. I am grateful for how my primary school teachers took extra time to help out children who were struggling with reading, writing and speaking. My Year 6 teacher corrected my pronounciation and never made me feel awkward or stupid for pronouncing words the wrong way. If she's reading this, I hope she knows she was supportive and did an amazing job. We need more people like her.  

My friend J is an amazing speaker - really fluent and charismatic. From speaking with her, you wouldn't know that she used to see a Speech Pathologist for her dyslexia as a kid. She's a Social Worker now, where communication is the crux of her job. She wouldn't be here without the Speech Pathologist's help.

It is so rewarding and empowering to finally be able to read and understand what people say. Knowledge is power. It helps you contribute to society, protect yourself and protect your loved ones. That's why speechies are so important, and they do a fantastic job. Keep it up, people!  

Sometimes the radio station 2DayFM can discuss issues in a compassionate manner. Other times, they ought to take a hard look at themselves and rethink what they say. This is one of those times. So I was listening to 2DayFM (while driving to work yesterday), when the hosts Kyle and Jackie O are mocking one of their staff Matt for his speech impediment. And his mother joined in on mocking him too.

Not cool.

On top of it all, his mother excused herself for not getting speech therapy for her son by saying"Oh, I thought his lisp was just part of his role for a musical when he was a kid!" What a load of rubbish. He lisps all the time, and you didn't notice?

Speech impediments are nothing to mock, and that woman is a weak excuse of a mother. A real mother wouldn't mock her child's speech impediment, or humiliate him on national radio. People have become severely depressed, anxious, suffered discrimination and bullying from having speech impediments. Rant over.