Course coordinator
Dr Rebecca Armstrong
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (17/02/2025 - 14/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Health & Rehab Sci School
This course focuses on planning, providing and managing ethical speech pathology services as well as the professional business skills for working in the private sector and disability sectors. The course addresses the provision of augmentative and alternative communication in people with severe communication impairments.
In this course, students learn to describe the characteristics associated with common disabilities across the lifespan using the ICF framework (WHO, 2001) and to incorporate the principles of Person- and Family-Centred Care (PFCC) as part of the holistic assessment and management of clients with disability, as well as family support and advocacy within the community.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
SPCH7231, SPCH7232
Restrictions
MSpPathSt students only
Course contact
Lecturer
Dr Rebecca Armstrong
Course staff
Tutor
Dr Rebecca Armstrong
Mrs Debra Kolomeitz
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
A detailed outline will be made available on the course Blackboard site within the 'Learning Resources' content area.
Aims and outcomes
According to figures released by Speech Pathology Australia, well over half of speech pathologists working in Australia are working in private practice. This course exposes students to requirements of working in business, private practice and as a speech pathology service provider for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Through online learning resources and active participation in Inquiry-based learning activities, students will gain understanding of leadership qualities in speech pathology, the value of mentoring, coaching and networking in a professional capacity, advocacy, and the professional and ethical responsibilities of working in private practice. Throughout the course, students will engage in authentic case-based learning activities where they future develop their professional clinical reasoning skills. Guest lecturers and the practical demonstration of augmentative and alternative communication options for people with complex communication needs and their communication partners is included in the course. Learning activities include two online Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences modules (Private Practice and NDIS).
In this course, students independently engage with online learning resources before the weekly tutorials where students engage in authentic learning experiences with peers and teaching staff. In the tutorials, students will actively participate in independent, small group and large group inquiry-based learning activities. Although this provides students with more flexibility to learn, the associated workload is similar to that of a traditional course.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Explain the professional responsibilities, ethical obligations, and business skills needed to work in private practice and disability.
LO2.
Engage critically and constructively with frameworks, legislation, philosophies of care and contemporary issues associated with disability to advocate across multiple settings.
LO3.
Describe and interpret appropriate assessments across the ICF framework to design person and family-centred speech pathology intervention for people with a disability.
LO4.
Explain the application of augmentative and alternative communication options for people with complex communication needs and their communication partners.
LO5.
Advocate for and work in professional and interprofessional teams to support communication and swallowing for people with disabilities in the private sector.
LO6.
Describe the value of supervision and mentoring in a private practice and disability.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/ Demonstration |
AAC Practical demonstration
|
20% |
21/05/2025 - 28/05/2025
The AAC demonstrations will be due during tutorial activities on Wednesday of Week 12 to Wednesday of Week 13. Each member of the group will receive the same mark on the completion of each activity. |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Case-based assignment
|
40% MUST PASS |
26/05/2025 1:00 pm
A detailed task description and marking criteria will be made available on the course Blackboard site. |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation |
Business Plan
|
15% |
6/05/2025 10:00 am
A detailed task description and marking criteria will be made available on the course Blackboard site. |
| Presentation, Product/ Design |
Private Practice Expo and Resource
|
25% |
Exam week 2
A detailed task description and marking criteria will be made available on the course Blackboard site. |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
AAC Practical demonstration
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Oral
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
21/05/2025 - 28/05/2025
The AAC demonstrations will be due during tutorial activities on Wednesday of Week 12 to Wednesday of Week 13. Each member of the group will receive the same mark on the completion of each activity.
Task description
Students will work in their tutorial groups to deliver practical demonstrations of AAC to support clients with multi-faceted communication disorders related to disability.
Full task descriptions will be uploaded to the SPCH7211 Blackboard site.
Submission guidelines
Students will complete these practical demonstrations during tutorials.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions can be requested for this assessment item. Please apply for an extension request via my.UQ > my.UQ Dashboard > my. Requests and provide evidence of circumstance, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission date. Further information regarding what constitutes an acceptable reason for an extension is listed on the my.UQ website: Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland.
*This assessment item is a group assessment. If a student is unable to attend a tutorial due to medical or other valid reasons, the group is expected to complete the task collectively during the tutorial and receive a group mark. The student who was absent should anticipate a similar individual task and is required to submit an extension request via My Requests before the tutorial, and also email the course coordinator in advance to arrange for the assessment to be completed individually at a later date.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Case-based assignment
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40% MUST PASS
- Due date
26/05/2025 1:00 pm
A detailed task description and marking criteria will be made available on the course Blackboard site.
Task description
Each student is required to complete an assignment on a child or adult client with communication support needs relating to disability. With reference to the supplied client information and based on a detailed interpretation of case data and relevant literature, students will discuss the communication assessment results, provide a diagnostic summary, and present an interprofessional management protocol for this client based on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF; 2001).
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be passed to obtain a passing grade for the course.Submission guidelines
The assessment task is to be submitted via the course e-learning Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions can be requested for this assessment item. Please apply for an extension request via my.UQ > my.UQ Dashboard > my. Requests and provide evidence of circumstance, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission date. Further information regarding what constitutes an acceptable reason for an extension is listed on the my.UQ website: Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Business Plan
- Team or group-based
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
6/05/2025 10:00 am
A detailed task description and marking criteria will be made available on the course Blackboard site.
Task description
Working in groups with a private practice partner, students will develop a business plan advocating for the resource they are developing. This business plan will advocate for the purpose and efficacy of the resource within the private practice. Further details will be made available on the SPCH7211 Blackboard site.
Submission guidelines
These assessment tasks are to be submitted via the course e-learning Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions can be requested for this assessment item. Please apply for an extension request via my.UQ > my.UQ Dashboard > my. Requests and provide evidence of circumstance, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission date. Further information regarding what constitutes an acceptable reason for an extension is listed on the my.UQ website: Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland.
*This assessment item is a group assessment. If one student applies for an extension, this will be applied for the whole group.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Private Practice Expo and Resource
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation, Product/ Design
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
Exam week 2
A detailed task description and marking criteria will be made available on the course Blackboard site.
Task description
Working in groups with a private practice partner, students will develop a resource that has been determined by the private practice. This resource will be co-designed with the private practice partner to support professional conduct, life-long learning, and the practice of new graduate speech pathologists in this sector. The resource will be showcased in a private practice expo involving each of the private practice partners and student cohort. Further details will be made available on the SPCH7211 Blackboard site.
Submission guidelines
Students will be required to submit their resource and business plan via Blackboard prior to the expo.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
If a student due to extenuating circumstances is unable to attend the expo involving external private practice partners, the student must email the course coordinator (Deb Kolomeitz d.kolomeitz@uq.edu.au) to discuss alternative arrangements.
*This assessment item is a group assessment. If a student is unable to attend due to extenuating circumstances, the group is expected to complete the task collectively during the expo and receive a group mark.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
As this expo is conducted in person with external private practice partners, students must complete the assessment at the scheduled time.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 34 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 0 - 34%.ﾠ |
| 2 (Fail) | 35 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 35ﾠ- 44%.ﾠ |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 54 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 45ﾠ- 54%.ﾠ A grade of 3 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final mark of 55% or higher but who does not pass the must pass assessment items. |
| 4 (Pass) | 55 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 55ﾠ- 64%ﾠandﾠhas passed the 'must pass' assessment items.ﾠ |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 65ﾠ- 74%ﾠandﾠhas passed the 'must pass' assessment items.ﾠ |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 75ﾠ- 84%ﾠandﾠhas passed the 'must pass' assessment items. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 85ﾠ- 100%ﾠandﾠhas passed the 'must pass' assessment items. |
Additional course grading information
Final marks falling between whole percentages will be rounded to the nearest whole percentage. Tie-breaking will be conducted using the round half up method whereby half-way values are always rounded up, meaning, for example, that 89.5% and above will be rounded to 90% and 89.49% and below will be rounded down to 89%.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course contains ‘must pass’ assessment item. You must pass these items to pass this course overall. Even if your final percentage mark is 55% or higher, the individual ‘must pass’ assessment items must have been passed to pass the course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Use of Generative AI in Assessments
Assessment tasks in this course evaluate students' abilities, skills, and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Resubmission/Resit of assessment items
In this course, the Case-Based Assessment is eligible for consideration of the resit option if the assessment item was completed on time. After resit, the maximum result is a pass mark for each assessment component.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
General contact hours |
Graduate Ready Modules: ‘Skills for graduates working alongside the NDIS in practice' & 'Being a health professional in Private Practice’ Given the impact of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on service provision and the increasing employment and practice education opportunities in Private Practice (PP), the School invested in a 12-month project to design a series of learning modules that prepare our allied health students for working in PP and the NDIS. This project had input from all disciplines within the school and was designed in collaboration with community stakeholders including industry professionals and consumers/lived experience experts – a process which ensured the modules are authentic, engaging, and practical. The modules are designed to prepare students to work in the Disability and Private Practice sectors upon graduation. Module 2: ‘Skills for graduates working alongside the NDIS in practice’ Learning objectives:
Module 2: 'Being a health professional in Private Practice' Learning objectives:
|
Multiple weeks From Week 7 To Week 12 |
General contact hours |
Online self-directed learning modules (self-directed learning) A series of weekly online modules will provide information about working as a speech pathologist in the private practice sector and the holistic management of evidence-based practice for people with disability across the lifespan. The self-directed learning module content will cover a broad range of topics, including:
|
Multiple weeks From Week 8 To Week 12 |
Tutorial |
Weekly on campus tutorials Tutorials will be conducted from weeks 8-12 of semester and will incorporate inquiry-based learning and small group discussion to further explore private practice and speech pathology approaches to the holistic and evidence-based management of people with disability across the lifespan. Tutorials have been designed for experiential learning and therefore, students are expected to attend and actively participate in all tutorials. It is essential that students prepare for tutorials by completing the online self-paced (UQ Extend) learning modules and associated preparation activities. As students will be working in small groups during this learning activity, tutorials will not be recorded. |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Final lecture The final lecture (Week 13) will review the course as a whole and include a live panel for people with disability and carers. Attendance in person is strongly encouraged. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: