The knowledge, confidence and attitudes of Australian speech-language pathologists in augmentative and alternative communication for children and young people

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic information.

Item	n (%)
Geographical location
Metropolitan	114 (56%)
Rural	86 (42%)
Remote	4 (2%)
Employment setting^a
Private practice	98
Non-government/Not for Profit	78
Hospital or Health	94
Education	19
Other	3
Years’ Experience
<1 year	4 (2%)
2-5 years	94 (46%)
6-10 years	4 (26%)
11-15 years	23 (11%)
>15 years	30 (15%)

^a Participants were asked to tick all employment settings in which they worked.

Figure 1. Years in the Workforce.

Figure 2. AAC Caseload.

Figure 3. Geographical Area of Services.

Figure 4. Adequacy of Pre-professional Training and Years in the Workforce.

Note. Participants were asked to respond to the statement ‘My pre-professional education adequately prepared me to service paediatric AAC clients once I entered the workforce’.

Table

Statement	Mean (SD)	Median	Min/Max
K. I have a good understanding of the ways in which AAC may be relevant for children with complex communication needs.	5.15 (1.85)	6	1/7
C. I am confident I would be able to use AAC-based approaches with a child with complex communication needs.	5.05 (1.57)	6	1/7
K. I have very little knowledge of what to do to help a person manage their communication needs using AAC techniques^a.	5.13 (1.45)	6	1/7
A. It is important that I learn as much as possible about the impact of AAC on supporting complex communication needs.	5.56 (1.51)	6	1/7
C. I have skills I can use to support interventions using AAC-based approaches in paediatric settings.	5.28 (1.45)	6	1/7
K. I have a good understanding of the theory underpinning use of AAC generally.	5.41 (1.31)	6	2/7
C. At my level I would not get involved in helping children with AAC – it’s a specialist area^a.	5.31 (1.51)	6	1/7
A. All paediatric speech pathologists should have some skills and knowledge in AAC to be able to assist children with complex communication needs.	5.57 (1.54)	6	1/7
C. I wouldn’t be able to assist a child with complex communication needs to use an AAC system that meets their individual needs and preferences^a.	5.16 (1.54)	6	1/7
C. I would be quite good at providing interventions using AAC-based approaches with a child with complex communication needs.	4.90 (1.58)	6	1/7
A. Using AAC-based approaches can support a child’s communication development.	5.87 (1.39)	6	1/7
K. I still have a long way to go before I will have enough understanding to use AAC-based approaches with children with complex communication needs^a.	3.63 (1.80)	3	1/7
A. Providing interventions involving AAC is an important role for speech pathologists in paediatric settings.	5.70 (1.39)	6	1/7
C. I am confident that I can use AAC assessment tools in practice.	4.94 (1.64)	5	1/7
A. It is not necessary for all speech pathologists working in paediatrics to be aware of the AAC needs of clients^a.	5.50 (1.48)	6	1/7
K. I know enough to assist children with complex communication needs to access an AAC system.	5.19 (1.43)	6	1/7
A. Understanding the AAC needs of children with a communication disability is important for all speech pathologists.	5.63 (1.51)	6	1/7
K. I know enough to support other staff I work with to understand the value of AAC-based approaches in paediatric settings.	5.20 (1.43)	6	1/7
C. I have access to an extensive range of information and expertise to support my work in paediatric AAC.	4.92 (1.71)	6	1/7
A. Provision of AAC services is within my scope of practice as an Australian speech pathologist	5.59 (1.53)	6	1/7
T. My pre-professional education adequately prepared me to service paediatric AAC clients once I entered the workforce.	3.69 (2.05)	4	1/7

Note. K = question pertaining to knowledge, C = question pertaining to confidence, A = question pertaining to attitude and T = question pertaining to training. Participants were asked to rate each statement as follows: 1 = strongly agree, 2 = disagree, 3 = slightly agree, 4 = neutral, 5 = slightly agree, 6 = agree and 7 = strongly agree.

^a These statements were negatively worded and therefore reverse coded.