Overview
In this unit you will be introduced to developmental and acquired communication and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan. You will study how we use person-centred, family-centred, and community-centred approaches to assist people in optimising their communication and swallowing in a variety of contexts. You will learn about the principles of evidenced-based practice and strategies to support communication access across the lifespan.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE feedback
Students commented that the wording of quizzes was unclear at times.
It is recommended that wording of the quizzes is reviewed, and clearer instructions and questions are provided.
Feedback from SUTE feedback
Students commented that some links and activities were missing from moodle.
It is recommended that moodle links and activities are reviewed before they become available to students.
Feedback from SUTE feedback
Students commented that the Zoom lectures were difficult to hear at times.
It is recommended that the technology in the room is reviewed to improve audio quality for distance students.
Feedback from SUTE
Students commented that helpful feedback was provided about quiz answers throughout the unit.
It is recommended that helpful feedback continue to be provided throughout the unit.
- Explain anatomical basis for the development of communication and swallowing
- Describe the different types of communication and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan
- Describe strategies to support communication and swallowing goals and needs across the lifespan
- Discuss the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework and the principles of evidence-based practice
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 60% | ||||
| 2 - Presentation - 40% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.zussino@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
- An introduction to communication and swallowing across the lifespan
- The anatomical basis of communication and swallowing
- The theoretical basis of communication
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
- The anatomical basis of hearing
- Types of hearing loss
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
- Hearing loss across the lifespan
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
- Communication and swallowing 0-2 years
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
- Communication and swallowing 3-5 years
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
- Communication and swallowing 6-18 years
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
- Acquired communication conditions in adults – part 1
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/Topic
- Acquired communication conditions in adults – part 2
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
- Acquired swallowing conditions in adults
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 18 May 2026Module/Topic
- Developmental disabilities across the lifespan
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 25 May 2026Module/Topic
- Complex communication needs
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2026Module/Topic
There are no recorded lectures, activities, or tutorials this week.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
This assessment task requires you to complete six online quizzes throughout the term. Each online quiz will be worth 10% (60% in total). Each quiz will contain mainly multiple choice questions however may also include short answer questions. The number and type of questions for each quiz is posted in moodle. Once you enter/commence each quiz, you will have 30 minutes to answer all questions i.e., complete the quiz.
This is a must pass assessment task. You must receive a minimum grade of 50% on your overall quiz grade. Please note that per section 5.54 in the Higher Education Assessment Policy, late penalties do not apply to this assessment task. If you do not attend or complete this assessment task at the specified date/time, you will receive a mark of zero. In the event that you are unable to attend or complete the assessment task for reasons outlined in the Higher Education Assessment Policy, you must submit an extension request through Moodle.
As this is a timed assessment, the 72- hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Level of AI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core knowledge and skills.
The AI declaration will be included as the last question of the Moodle Quiz. This assessment should be completed independently, and answers should reflect your own work.
Online quiz one
Content assessed: weeks 1, 2 and 3
Quiz opens: 7am Tuesday 31st March
Quiz closes: 7am Thursday 2nd April
Online quiz two
Content assessed: weeks 4 and 5
Quiz opens: 7am Wednesday 15th April
Quiz closes: 7am Friday 17th April
Online quiz three
Content assessed: week 6
Quiz opens: 7am Wednesday 29th April
Quiz closes: 7am Friday 1st May
Online quiz four
Content assessed: weeks 7 and 8
Quiz opens: 7am Wednesday 13th May
Quiz closes: 7am Friday 15th May
Online quiz five
Content assessed: week 9
Quiz opens: 7am Wednesday 20th May
Quiz closes: 7am Friday 22nd May
Online quiz six
Content assessed: weeks 10 and 11
Quiz opens: 7am Wednesday 3rd June
Quiz closes: 7am Friday 5th June
5
Other
The date and time each quiz will be open has been included under 'task description'. This information will also be provided on the Moodle page.
Feedback will be provided to students within two weeks of each quiz closing.
Students will be assessed on their knowledge of communication and swallowing conditions across the lifespan. Students will demonstrate this knowledge through correct responses to multiple choice and short answer questions on online quizzes.
The CB87 Academic Integrity handout contains information on paraphrasing, source quality, and artificial intelligence use in the CB87 speech pathology course. Please see this assessment's Task Description in Moodle for additional details.
No submission method provided.
- Explain anatomical basis for the development of communication and swallowing
- Describe the different types of communication and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan
2 Presentation
For this assessment task, you are required to research a condition that will result in communication or swallowing difficulties. You will then record a presentation on that condition. You may choose from a list of options that have been provided in Appendix 1 of the task description on moodle. In your presentation you will need to:
1. Describe the condition and the communication or swallowing difficulties an individual may experience.
2. Consider a client with this condition and depict this client’s constellation of characteristics in relation to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework boxes. Outline how the communication/swallowing difficulties will impact the client with reference to the ICF.
3. Describe three strategies that can be used to support the client with their communication or swallowing difficulties. This should include strategies for the client and family, as well as relevant environmental modifications.
Your recorded presentation needs to be professional and engaging. Therefore, you are encouraged to utilise recording software such as PowerPoint that will allow use of visuals in addition to a video of you as the presenter. For this reason, the Record and Export to Video feature in PowerPoint is recommended as this is a free tool. Your recorded presentation must be no longer than 5 minutes. While the length of your presentation is not included in the marking rubric, the marker will not watch or mark any content that exceeds 5 minutes.
Level of AI use allowed:
Level 3: You may use AI to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any AI-generated content you use.
Please see task description in Moodle for more details.
Exam Week Monday (8 June 2026) 6:00 pm AEST
The presentation must be uploaded to Moodle by the due date/time. Additional information about uploading large files has been provided in Moodle.
Vacation/Exam Week Friday (19 June 2026)
Grades and feedback will be uploaded to Moodle.
There are 3 marking criteria that will be used to assess Assessment 2 for SPCH11001.
1. The first criterion focuses on your ability to describe a condition that will result in communication or swallowing difficulties, identify the impact of this condition and suggest strategies for the individual and their family and friends based on high quality evidence. You will be required to describe how the International Classification of Functioning and Disability (ICF) relates to a specific client. This criterion will be worth 60% of your grade for this assessment task.
2. The second criterion focuses on your ability to communicate logically and effectively throughout the presentation including the use of appropriate terminology. This criterion will also assess your ability to create a presentation that is professional in appearance including the use of effective multi-media tools, and correct spelling and grammar in the visual presentation. This criterion will be worth 20% of your grade for this assessment task.
3. The third criterion focuses on the correct use of APA 7th edition referencing, and the use of quality literature. This criterion will be worth 20% of your grade for this assessment task.
The CB87 Academic Integrity handout contains information on paraphrasing, source quality, and artificial intelligence use in the CB87 speech pathology course. Please see this assessment's Task Description in Moodle for additional details.
- Describe strategies to support communication and swallowing goals and needs across the lifespan
- Discuss the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework and the principles of evidence-based practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
