The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
Overview
In this unit you will investigate language and literacy development, assessment and intervention for children in the first five years of life. You will develop knowledge in how to support language and literacy needs for children who are culturally or linguistically diverse, have hearing loss or a disability. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework, and the principles of evidence-based, and interprofessional practice will be applied throughout the unit. In this unit you will engage in a work integrated learning experience to develop professional speech pathology skills.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: ALLH11001 - Introduction to Allied Health Practice SPCH11001 - Introduction to Communication and Swallowing SPCH12006 - Linguistics PSYC11010 - Fundamentals of Psychology ALLH11006 - Life Course Development for Health Professionals SPCH12008 Phonetics
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 - 2025
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 comments
A student commented that weekly quizzes would be good to review content.
It is recommended that the unit coordinator ensures weekly quizzes are included in all face-to-face tutorials i.e., every week.
Feedback from SUTE comments In-class comments
Students commented that they would like more support to prepare for the viva examination.
It is recommended that the unit coordinator offer an optional viva preparation session for students.
Feedback from SUTE comments In-class comments
Students commented that they would like to apply assessment feedback between speech pathology units however this was difficult due to the timing of assessment due dates.
It is recommended the unit coordinator reviews the timing of assessment due dates in relation to adjacent units.
- Discuss the development of children’s language and literacy skills in the first five years of life
- Examine children’s language and literacy skills using informal and formal assessment measures and strategies
- Describe the impact of language and literacy difficulties for children with diverse needs within the context of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework using clear and concise language
- Apply principles of evidence-based and interprofessional practice when planning prevention and management strategies for young children with various language and literacy needs at an individual, family and community level.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Case Study - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Oral Examination - 50% | ||||
| 3 - Professional Practice Placement - 0% | ||||
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 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence (5th ed.)
Edition: 6th (2024)
Authors: Paul, R., Norbury, C & Gosse, C.
Elsevier
USA
ISBN: 9780323830157
Binding: Hardcover
Additional Textbook Information
Copies can be purchased from the CQUni Bookshop here: https://bookshop.cqu.edu.au/ ( Search on the unit code)
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.
c.conlon@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Theories on language development.
- Language development for children 0-2 years.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Language and literacy development for children 3-5 years.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Play and cognition development in children 0-5 years.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Informal language assessments.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Formal language assessments.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Formal language assessments.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Differential diagnosis.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Principles of language intervention.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Designing intervention with children and their families.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Creating evidence-based therapy plans - part 1.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Creating evidence-based therapy plans - part 2.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The online lectures and face to face tutorial will cover:
- Problem solving and flexible thinking when working with children and their families.
Chapter
Readings will be outlined on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Students will require access to the Speech Pathology Assessment Cupboard on the Rockhampton North Campus to complete assessment 1 and assessment 2. A schedule outlining the dates and times the Speech Assessment Cupboard will be accessible throughout the term will be posted on the Speech Pathology Course Wide Moodle page.
1 Case Study
You will be provided with a case history and the results of a formal assessment for a case study child. For this assessment task you will need to review the information provided and analyse the assessment results. To do this, you will need to refer to the assessment manual of the formal assessment, which is located in the speech pathology assessment cupboard. A template to complete this task has been provided on your Moodle page.
Section 1: Assessment Interpretation
- Outline the pertinent aspects of the case history with reference to the literature. Pertinent aspects of the case history are those that indicate the client may be experiencing communication difficulties or aspects which may impact the client’s communication development (such as individual, family or community factors).
- Analyse the formal assessment results and provide an interpretation of what these assessment results mean. Students are expected to analyse and interpret all aspects of the formal assessment provided including subtests. For results interpretation, students must adhere to the assessment manual.
Section 2: Differential Diagnosis
- Outline a differential diagnosis for the client based on the information provided. This should be one sentence.
- Justify your differential diagnosis for the client with reference to the case history information, the assessment results and high-quality literature. As part of the justification, students should refer to the diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis given.
Section 3: Recommendations for further assessment or information gathering
- Provide two recommendations for further assessment or information gathering for the client. Each recommendation should be no more than two sentences.
- Justify each recommendation (therefore you should have two justifications) with reference to high-quality literature.
Week 9 Monday (12 May 2025) 9:00 am AEST
This assessment task must be uploaded to Moodle by the due date/time.
Week 11 Monday (26 May 2025)
Feedback will be uploaded to Moodle
You will be marked against four criteria for this assessment task:
- Your ability to analyse, interpret, and explain the assessment results in relation to a case. This section is worth 45%.
- Your ability to integrate case information and assessment results to describe the client’s communication profile including initial diagnostic decision making. This section is worth 15%.
- Your ability to apply clinical reasoning skills to make appropriate recommendations for further assessment and your ability to justify these in reference to the case study information and the literature. This section is worth 30%.
- Your ability to use appropriate formatting; academic writing conventions including grammar and use of APA 7th edition referencing. This section is worth 10%.
Please see the CB87 Academic Integrity handout: https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=3805644, located on the Speech Pathology Course Wide Moodle page for information on paraphrasing, source quality, and artificial intelligence use across units in the speech pathology course.
- Discuss the development of children’s language and literacy skills in the first five years of life
- Examine children’s language and literacy skills using informal and formal assessment measures and strategies
2 Oral Examination
For this assessment task, you will be required to complete a 20-minute viva (an oral assessment in the form of an interview) based on a paediatric clinical scenario. Your viva will occur on Tuesday the 17th of June 2025 OR Wednesday the 18th of June 2025 between 8:00am and 6:00pm.
This viva will be conducted via Zoom and will be video recorded for assessment marking purposes. As the viva will be conducted via Zoom, it is your responsibility to ensure you have a stable internet connection and a functioning device with adequate audio and video capabilities. Your webcam must remain on with your face visible throughout the entire viva, and virtual backgrounds must be turned off. Please ensure that your physical environment is free from audio and visual distractions. If this is not possible in your private residence students are required to book a room at their closest CQU campus through the library booking system https://cqu.libcal.com/spaces. Students are also expected to dress in professional attire (e.g., the speech pathology clinic uniform).
Your scheduled time allocation and secure Zoom link will be provided at least four weeks prior to the viva occurring via Moodle. Your viva promptly commences at the time listed on Moodle. Please ensure that you have logged into the Zoom session at least 5 minutes prior to your scheduled time.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you the appropriate software and hardware prior to the scheduled viva. If you experience technical issues on the day contact TASAC and email the unit coordinator to advise of your actions. The unit coordinator cannot provide any technical assistance prior to or during the vivas.
If you are less than 5 minutes late, you will be permitted to complete your viva, however the amount of time you were late, will be deducted from section 1 (and other sections sequentially as applicable). For example, if your viva was scheduled for 9:00am and you log in at 9:02am, you will be given 3 minutes for section 1 instead of 5 minutes. If you arrive more than 5 minutes past your scheduled viva time, this will be considered as non-attendance. Please note that as per section 5.54 in the Higher Education Assessment Policy Higher Education Assessment Policy, late penalties do not apply to this assessment task. If you do not attend and 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 the assessment task for reasons outlined in the Higher Education Assessment Policy, you must submit an extension request through Moodle.
The stages of the viva have been outlined below:
Step 1: One week prior to your viva you will be provided basic case history information and the assessment results of a paediatric client which will pertain to the developmental areas of speech and hearing. In preparation for your viva, you are expected to research your case, and prepare to answer questions in relation to the following areas.
Step 2: You will log in to your Zoom link 5 minutes prior to the time outlined on Moodle.
Step 3: Your examiner will ask 2 questions about differential diagnosis and impact. You will be given 4 minutes to answer these questions.
Step 4: Your examiner will ask 3 questions about goal setting. You will be given 6 minutes to answer these questions.
Step 6: Your examiner will ask 4 questions about evidence-based therapy planning. You will be given 8 minutes to answer these questions.
Step 7: Your examiner will ask 1 question about problem-solving for diverse populations. You will be given 2 minutes to answer this question.
Exam Week Tuesday (17 June 2025) 8:00 am AEST
This viva will be scheduled on the 17th or 18th of June between 8:00am and 6:00pm. Students must attend and complete their viva at the day and time outlined on Moodle.
Exam Week Friday (20 June 2025)
Feedback will be uploaded to Moodle.
You will be marked against five criteria for this assessment task:
- Your ability to analyse and integrate assessment information to provide an accurate differential diagnosis. This section is worth 20%.
- Your ability to analyse and interpret assessment information to inform the development of appropriate and effective goals that align with evidence-based practice and client needs. This section is worth 25%.
- Your ability to create and justify a holistic client-centred therapy plan. This section is worth 40%.
- Your ability to demonstrate problem solving skills by making adjustments to your therapy plan when presented with a change to a therapy case. This section is worth 10%.
- Your professionalism and communication throughout the viva. This includes your use of appropriate, respectful and professionally acceptable language when discussing client’s with communication difficulties. This section is worth 5%.
Please see the CB87 Academic Integrity handout: https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=3805644, located on the Speech Pathology Course Wide Moodle page for information on paraphrasing, source quality, and artificial intelligence use across units in the speech pathology course.
No submission method provided.
- Examine children’s language and literacy skills using informal and formal assessment measures and strategies
- Describe the impact of language and literacy difficulties for children with diverse needs within the context of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework using clear and concise language
- Apply principles of evidence-based and interprofessional practice when planning prevention and management strategies for young children with various language and literacy needs at an individual, family and community level.
3 Professional Practice Placement
You must complete two observation sessions of a speech pathology session at the CQUniversity Health Clinic. Your two observation will occur on two separate days between week 2 and week 11. Your observation date and time will be outlined on your Moodle page. As part of this placement, you will observe a speech pathology practice educator (PE) conduct speech pathology sessions with children. You must:
- Attend the placement site at the dates and times outlined on Moodle including orientation day.
- Have up to date Mandatory requirements as outlined by Sonia.
- Abide by dress code and professional expectations outlined in the Practice Education Handbook.
- Complete one child observation per day using the template provided on the SPCH12002 Moodle page. Therefore, you should have one completed observation for placement day one and one completed observation for placement day two (two observations in total).
You will be required to print the observation form on this document to complete during each observation day. You must complete all of the sections outlined on the form to pass the task. You will need to ensure your PE signs your observation form each day before you depart the placement site.
Your completed (and signed) observation sheets must be submitted via the SPCH12002 Moodle page no later than one week after the completion of your second day of placement at 5:00pm. The due date for each student group will be outlined on Moodle.
Students will be advised if they have passed this assessment task via Moodle within one week of uploading their completed observation sheets.
To pass this assessment task you must:
Submit one completed observation form for each day of placement (two observation forms in total from two different placement days). These observation forms must:
- Be completed in their entirety (i.e., all sections must be filled out).
- Be signed by the student (yourself) and the PE.
- Uploaded to Moodle no later than 5:00pm, seven days after the final day of placement.
- Discuss the development of children’s language and literacy skills in the first five years of life
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?
