CQUniversity Unit Profile.

For this assessment task, you will be provided with information for a paediatric case study. You will need to review the information provided, analyse the assessment results, and write an assessment report. 

The case study includes the following information:

• A written case history
• Assessment results
• Observational notes

Assessment Instructions:

• Carefully read all case study documentation supplied to you on Moodle. 
• Review, mark, and analyse the speech and language assessment results.
• Write an assessment report that includes:
  • A summary of the background information provided to you by the parent as part of the case history.
  • A summary and interpretation of the speech and language results with reference to the literature. Your interpretation should be written using language that the parent/caregiver can understand and include a differential diagnosis and information regarding the potential impact of the diagnosis on the client’s functioning and day-to-day activities.
  • Recommendations for the client regarding strategies for the family in the home, the need for further assessment and/or treatment and/or referrals to other professionals. Your recommendations must integrate information provided in the case history and assessment results. It must also identify pertinent gaps in the information and explain how to source this information. 
• Scan and upload the scored assessment results as a separate appendix.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 2: You may use AI for planning, idea development and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.

There are three marking criteria for this assessment task: 

1. The first criterion assesses your ability to accurately analyse, interpret, and report on case history information and formal speech and language assessment results clearly and appropriately for families. This criterion is worth 60% of the grade for this assessment task.
2. The second criterion assesses your ability to integrate case information and assessment results to formulate an accurate speech and/or language differential diagnosis, identify the functional impact of the client’s communication skills, and provide evidence-based recommendations for further assessment, referrals, and communication strategies. This criterion is worth 30% of the grade for this assessment task.
3. The third criterion focuses on the accuracy and quality of your referencing, writing, and formatting. This criterion is worth 10% of the grade for this assessment task. Note that violation of academic integrity requirements for referencing will additionally impact marks for criteria 1 and 2.

This assessment task is comprised of five individual tasks that relate to the application of specific professional competencies, taught throughout face-to-face tutorials or through online lectures/activities, to the SPCH12007 Work Integrated Learning experience. 

Task 1: Verbal communication in the clinical setting.

During your clinical placement you will be required to utilise effective verbal communication skills when communicating with stakeholders (e.g., parents and caregivers, your practice educator/s and other administrative and health professionals).

For this task you are required to:

1. Describe a scenario in which you used effective verbal communication when interacting with one of the above-mentioned stakeholder/s.
2. Outline the key factors you considered when communicating with the stakeholder/s.
3. Reflect on the communication interaction by evaluating its strengths and identifying potential changes you would make to future interactions.

Task 2: Written communication in the clinical setting.

Submit a short summary reflecting on your experiences with professional written communication during placement (e.g., reports, emails, letters, referrals, progress notes).

Your summary should:

• Be based on your own experiences and feedback from your practice educator.
• Identify one strength and one area for improvement in your professional written communication.
• Include a specific example to support each point.
• Conclude with a SMART goal to guide your continued development in professional written communication.

Task 3: Data collection.

During your clinical placement in SPCH12007, you will be involved in collecting data during client sessions. Effective data collection is essential for measuring progress and informing goal setting and needs to be effective and easy to collect during a session. For this task, you are required to outline the data collection approach used in one therapy activity (not a whole session) e.g., “/s/ in isolation during Sammy the Snake game”. Your response must include:

• Identification of the clinical task for which data collection was required.
• An outline of the steps you took and the factors you considered when determining how to collect the data.
• A reflection on the effectiveness of your data collection approach, including any changes you would make for future sessions.

Task 4: Reflection and goal setting.

Submit two written reflections based on your SPCH12007 clinical placement, using the Description–Interpretation–Outcome (DIO) framework.

Each reflection must focus on a different element from Domain 1 of the Speech Pathology Australia Professional Standards:

• One reflection should explore a strength you demonstrated.
• The other should identify an area for improvement (future focus).
• Both reflections must clearly relate to Domain 1, with each addressing a different element of the domain. Ensure the D-I-O framework is applied in both reflections.

Task 5: Personal goal setting.

For the area of improvement you identified in Task 4, write a SMART goal to describe how you will progress your competency. Outline one strategy you can apply to assist you in meeting that goal.

Level of GenAI use allowed: 

Level 3: You may use AI to assist with specific tasks such as drafting, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any AI-generated content you use.

There are three marking criteria for this assessment task:

1. The first criterion assesses your ability to demonstrate understanding of the skills and attributes associated with Speech Pathology Australia’s Professional Standards in the Work Integrated Learning setting. This criterion is worth 40% of the grade for this assessment task.
2. The second criterion assesses the depth of your reflective practice skills and how you are able to effectively use reflective practice to inform your future performance on clinical placement. This criterion is worth 50% of the grade for this assessment task.
3. The third criterion focuses on the accuracy and quality of your referencing, writing, and formatting. This criterion is worth 10% of the grade for this assessment task. Note that violation of academic integrity requirements for referencing will additionally impact marks for criteria 1 and 2.

Your paediatric sessional placement offers an opportunity to develop clinical competence under the supervision of a practice educator (PE) within a workplace-based setting. For this placement, you will be required to attend and actively participate in an 8-day paediatric sessional placement, scheduled for one day per week during Term 2, 2026. Details regarding the specific dates, duration, and nature of the placement will be provided by your practice education coordinator (PEC) and/or unit coordinator at least two weeks prior to commencement.

The criteria outlined in the SPCH12007 WIL-1 Sessional Placement Assessment Rubric must be met to pass this assessment task. The completed rubric must be uploaded to the SPCH12007 Moodle page no later than one week after your placement finishes. 

At the commencement of your placement, you will also need to complete a learning contract, which is to be reviewed by you and your PE(s) during your placement. 

The CB87 Practice Education Handbook which can be found in the Practice Education/ Work-Integrated Learning tile in the CB87 Speech Pathology Course Moodle site, outlines the expectations of students undertaking placements. It includes important information on dress code, professional conduct, confidentiality, and how to manage various placement-related issues. Please ensure you are familiar with the contents of the CB87 Practice Education Handbook prior to commencing your placement. Note that all pre-clinical requirements mentioned in the CB87 Practice Education Handbook (and also stipulated on the online SONIA database) must be completed prior to commencing a placement and must remain current for the duration of the placement. Any student who fails to comply will not be permitted to commence their placement, which will affect their ability to complete this assessment task. Further information and instructions regarding all mandatory checks (pre-clinical requirements) can be found on the SONIA database or obtained by contacting the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) team via email: wil-hmas@cqu.edu.au. Please note that some workplaces may have additional requirements specific to their setting, such as training in telepractice or infection control procedures. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have met all necessary requirements prior to commencing placement. Failure to do so may prevent you from attending your placement and completing this assessment task.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.

As this is a pass/fail assessment, the 72-hour grace period does not apply, and a late submission will result in a Fail grade for this assessment task. 

During your placement, your practice educator (PE), a qualified speech pathologist, will assess your competence using the SPCH12007 Assessment 3 WIL-1 Sessional Placement Assessment Rubric. To pass your professional placement, you must meet each of the following requirements:

• A pass mark on the placement assessment on all criteria in the SPCH12007 Assessment 3 WIL-1 Sessional Placement Assessment Rubric at the completion of placement.
• You must also complete and submit any additional documentation that is required by the PE or placement organisation, such as written reports and information for client files, at the completion of placement.

You will be assessed under the three domains of Speech Pathology Australia's Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia (Professional Standards).

• Professional conduct
• Reflective practice and life-long learning
• Speech pathology practice

Your competence will be assessed by behavioural descriptors that align with the "novice" level in Speech Pathology Australia's Compass (R) assessment tool.

The novice-level student:

• Requires a high degree of supervisory support
• Recalls some aspects of relevant theory

Needs support to:

• Draw conclusions about a client
• Develop a plan for action
• Understand the total clinical situation
• Apply problem-solving strategies, principles and theory
• Spends a high degree of time and effort in meeting clinical responsibilities
• Is highly focused on own performance, rather than on the client

The practice education coordinator (PEC) will determine if the student has met the above criteria.

You must complete a Work-Integrated Learning Log documenting the clinical experiences/ hours you accumulated during your placement. At the completion of the placement, this form must be signed by both you and your Practice Educators (PE(s)) and uploaded to Moodle no later than 9:00am on the Tuesday of Week 14. 

If you and your PE(s) have electronically signed the SPCH12007 tab in the spreadsheet, you are only required to submit the spreadsheet via Moodle. If you and your PE(s) have signed a printed copy, you will need to submit a scanned or photographed copy of the printed form as well as the spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet and instructions for completion are available in the Practice Education / Work-Integrated Learning tile in the CB87 Speech Pathology Course Moodle.

It should be noted that Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) does not specify the number of clinical hours that students must complete during the course of any Australian university’s Speech Pathology program. SPA instead places the focus on the minimum level of competence, skills, and knowledge required for entry into the workforce as a qualified and competent speech pathologist. CQUniversity’s approach is consistent with SPA’s philosophy and therefore does not have a specific requirement regarding the minimum number of clinical hours each student must complete by the end of the Speech Pathology course. Submission of the record form for this unit is therefore a pass/fail assessment requirement. You should be aware that you are also expected to track this data and keep copies for your own records, as evidence of clinical hours may be required if you are requested to provide evidence of clinical experience when applying for work as a speech pathologist overseas.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.

As this is a pass/fail assessment, the 72-hour grace period does not apply, and a late submission will result in a Fail grade for this assessment task. 

To pass this assessment task, you must complete and submit the Work-Integrated Learning Log spreadsheet by the due date/ time. If you and your PE(s) have electronically signed the SPCH12007 tab in the spreadsheet, you are only required to submit the spreadsheet. If you and your PE(s) have signed a printed copy, you will need to submit a scanned or photographed copy of the printed form as well as the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet and instructions for completion are available in the Practice Education / Work-Integrated Learning tile in the CB87 Speech Pathology Course Moodle.