The perspectives of key stakeholders on contemporary topics in augmentative and alternative communication in Australia: A qualitative investigation

PURPOSE: To explore contemporary topics in augmentative and alternative communication through the perspectives of six Australian stakeholders. METHOD: Following a panel session at the Speech Pathology Australia Conference, panellists responded to a Qualtrics survey which was analysed in Nvivo. Questions had been curated from speech-language pathologists and panel members to address current challenges in augmentative and alternative communication service delivery. RESULT: Thematic network analysis identified two global themes. Global theme 1 - 'The role of the speech-language pathologist in the contemporary augmentative and alternative communication workforce' linked to four organising themes: 'The augmentative and alternative communication user at centre stage', 'augmentative and alternative communication is not a solo sport', 'champions in the funding arena', and 'right tools, right way, right place'. The second global theme - 'Always learning, always adapting' linked to three organising themes: 'Need to learn about current tools', 'values and attitudes of the speech-language pathologist', and 'how to keep growing'. The intersection between professional roles, training, and contextual factors such as funding, workplace contexts, and systematic policies was highlighted. CONCLUSION: This research recognises the multifaceted and evolving role of speech-language pathologists in augmentative and alternative communication, shaped by a changing practice landscape. There is need for sustained professional support to equip practitioners for diverse demands, including advocacy and navigation of funding and service systems.