If you don't think the government should dictate what kind of speech therapy you're allowed to have for stuttering, please sign this (xpost r/slp)
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If you don't think the government should dictate what kind of speech therapy you're allowed to have for stuttering, please sign this (xpost r/slp) Original proposal: [http://www.stutteringhelp.org/sites/default/files/pictures/SpeechPathologyAustralia.pdf](http://www.stutteringhelp.org/sites/default/files/pictures/SpeechPathologyAustralia.pdf) Stuttering Foundation's response: [http://www.stutteringhelp.org/content/another-blunder-down-under](http://www.stutteringhelp.org/content/another-blunder-down-under) Craig Coleman: [http://www.stutteringu.com/blog/a-dangerous-precedent-from-australia-what-it-means-and-what-happens-next](http://www.stutteringu.com/blog/a-dangerous-precedent-from-australia-what-it-means-and-what-happens-next) SITUATION: Speech Pathology Australia, the national certifying body for speech therapists in Australia, is proposing that a certain therapy protocol called Lidcombe be approved as the *only* Medicare (national health care systems for everyone in Australia) reimbursable treatment for preschool stuttering. Professionals and members in the stuttering community are extremely concerned for several reasons. Not only is this a one-size-fits-all approach, but it sets a frightening precedent for families, patients, and clinicians being unable to make individualized treatment choices. This is the equivalent of a certain brand-name drug being the ONLY approved drug for diabetes, or a certain surgical procedure being the ONLY one allowed for a heart condition. This is additionally bizarre given that the recommended treatment, Lidcombe, was created by the clinical experts who advised on this proposal. Please [sign the petition here](http://www.stutteringu.com/blog/a-dangerous-precedent-from-australia-what-it-means-and-what-happens-next), and use social media to keep SPA accountable in preserving the rights of families and PWS to decide what form of speech therapy is best for them! [Note: the concern is not that the mandated approach is "bad"-- even if extremely effective, no treatment is perfect. This completely robs families and clinicians of the ability to make informed choices about what therapy approach is best for a particular individual child.]