Helping others speak up

Kristen Larcombe is a Bachelor of Speech Pathology graduate who couldn’t be happier to have a career helping others find their voice and be heard.  

“Speech pathology was my second degree – it was never the plan,” said Kristen. “I started with a Bachelor of Languages. I always knew I wanted to do something helping others, but I thought my calling was to become an ESL (English as a second language) teacher and work with vulnerable communities and people with migrant backgrounds.”

Kristen’s uncertainty grew about her proposed career plan until a volunteering opportunity opened a new door.

“I was working with a little boy who had autism. I went with him to see his speech pathologist and that was the beginning.

I thought, ‘Yep, this is exactly what I want to do, this is definitely where I should be’. I haven’t looked back since.”

A new degree

Kristen enrolled in speech pathology at ACU’s Melbourne Campus as a non-school leaver. “I was a little older than my classmates, but having that extra life experience to draw on was invaluable to me.”

Kristen loved her studies and thrived in her placements.

“Getting to go out on placement was the best part of the degree. I got to experience every sector, and I spent time in hospitals, community health clinics and schools.

“Originally I thought I would end up working in a hospital. But on my placement I thought, ‘Mmm, this isn’t for me’. Hospitals are very go, go, go and fast-paced. I felt like it wouldn’t be the place to really build a rapport with my patients. I did start to wonder where I would end up.”

Finding her way

Kristen now works in in-home services and community in the disability sector for Everyday Independence, a therapy organisation that supports people of all ages to live to their full potential and enjoy an everyday life.

“What this means is I go into people’s homes or I deliver a service at their workplace, their school, their kinder, wherever it’s needed.”

Kristen said, “I can’t see myself working anywhere else,” and is happy she made the right decision. “Being in someone’s natural environment, like their home, you get to see so much of their progress and achievements. It’s where they feel most comfortable, and I absolutely love my work.”

A pandemic positive

Kristen said while the global pandemic did impact the way she works, it also lead to some unexpected positive outcomes.

“Everything turned upside down in March 2020. But I was able to give my clients a choice: move to telehealth or I can still come to your home,” she said. “Some of my participants (this is what we call our clients at Everyday Independence) did really well with telehealth. For others, it was quite a nightmare. For me, I saw the benefits to both.

“Providing speech pathology services via telehealth worked wonders for people who live quite far away. I’ve started servicing places like Colac and Cobden in regional Victoria, and it’s incredible to provide them with ongoing therapy without travel as a barrier.

“In general, it can be so hard for people in regional Australia to gain access to someone like me and there are long waitlists. I wasn’t even fully aware when I started my career that there was such a huge demand for speech pathologists in regional Victoria where I work.

But we should be available to everyone – where you live should never be a barrier to being able to access the same services as someone who lives in a city.”

Talking truths

Kristen said the job of a speech pathologist comes with considerable misconceptions.

“I think many people think we just work with speech sounds and language delays. And I admit, I thought the same thing when I first started my degree. I was surprised to learn what speech pathology covered. What we do to support people is really quite endless,” Kristen explained.

“For some of my participants, all they want to do is make a friend at school – and that’s something I can help with. We talk about social skills, how they might obtain a friend and what conversation skills they need to do this.

“I also work with people who simply want to go to a cafe and order their own coffee independently. Also, I don’t think people know speech pathologists work on swallowing difficulties like dysphagia. Helping people who have issues eating and drinking is a huge area of our expertise.

I think most people don’t know how much speech pathologists do to help people with everyday life experiences.”

Lending a hand

Kristen’s advice for anyone thinking about a speech pathology career is to look into volunteering opportunities.

“Do as much volunteering as you can. It’s so good for helping you develop life experience, especially if you’re thinking of working with really vulnerable families. For me, it’s been invaluable.”

Even before she began her studies, Kristen has lent her time to The Smith Family, volunteered in palliative care for Barwon Health, and spent time with the Yellow Ladybugs, an organisation that supports young girls with autism.

“Going into local communities, talking to people about their experiences and just trying something new and challenging will really set up your person-centred skills,” Kristen said. “It’s going to help you at uni, as well as your career afterwards.”

Making a difference

Kristen knows she’s lucky to be working in her dream career.

“I love being in disability. Every single day is different. In my work with vulnerable families I see so much progress and I see their lives change so quickly. I didn’t realise that was something I’d get to experience.

“It’s so exciting to be a part of. Every morning I know the day ahead won’t be the same as the one before.”

Interested in a career like Kristen’s? Learn more about where a speech pathology degree can take you.