In 2006, Sarah began her Bachelor of Speech Pathology at Flinders University. She was drawn to the course as she wanted to support individuals with communication difficulties and appreciated how the field provided opportunities for ongoing professional development. “It was a great learning and life experience,” Sarah says. "During my time at Flinders, I realised the endless career opportunities in speech pathology and allied health.”

As a new graduate, Sarah commenced in private practice, providing locum speech pathology services throughout Adelaide and rural and remote areas. “I quickly progressed into a clinical managerial role overseeing a small team of speech pathologists and dietitians,” Sarah says. “I was also proactive in accessing a mentor and dedicated weekends to developing skills working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, to eventually become an ASD diagnostician.”  

For more than a decade, Sarah has worked with both paediatric and adult clients across the lifespan in a range of settings, including homes, schools, hospitals, early learning centres, Residential Aged Care Facilities, clinical settings, and rural and remote locations.  

An inspired career move

Sarah was inspired to diversify and advance her clinical skillset into positive behaviour support to improve client therapy outcomes for people with complex swallowing, feeding and communication difficulties.

After completing a 3-day workshop in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), Sarah sought to further enhance her professional development in 2020 with a postgraduate certificate in PBS.

With the high demand for behavioural support practitioners, Sarah believed her background as an experienced speech pathologist was highly relevant. “I was inspired to further develop my skills to support people with disability who have complex communication and behavioural needs,” Sarah explains. 

"If we are able to support our clients to meet the function of behaviour, we may avoid behaviours of concern and ultimately improve quality of life."

The postgraduate course allows health professionals to extend their knowledge and skills to support people with disability, their families, and other key stakeholders, as well as prepare them for leadership roles.

Sarah chose to complete her postgraduate program online for the convenience and flexibility. “I enjoyed the material, and the teaching staff are absolutely amazing and motivating. It was easy to access support from mentors, and I liked undertaking placement while completing a major assignment, which allowed me to put theory into practice.”   

Creating positive change

Today, as a speech pathologist and PBS practitioner, Sarah oversees a multi-disciplinary team of speech pathologists, occupational therapists, developmental educators, positive behaviour support practitioners and other allied health clinicians, to support children and adults with disability. “The support we provide is holistic and person-centred,” Sarah explains. "Our team are creative in our approach to therapy, and it is rewarding to see positive change for clients as they progress toward their individual goals, and clinicians as they further develop and diversify their skill set.”

When looking to the future, Sarah seeks to continually enhance her skills as a speech pathologist and positive behaviour support practitioner to support people across the lifespan. “My aim is to consider individual needs and goals and integrate evidence-based practice across both speech pathology and PBS to maximise therapy outcomes and improve quality of life."

Flinders graduate and principal speech pathologist Sarah Tilley, was inspired to diversify and advance her clinical skill set in positive behaviour support.