ECU third-year ECU speech pathology student Emma Barrington-Shaw at work. (courtesy Tegan Taudigani)
Responding to a growing need for developmental support in the early years, ECU has partnered with the Y WA to place third year speech pathology students at its Baldivis Early Learning Centre (ELC), helping to identify and support children with speech and language challenges.
With some families in WA facing wait times of up to three years for speech therapy and other services, the 12-week placement program—supervised by qualified speech pathology educators—allows ECU students to work directly with children aged three to five, during the critical early stages of learning and development.
ECU Clinical Coordinator – Speech Pathology, Natalie Crawford, said the initiative was not only a valuable opportunity for student learning, but also delivered immediate benefits to the wider community.
"We're proud to see our students applying their skills where they're needed most," Natalie said. "This partnership is a practical, real-world extension of their training—and it's making a tangible difference in the lives of local children and families."
The collaboration builds on the Y WA's existing School ReadY program, which screens children across three key developmental areas: Literacy and Language, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, and Numeracy. ECU students are embedded in the Literacy and Language stream, providing Tier 2 support to children flagged as needing additional help following an initial language screen.
In addition to working one-on-one with children, ECU students are also helping to develop resources for parents and educators across all 14 The Y WA early learning centres. They're also providing professional support to staff at Baldivis, helping build capacity so educators can continue delivering targeted support after the placement concludes.
The partnership is not only addressing an urgent skills gap but also creating a pipeline of job-ready graduates equipped with real-world experience in early intervention.
The Y WA CEO Dr Tim McDonald said the initiative was bolstering the organisation's efforts to ensure every child enters school ready to learn.
"We know that without early screening, many children's language difficulties go unnoticed until much later, when they are harder to remediate," Dr McDonald said. "Our partnership with ECU is strengthening our School ReadY program and giving children the best chance at success."
The Y WA is a community not-for-profit organisation that has been supporting children and families in WA for more than 100 years.
