School of Medical and Health Sciences

Ms Abigail Lewis

Abigail is the Clinical Coordinator for all placements and a Senior Lecturer in the Bachelor of Speech Pathology.

Current Teaching

Unit coordination

• SPE2210 Impact of Communication and Swallowing Disorders
• SPE1101 Professional Standards and Competencies
• SPE3107 Clinical Practicum 1
• SPE3108 Clinical Practicum 2
• SPE4110 Clinical Practicum 3
• SPE4111 Clinical Practicum 4
• SPE4244 Disability and Communication

Lecturer within the units

• SPE1100 Evidence-Based Practice in Speech Pathology
• SPE1101 Professional Standards and Competencies
• SPE2106 Treatment Principles
• SPE2210 Impact of Communication and Swallowing Disorders
• SPE3107 Clinical Practicum 1
• SPE3108 Clinical Practicum 2
• SPE4110 Clinical Practicum 3
• SPE4111 Clinical Practicum 4

Background

Abigail Lewis has had over 25 years’ experience as a speech pathologist in both the UK and Australia. She worked in community clinics, special schools, special nurseries and a language unit. Migrating to Australia she commenced work in the disability field in 1996 developing a particular interest in working with children with autism. As the Autism Project Officer for Therapy Focus she completed ‘Forging Friendships: a social skills manual for children with autism spectrum disorders and other social skill deficits’. During 13 years in the disability field, she held a number of senior positions including Autism Specialist, Allied Health Officer and Clinical Standards Officer. The latter two roles involved staff training, resource development and standards monitoring. She was part of the team that developed Therapy Focus’ Life-long Learning Program, a competency based training program to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes of allied health professionals entering the disability field. Part of this program was further developed into the highly successful Graduate Program, taking 10 new graduates across disciplines each year and developing their competences in the disability field. She has carried out clinical audits and clinical benchmarking across the speech pathology staff in Therapy Focus.

Moving into the Clinical Coordinator role in the first year of the new Bachelor of Speech Pathology at ECU in 2009, Abigail became passionate about teaching clinical skills and the development of clinical competencies in students. She is responsible for organising clinical placements across the four-year program, and through workshops and tutorials ensuring students are well prepared for these placements. Clinical education is also her main research area: how to enhance students' learning before, during and after their clinical placements, using a range of innovative tools including videos, reflection and ePortfolios. She is also interested in how to better prepare clinical educators to supervise students, facilitating the development of a unique reflective supervision training package for WA. She has articles published in the Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech Language Pathology, the Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, the Journal of Interprofessional Care, and the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice.

She has completed a Masters of Health Science in Developmental Disability and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education. She is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist as accredited by Speech Pathology Australia. She is also a HERDSA fellow and was awarded an OLT citation for outstanding contributions to student learning in 2017. She is currently completing her PhD with the topic of professional identity development in speech pathology students.

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Professional Associations

• Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE)
• Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability (ASID)
• Australian and New Zealand Association of Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE)
• Australian Group on Severe Communication Impairment (AGOSCI)
• Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australia (HERDSA)
• Speech Pathology Australia
• West Australian Institute for Educational Research (WAIER)

Awards and Recognition

National and International Awards

• 2015 – Finalist in WA Clinical Supervision Awards Category 3 Innovation in Supervision for the development and evaluation of an ePortfolio and reflective practice across the course and training and evaluation clinical supervisors in the use of reflective supervision.
• 2009 – Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) Excellence award for outstanding contribution to service delivery in Early Intervention in WA (November 2009)

University and National Teaching Awards

• 2017 - OLT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (Development of curricula, resources and services that reflect a command of the field). For the development and implementation of an innovative clinical practicum program in Speech Pathology using reflective practice to optimise the development of students’ clinical skills.
• 2015 – HERDSA Fellowship
• 2013 – Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Award 2013 Citation for outstanding contribution to student learning
• 2012 – Executive Dean’s Award in recognition of tireless and enthusiastic work to develop both speech pathology and cross disciplinary initiatives

National and International Research Positions

• 2012 – National Clinical Supervision Fellowship awarded by Health Workforce Australia

Research Areas and Interests

• Professional identity development in speech pathology students
• Clinical education – enhancing students' learning before, during and after placements, including the use of simulation
• Using ePortfolios to develop reflective practice and competency
• Reflective supervision – enhancing the training of clinical educators in reflective supervision
• AAC - steps to successful training and implementation

Qualifications

• Graduate Certificate of Higher Education, Edith Cowan University, 2012.
• Master of Health Science (Developmental Disability), The University of Sydney, 2011.
• Bachelor of Medical Science (Speech), England, 1989.

Research Outputs

Research Projects

• Tracking changes in final-year speech pathology students’ AAC competencies from coursework into practice: implications for AAC users and AAC curricula design, AGOSCI Inc, Grant, 2019 ‑ 2021, $1,000.
• Speech Pathology Clinical Education in Australia, Speech Pathology Australia, Grant, 2017, $52,338.
• Developing Reflective Practice in Speech Pathology Supervision, Health Workforce Australia, National Clinical Supervision Fellowship Initiative, 2012 ‑ 2013, $22,796.