Term 4 update
From Telethon Speech & Hearing CEO, Mark Fitzpatrick
As we hurtle towards the end of another year, it seems the perfect time to take a moment out of our busy schedules and reflect on the year gone by.
As always, we welcome your feedback and comments.
Looking Back on 2022
What a year it has been! From COVID-related challenges, to navigating waitlists in our health system, to supporting loved ones in their schooling and development – this year has been a significant one for families in our programs. But the one thing I hope each member of the TSH family felt during this time is the support from our amazing team.
Creating positive outcomes
From the parent feedback and evident in the outcomes of the parent survey, we know that families accessing our services think very highly of our team.
As CEO, getting that feedback is the thing that gives me the most joy. There is no doubt that 2022 has been a hard one for our team – COVID, illnesses, and other challenges have been constant barriers they have navigated throughout the year. But such is their professionalism, they keep putting the children and families at the forefront of their decision making, ensuring they achieve the best possible outcomes for each child. That commitment has been the bedrock of our organisation and helped navigate a tricky year.
The most important thing for TSH is to ensure that any growth does not come at the expense of great outcomes for you, your family, and your child. Our focus on creating positive outcomes for you will always remain at the heart of everything we do.
Reaching for the stars
Despite the challenges, there have also been some wonderful moments throughout the year. I had the pleasure of accompanying Evie and Lilla and their family to the Power of Speech in Canberra in September – a first to have twins do a speech at the event.
We were also reintroduced to Max (pictured left). Now an aspiring primary school teacher, Max was a Talkabout 4 student many years ago. From being largely non-verbal at the age of four to someone who is about to teach the next generation of children, his story is one that shows the importance of our Talkabout program. If our community is shaped by the next generation, we are in safe hands with Max teaching them.
We also commenced the design of our Occupational Therapy supports for Onslow School. This latest part of our Chevron program will see TSH become the only organisation in Australia to deliver integrated ear health services with speech, language, and occupational therapy supports in remote communities. As you can imagine, delivering OT services to children 1,500km away won’t be easy, but it is crucial for their development. These are just a few of the wonderful successes we have had throughout 2022. For me, these have easily outshone the challenges we faced.
Happy Holidays
As the end of the year comes nearer there is always a degree of joy, coupled with a tinge of sadness. We will have some families who have entrusted us to support them and their children who will be leaving our services. If this applies to your family, please remember that you are always part of our family at TSH and we are always here to support you. We look forward to continuing to hear about the successes you have and share the ones we have with you. Please make sure you keep in contact with us.
As we head into the Festive Season, on behalf of all of the team at TSH, I wish you a restful, safe and joyous Christmas and New Year period. Thank you for all of your support throughout 2022.
Important Reminder: Update Your Details
The information that parents/guardians provide at enrolment is important in helping us to look after your child, and should be kept up to date. If not current, your family may miss important information from TSH such as health and safety updates around COVID-19.
Please Contact Us immediately if your family details have changed.
It is essential that you inform us in writing of any change to student details. In particular, we need to know:
change of address
change of telephone numbers (particularly mobile phone numbers)
change of email address
any new medical condition or allergies that your child may have.
We use cookies to improve your experience and to help us understand how you use our site. Please refer to our cookie notice and privacy statement for more information regarding cookies and other third-party tracking that may be enabled.
Parentlink: Linking families to stories and news at
© 2022 Telethon Speech & Hearing Ltd.
Telethon Speech & Hearing acknowledges and thanks all individuals and organisations for their support of our centre, including: Channel 7 Telethon Trust, Channel 7 and The West Australian
