Parents play an important role in the successful implementation of AAC. Previous research has indicated that parents in different countries have varying perceptions about the use of AAC and face different challenges in its implementation. To date, there is limited information about the use of AAC by children in Malaysia or parents' views about its use. The aim of this study was to explore Malaysian parents' perception of AAC and their experience when supporting their children who use AAC. For this study, 12 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy were involved in semi-structured individual interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze interview data. Following analysis, three themes were identified: (a) impact of the use of AAC, (b) challenges faced, and (c) hopes and expectations. Participants reported that the use of AAC had a positive impact on their children, but that they faced challenges related to the child, the settings, and the system itself, as well as a lack of time and support. Findings from this study provide an insight for Malaysian speech therapists about the challenges faced by parents when supporting their children who use AAC, and how important it is to overcome these challenges to ensure successful implementation of AAC.

In Malaysia, speech pathology services for dysphagia management are yet to be fully established.Detailed knowledge of current practices is necessary to inform future training and infrastructure needs. Therefore, the current study aimed to (a) explore current practice for dysphagia The most noticeable areas of inconsistency of practice between the two groups related to the proportion of active caseload dedicated to dysphagia management, the use of a team approach to dysphagia management, involvement in making diagnoses, and differences regarding the nature and frequency of use of instrumental diagnostic tools. Despite identifying a number of areas DYSPHAGIA MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN MALAYSIA 2 which require further education and training, overall the current study demonstrated that the dysphagia service in Malaysia is moving towards standards of practice largely comparable to more established services. The findings provide an insight into patterns of service development for other countries developing dysphagia services.

There are competency standards available in countries with established speech-language pathology services to guide basic dysphagia training with ongoing workplace mentoring for advanced skills development. Such training processes however are not as well established in countries where speech-language pathology training and practice is relatively new such as Malaysia. The current study examines the extent of dysphagia training and workplace support available to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Malaysia and Queensland, Australia, and explores clinicians' perceptions of the training and support provided, and of their knowledge, skills and confidence. Using a matched cohort cross-sectional design, a purpose built survey was administered to 30 SLPs working in Malaysian government hospitals and 30 SLPs working in Queensland Health settings in Australia. Malaysian clinicians were found to have received significantly less university training, less mentoring in the workplace and were lacking key infrastructure needed to support professional development in dysphagia management. Over 90% of Queensland clinicians were confident and felt they had adequate skills in dysphagia management, in contrast, significantly lower levels of knowledge, skills and confidence were observed in the Malaysian cohort. The findings identify a need for improved university training and increased opportunities for workplace mentoring, training and support for Malaysian SLPs.

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