Introduction
I am a speech pathologist, lecturer and researcher employed 2 days per week in the School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology at Curtin University. I also hold the role of Director of Graduate Research for the School another 2 days per week.
I am particularly interested in research that informs our understanding of language and literacy development and disorders. A linked programme of research focuses on treatment effectiveness across a range of areas across the lifespan, with a focus on translation to clinical practice.
I lead a clinical paediatric research team: Language and Literacy in Young People, a thriving group of researchers and HDR students. We carry out research to inform our understanding of language development and disorders, as well as the domains of reading and spelling (literacy). We also carry out a number of treatment efficacy and effectiveness studies to add to the evidence base in: developmental language disorder (DLD), speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), health related quality of life, dyslexia and disorders of reading and spelling, the impact of living with developmental language disorder and dyslexia, and communication and youth justice.
Read more about the work of Language and Literacy in Young People at: https://www.languageandliteracyinyoungpeople.com/
I am also an active member of Speech Pathology Australia, a Life Member and Fellow of the Association and immdeiate past Chair of the SPA Ethics Board. I am an Honorary Research Associate at the Telethon Kids Institute.
Post Nominals
B.Med.Sci. (Speech), PhD, CPSP, Fellow of SPA, Life Member of Speech Pathology Australia
Research Interests
My research interests cover the areas of speech, language and literacy, discourse production and processing, working memory, phonology, phonological awareness and phonological representations, word learning and early identification of at-risk children. I have a professional and research interest in ethical and professional practice. I am particularly interested in research that informs our understanding of speech and language development and disorders, as well as the domains of reading and spelling. One main area of research focuses on treatment effectiveness covering different areas of treatment and population groups. I have an emerging interest in language and youth justice.
Higher degree by research students
PhD Completions
Samantha-Kaye Christie (2019) Reading development and developmental dyslexia: Examining the relationship between attention, phonological processing and reading.
Emily Dawes (2017) The hidden language skill: A profile of and intervention for oral inferential comprehension in children with specific language impairment
Antonette Seiler (2015) The effectiveness of a computer supported intervention targeting orthographic processing for children with impaired word identification
Shannon Golding (2013) An explorative study of the knowledge, beliefs and experiences about speech and language development of parents who adopt children from overseas
Mary Claessen (2013) Phonological processing skills in children with specific language impairment
Roslyn Ward (2012) The effectiveness of PROMPT therapy for children with Cerebral Palsy
Chantelle Highman (2010) Early speech motor and language skills in childhood apraxia of speech: Evidence for a core deficit in speech motor control?
PhD (Current students)
Katrina Kelso Effective intervention for “poor comprehenders” in the middle-upper primary years
Emily Jackson Word learning in children with developmental language disorder
Samuel Calder Evaluating the efficacy of a theoretically motivated intervention approach to improve expressive and receptive grammar functioning in early school-aged children with developmental language disorder
Robert Wells Facilitators and barriers to accessing paediatric speech pathology services
Natalie Kippin Communication disorders, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and youth justice
Alejandra Nucette The relationship between structured language learning and achievement in mathematics during high school years.
Sharon Klieve The development and use of complex syntax by children who are deaf or hard of hearing (University of Melbourne)
MPhil Completions
Laura Glisson (2017) A study to measure the efficacy of a manualised oral narrative intervention programme for school-age children with narrative delay
Chrissy Kelly (2016) Cracking the Code: An effectiveness Study
MPhil (Current students)
Kathryn Daniels Theoretical approaches to assessment of motor speech and phonology
Tina Kilpatrick Emotional and Behavioural Resilience and Specific Language Impairment: An Exploratory Study
I also supervise a range of Honours research students in areas such as: word learning, working memory and dyslexia, specific language impairment and aphasia, early literacy; phonology, phonological awareness, and narrative discourse. I have supervised more than 30 Honours students in the past 10 years. Many of these have moved onto HDR study.
Membership
Life Member and Fellow of Speech Pathology Association of Australia
Member, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (UK)
Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP)
Supervision
Teaching Summary
I teach mainly in the areas of evidence based clinical decision making. This includes assessment and intervention across the lifespan, evidence based practice, research design, and ethics and professional issues across the age span. Both Undergraduate and Masters students attend these units. I also supervise a range of PhD, MPhil, Masters and Honours research students.
Publications
2020
- Claessen, M., P. Dzidic, M. Boyes, N. Badcock, M. Nayton, and S. Leitao. 2020. "Educators’ perceptions of the impact of reading difficulties for young people." Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties 25 (1): 51-64.
2019
- Seiler, A., S. Leitão, and M. Blosfelds. 2019. "WordDriver-1: evaluating the efficacy of an app-supported decoding intervention for children with reading impairment." International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 54 (2): 189-202.
- Dawes, E., S. Leitão, M. Claessen, and R. Kane. 2019. "A randomized controlled trial of an oral inferential comprehension intervention for young children with developmental language disorder." Child Language Teaching and Therapy 35 (1): 39-54.
- Johnston, S. K., N. W. Hennessey, and S. Leitão. 2019. "Determinants of assessing efficiency within auditory attention networks." Journal of General Psychology 146 (2): 134-169.
- Jackson, E., S. Leitao, M. Claessen, and M. Boyes. 2019. "Fast mapping short and long words: Examining the influence of phonological short-term memory and receptive vocabulary in children with developmental language disorder." Journal of Communication Disorders 79: 11-23.
2018
- Whitworth, A., J. Cartwright, A. Beales, S. Leitão, P. K. Panegyres, and R. Kane.. "Taking words to a new level: a preliminary investigation of discourse intervention in primary progressive aphasia." Aphasiology xx Inpress.
- Calder, S. D., M. Claessen, and S. Leitão. 2018. "Combining implicit and explicit intervention approaches to target grammar in young children with Developmental Language Disorder." Child Language Teaching and Therapy 34 (2): 171-189.
- Bower, C., R. E. Watkins, R. C. Mutch, R. Marriott, J. Freeman, N. R. Kippin, B. Safe, C. Pestell, C. S. C. Cheung, H. Shield, and 10 more contributors. 2018. "Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and youth justice: a prevalence study among young people sentenced to detention in Western Australia." BMJ Open 8 (2): 1-10.
- Kelly, C., S. Leitão, K. Smith-Lock, and B. Heritage.. "The effectiveness of a classroom-based phonological awareness program for 4–5-year-olds." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology xx Inpress.
- Bower, C., R. E. Watkins, R. C. Mutch, R. Marriott, J. Freeman, N. R. Kippin, B. Safe, C. Pestell, C. S. C. Cheung, H. Shield, and 10 more contributors. 2018. "Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and youth justice: A prevalence study among young people sentenced to detention in Western Australia." BMJ Open 8 (2)
- Dawes, E., S. Leitão, M. Claessen, and R. Kane. 2018. "A profile of the language and cognitive skills contributing to oral inferential comprehension in young children with developmental language disorder." International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 53 (6): 1139-1149.
- Kippin, N. R., S. Leitão, R. Watkins, A. Finlay-Jones, C. Condon, R. Marriott, R. C. Mutch, and C. Bower. 2018. "Language diversity, language disorder, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among youth sentenced to detention in Western Australia." International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 61: 40-49.
2017
- Claessen, M., T. Beattie, R. Roberts, S. Leitao, A. Whitworth, and B. Dodd. 2017. "Is two too early? Assessing toddlers’ phonology." Speech, Language and Hearing 20 (2): 91-101.
- Leitão, S., P. Dzidic, M. Claessen, J. Gordon, K. Howard, M. Nayton, and M. E. Boyes. 2017. "Exploring the impact of living with dyslexia: The perspectives of children and their parents." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 19 (3): 322-334.
- Boyes, M. E., S. Leitao, M. Claessen, P. Dzidic, G. Boyle, A. Perry, and M. Nayton. 2017. "Improving Phonological Awareness in Parents of Children at Risk of Literacy Difficulties: A Preliminary Evaluation of the Boost Program." Frontiers in Education 2
2016
- Boyes, M., S. Leitao, M. Claessen, N. A. Badcock, and M. Nayton. 2016. "Why Are Reading Difficulties Associated with Mental Health Problems?." Dyslexia 22 (3): 263-266.
- Jackson, E., S. Leitao, and M. Claessen. 2016. "The relationship between phonological short-term memory, receptive vocabulary, and fast mapping in children with specific language impairment." International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 51 (1): 61-73.
2015
- Smith-Lock, K., S. Leitao, P. Prior, and L. Nickels. 2015. "The effectiveness of two grammar treatment procedures for children with SLI: A randomized clinical trial." Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 46 (4): 312-324.
- Whitworth, A., M. Claessen, S. Leitao, and J. Webster. 2015. "Beyond narrative: Is there an implicit structure to the way in which adults organise their discourse?." Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics 29 (6): 455-481.
- Whitworth, A., S. Leitao, J. Cartwright, J. Webster, G. J. Hankey, J. Zach, D. Howard, and V. Wolz. 2015. "NARNIA: a new twist to an old tale. A pilot RCT to evaluate a multilevel approach to improving discourse in aphasia." Aphasiology 29 (11): 1345-1382.
- Dawes, E., S. Leitao, M. Claessen, and M. Nayton. 2015. "A Profile of Working Memory Ability in Poor Readers." Australian Psychologist 50 (5): 362-371.
- Whitworth, A., S. K. Leitao, M. Breese, L. Cato, and J. Cartwright. 2015. "Volunteer-led aphasia groups in the community: Critical success factors in their sustainability." Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology 17: 68-74.
- Leitao, S. K. 2015. "Interaction between Speech, Language and Literacy." In Introduction to Speech, Language and Literacy McLeod, S., and J. McCormack., 521-562: Oxford University Press.
2014
- Ward, R., S. Leitao, and G. Strauss. 2014. "An evaluation of the effectiveness of PROMPT therapy in improving speech production accuracy in six children with cerebral palsy." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 16 (4): 355-371.
2013
- Smith-Lock, K. M., S. Leitao, L. Lambert, and L. Nickels. 2013. "Effective Intervention for Expressive Grammar in Children with Specific Language Impairment." International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders 48 (3): 265-282.
- Smith-Lock, K., S. Leitão, L. Lambert, P. Prior, A. Dunn, J. Cronje, S. Newhouse, and L. Nickels. 2013. "Daily or weekly? The role of treatment frequency in the effectiveness of grammar treatment for children with specific language impairment." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 15 (3): 255-267.
- Golding, S., S. Leitão, and C. Williams. 2013. "Speech and language development of intercountry adopted children aged 3 to 6 years: An explorative study of Australia parents' knowledge, beliefs and experiences." Adoption Quarterly 16 (1): 40-61.
- Ward, R., G. Strauss, and S. Leitao. 2013. "Kinematic changes in jaw and lip control of children with cerebral palsy following participation in a motor-speech (PROMPT) intervention." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 15 (2): 136-155.
- Claessen, M., S. Leitão, R. Kane, and C. Williams. 2013. "Phonological processing skills in specific language impairment." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 15 (5): 471-483.
- Highman, C., N. W. Hennessey, S. Leitao, and J. P. Piek. 2013. "Early development in infants at risk of childhood apraxia of speech: A longitudinal investigation." Developmental Neuropsychology 38 (3): 197-210.
- Seiler, T., S. Leitao, and M. Blosfelds. 2013. "The effectiveness of a computer supported intervention targeting orthographic processing and phonological recoding for children with impaired word identification." Journal of Clinical Practice Speech-language Pathology 15: 13-18.
- Quail, M., B. Sanderson, and S. Leitao. 2013. "Ethical reasoning in clinical education." Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology 15 (2): 99-103.
2012
- Highman, C., S. Leitão, N. Hennessey, and J. Piek. 2012. "Prelinguistic communication development in children with childhood apraxia of speech: A retrospective analysis." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 14: 35-47.
- Claessen, M., and S. Leitão. 2012. "The relationship between stored phonological representations and speech output." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 14: 226-234.
- Claessen, M., and S. Leitão. 2012. "Phonological representations in children with SLI." Child Language Teaching and Therapy 28 (2): 211-223.
2011
- Golding, S., C. Williams, and S. Leitao. 2011. "Speech and language development: Knowledge and experiences of foster carers." ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing 13: 12-19.
2010
- Claessen, M., S. Leitão, and N. Barrett. 2010. "Investigating children's ability to reflect on stored phonological representations: the Silent Deletion of Phonemes Task." International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 45 (4): 411-423.
- Hennessey, N. W., S. Leitao, and K. Mucciarone. 2010. "Verbal repetition skill in language impaired children: Evidence of inefficient lexical processing?." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 12: 47-57.
2009
- Claessen, M., S. Heath, J. Fletcher, J. Hogben, and S. Leitão. 2009. "Quality of phonological representations: A window into the lexicon?." International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 44 (2): 121-144.
- Quail, M., C. Williams, and S. Leitão. 2009. "Verbal working memory in Specific Language Impairment: The effect of providing visual support." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 11 (3): 1-14.
2008
- Cross, R., S. Leitao, and L. McAllister. 2008. "Think Big, Act Locally: Responding to Ethical Dilemmas." ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing 10 (2): 39-41.
- Highman, C., N. Hennessey, M. Sherwood, and S. Leitão. 2008. "Retrospective parent report of early vocal behaviours in children with suspected childhood apraxia of speech (sCAS)." Child Language Teaching and Therapy 24 (3): 285-306.
- Leitão, S. 2008. "Speech pathology Australia national conference, Sydney 2007." International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 10 (3)
2007
- Zabiela, C., C. Williams, and S. Leitao. 2007. "Service delivery in rural, remote and regional speech pathology. Part 2: The influence of context and philosophy." ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing 9 (2): 44-47.
- Zabiela, C., C. Williams, and S. Leitao. 2007. "Service delivery in rural, remote and regional speech pathology. Part 1: Current approaches." ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing 9 (2): 39-43.
2005
- Heath, S., S. Leitao, M. Claessen, J. Fletcher, and J. Hogben. 2005. "Unravelling RAN: What's going on in children with slow retrieval?.": WILEY.
2004
- Leitão, S., and J. Fletcher. 2004. "Literacy outcomes for students with speech impairment: long-term follow up." International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 39: 245-256.
2003
- Leitao, S. 2003. "Applying psycholinguistic principles to spelling and word learning." ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing 5 (3): 114-117.
2000
- Leitão, S., J. Fletcher, and J. Hogben. 2000. "Speech impairment and literacy difficulties: Underlying links." Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist 17 (1): 63-75.
1997
- LeitÃto, S., J. Hogben, and J. Fletcher. 1997. "Phonological processing skills in speech and language impaired children." International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders 32 (2s): 91-111.
- Leitao, S., J. Hogben, and J. Fletcher. 1997. "Phonological processing skills in speech and language impaired children." EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DISORDERS OF COMMUNICATION 32 (2): 91-111.