Photo of Professor Sharynne McLeod Professor Sharynne McLeod

BAppSc(Sp Path), MAppSc(Sp Path), PhD, GradCertUnit Teach Learn, FSPAA, CPSP, ASHA Fellow

Sharynne McLeod is professor of speech and language acquisition at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Australia. She is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Additionally, she is an elected Fellow of both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Speech Pathology Australia and is the Vice President of the International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association. Professor McLeod is currently the editor of International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and on the editorial board of Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics and Child Language Teaching and Therapy.

Professor McLeod's research focuses on children's speech acquisition. Her research foregrounds the right of everyone (particularly children) to participate fully in society. She applies the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF-CY, World Health Organization, 2007) to children with speech impairment, in the following ways:

  • Body Structure (e.g., mapping tongue/palate contact for speech using electropalatography and ultrasound)
  • Body Function (e.g., International acquisition of speech, including consonant clusters)
  • Activities and Participation (e.g., Speech Participation and Activity for Children  SPAA-C, enabling children to communicate through drawings)
  • Environmental Factors (including siblings and parents), and
  • Personal Factors.

The interrelationship of each of these areas of inquiry are essential for envisioning full participation of children.

Professor McLeod also researches the prevalence and impact of childhood speech impairment and links this to policy and service delivery issues. Professor McLeod has been an invited speaker at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention as well as at conferences and universities across USA, UK, Asia and Australia.

Professor McLeod was the Speech Pathology Australia National Tour speaker for 2008, presenting two-day workshops in every state in Australia. Additionally, Professor McLeod has been co-chair of the Phonological and articulatory processes in children stream at the American Speech and Hearing Association convention, and a master class speaker at the Speech Pathology Australia national conference.

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Research Interests 

  • Children with speech sound disorders / speech impairment
  • Typical children's speech acquisition around the world 
  • Multilingual children’s speech 
  • International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (World Health Organization) 
  • Speech-language pathology professional practice 
  • Teaching and learning in higher education

Research Awards 

  • 2010-2014 Australian Research Council Future Fellowship
  • 2010 Charles Sturt University Vice Chancellor's Research Higher Degree Supervision Excellence Award (individual) 
  • 2010 Charles Sturt University Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Award (team) 
  • 2009 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Diversity Champion
  • 2009 Fellowship with Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE)
  • 2008 Fellowship with RIPPLE
  • 2006 British Academy Visiting Fellowship
  • 2004 Charles Sturt University Key Researcher
  • 2003 Charles Sturt University Key Researcher

Selected Research Grants 

  • McLeod, S., Baker, E. M., McCormack, J. M., Wren, Y. E. &  Roulstone, S. E. (2013-2015). A sound start: Innovative technology to promote speech and pre-literacy skills in at-risk preschoolers (DP130102545). Australian Research Council Discovery Grant
  • McLeod,S. (2010-2014). Speaking my language: International speech acquisition in Australia. Australian Research Council Future Fellowship. http://www.csu.edu.au/research/multilingual-speech/
  • McLeod,S., Harrison, L. J., McAllister, L. L. (2007-2009).  Children with speech impairment: A population study of prevalence, severity, impact and service provision. Australian Research Council Discovery Grant http://www.csu.edu.au/research/speech-impairment/
  • Sumsion,J., Harrison, L. J., Press, F., McLeod, S., Bradley, B. (2008-2011). What is life like for babies and toddlers in childcare? Understanding the "lived experience" of infants through innovative mosaic methodology. Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant (LP0883913)

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Professor McLeod’s current teaching primarily involves supervision of higher degree research students. She was awarded the CSU Vice Chancellor’s Research Higher Degree Supervision Excellence Award in 2010. She taught both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the School of Teacher Education at CSU from 2003 – 2009. In 2007 Professor McLeod was awarded an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for her “sustained dedication, innovation and enthusiasm in university teaching that has had local, national and international impact”. From 1999-2002 Professor McLeod was involved in the development of the speech pathology program at CSU focusing on a social wellness model of health and preparing students for rural and remote workplaces. The speech pathology team was recognised for their achievements by receiving the CSU Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award in 2002. Prior to this Professor McLeod taught in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at The University of Sydney for 10 years. In 1999 she received an individual award for Excellence in Teaching from The University of Sydney.

Teaching Awards

  • 2010 CSU Vice Chancellor’s Research Higher Degree Supervision Excellence Award (individual) 
  • 2007 Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning “For sustained dedication, innovation and enthusiasm in university teaching that has had local, national andinternational impact” 
  • 2002 CSU Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award (team award)
  • 1999 The University of Sydney, Excellence in Teaching Award (individual award)
  • 1995/7 Exemplary teaching practice, National Committee for the Advancement of University Teaching. Listed in the Exemplary Teaching Database.
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Professional Membership

  • Elected Fellow of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
  • Elected Fellow of Speech Pathology Australia
  • International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association (ICPLA)
  • Asia Pacific Society of Speech, Language and Hearing
  • Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY)

Editorial Positions

  • 2008-present, Editor, International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology www.informahealthcare.com/ijslp
  • 2009-present, Editorial Board, Child Language Teaching and Therapy
  • 2007-present, Editorial Board, Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics
  • 2005- 2007, Editor, Advances in Speech-Language Pathology
  • 2004, Editor, Australian Teacher Education Association National Conference (ATEA)
  • 2003-2004, Executive board, Advances in Speech-Language Pathology
  • 2002-2003,Editor, Proceedings of the International Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics Conference held in Hong Kong, May 2002 published in as a special issue of Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics
  • 2000-2002,Editor, ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing
  • 1999, Co-editor, Speech Pathology Australia National Conference Proceedings

Peer Reviewer

  • American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
  • Asia-Pacific Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing
  • Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics
  • Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
  • Disability and Rehabilitation
  • Educational Psychology
  • International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders
  • Journal of Communication Disorders
  • Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
  • Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
  • Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
  • Logopedics, Phoniatrics, Vocology
  • New Zealand Journal of Speech and Language Therapy

Conference Organization

  • Invited Committee Member, International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Convention, Cork, Ireland (2012)
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention Committee Member: Global issues,San Diego (2011)
  • American Speech and Hearing Association Convention Committee Member: Speech sound disorders in children, Philadelphia (2010)
  • American Speech and Hearing Association Convention Committee Member: Speech sound disorders in children, New Orleans (2009)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Convention, Istanbul, Turkey (2007-8)
  • Invited reviewer 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Speech, Language and Hearing,Brisbane (2007)
  • Member,Speech Pathology Australia Conference Scientific Program Committee, Sydney(2007)
  • Invited Committee Member, International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Convention, Dubrovnik, Croatia (2006)
  • Co-chair Program committee, CSU Learning and Teaching Conference, Bathurst,September (2005)
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference Committee Member Motor Speech Disorders stream, Philadelphia (2004)
  • International Association of Logopaedics and Phoniatrics, Program committee, Brisbane(2004)
  • American Speech and Hearing Association Conference Invited Co-chair Phonology stream, Chicago (2003)
  • Speech Pathology Australia National Conferences, Module coordinator, (1996-2005)

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The list below is a sample of  Professor McLeod's research output. Download full publications list here

Books

Selected Recent Book Chapters

Selected Recent Journal Articles

Recent Invited and Featured Speeches

2012

  • Invited speaker (1 hour), Cross-linguistic aspects of communication development. Online seminar to East Tennessee State University (USA),University of Northern Iowa (USA), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria(Brazil) and Universidade de São Paulo-Baurú (Brazil)

2011

  • Invited co-presenter (2 2-hour seminars), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference, San Diego.
  • Invited speaker (1 hour), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, July
  • Invited speaker (1 hour), Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation, Toronto, Canada, July
  • Invited presenter (1 day), Hong Kong Speech Therapy Association, Hong Kong
  • Invited lecturer (2 weeks), Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City,Việt Nam to teach Assessment and Treatment of Disorders of Speech in Children

2010

  • Invited co-presenter, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference, Philadelphia.
  • Invited speaker, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development,Melbourne (2 day workshop), September

2009

  • Invited co-presenter, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference, New Orleans.

2008

  • Invited co-presenter (1 hour seminar), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference, Chicago, November
  • National Tour Speaker Speech Pathology Australia, (2 day seminar at each site), Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Launceston, Darwin

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Downloadable resources for speech pathologists

  • McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J., & McCormack, J. (2012). Intelligibility in Context Scale (link goes to ICS page on Multilingual Childrens Speech site).
    More details can be found in: McLeod, S., Harrison, L. J. & McCormack, J.  (2012). Intelligibility in Context Scale: Validity and reliability of a subjective rating measure. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 55, 648-656
  • McLeod, S. (2005).  The international perspective on speech acquisition. American Speech Language Hearing Association Convention, San Diego, November.
  • Typical speech development summary (McLeod, 2009)
    A 12 page resource summarizing research on typical speech development. Organised according to age ranges.
  • Speech Participation and Activity Assessment -Children (SPAA-C) version 2 (2004)
    An assessment tool created by Australian speech pathologists to consider children's activity and participation in society (cf. ICF, World Health Organization, 2001). More details can be found in: McLeod, S. (2004).Speech pathologists- application of the ICF to children with speech impairment Advances in Speech-Language Pathology, 6 (1), 75-81.
  • Consonant cluster test (McLeod & Hand, 1991)

Downloadable resources for teachers

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