![\"Rebecca](\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/aGet_LOUD_32DSC_0054.jpg\")
The majority of families have been highly satisfied with the progress their child has been making under Fitzpatrick\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n
In 2018, 99.3 per cent of families surveyed said Telethon Speech & Hearing\u2019s early intervention programs were meeting their child\u2019s learning needs.<\/p>\n
These programs include Chatterbox, which helps children aged zero to five with their speech, language, listening and motor skills; Outpost, a support program for hearing impaired students at nine primary and secondary schools across Perth; and Talkabout, which helps children aged 18 months to five years who have speech and language challenges.<\/p>\n
Fitzpatrick has seen the full effect of the programs during the annual Telethon Speech & Hearing\u2019s Power of Speech awards, where primary and secondary school aged students with hearing loss are invited to speak on a topic of their choice to a packed auditorium.<\/p>\n
Last year, 23 students took to the stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the most uplifting, powerful events you\u2019ll ever see. These six- to 12-year-old kids are delivering an engaging presentation that shows their personality to a crowd of 250 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see the impact our programs have had upon these kids and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n As the CEO of a non-profit, Fitzpatrick has lent his voice to a variety of social and economic issues related to Telethon Speech & Hearing\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n He donned his swimwear to promote the inaugural 100m Swim Thru Perth CEO Challenge in January, raising money to support Telethon Speech & Hearing\u2019s early intervention programs.<\/p>\n He also worked towards enhancing Telethon Speech & Hearing\u2019s mobile ear health services in the Pilbara and is arranging seminars to assist staff working with Aboriginal communities in WA.<\/p>\n Fitzpatrick believes his experiences at Curtin laid the foundation for his 15-year career in human resources and management, largely in the non-profit sector.<\/p>\n \u201cCurtin Business School has a great local and international reputation. Having [been taught] a broad base of skills in the first year and then specialising has opened up so many opportunities. It\u2019s enabled me to do everything from analysing profit and loss statements to being able to run organisations.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing involved in volunteering also influenced where I ended up and reinforced how I could use the skills I learned in different contexts.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 2017, Telethon Speech & Hearing appointed a dynamic new CEO. True to style, he has not relaxed his efforts to help children with hearing, speech and language difficulties in the two years since.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4275,"featured_media":7362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_research-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"research-areas":[],"class_list":["post-7359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"Hearing Awareness Week (3\u20139 March 2019)","content":" Up to 75 per cent of children suffer ear infections at least once before starting school. For some, this may lead to glue ear, which can last for several months and cause temporary hearing loss at an important developmental age. A simple screening test can determine if your child is affected.<\/p>\n In recognition of Hearing Awareness Week, Telethon Speech & Hearing will be conducting discounted $20 ear health screenings and free presentations for parents on children\u2019s hearing and speaking milestones.<\/p>\n![\"Girl](\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/ForPrint-3150.jpg\")
![\"Telethon](\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/a_Pilbara_Ear_Health_32cityofkarratha05.jpg\")