LAUSR

This issue of International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (IJSLP) celebrates the remarkable career of Professor Linda Worrall, one that has interwoven an extraordinary number of educational, clinical, and theoretical ideas together, all in pursuit of making a difference to the lives of people with communication disorders and the profession which is tasked with this challenge. Professor Worrall’s career as an educator in speech-language pathology, in developing and delivering curricula, and in supervising new researchers across an array of topics, has contributed to a culture of excellence in our field, and recognition of the importance of sound evidence as the foundation of our practice. Her creativity and intellect, however, has inspired practitioners at all stages of their careers to develop new ways of thinking, new ways of treating, and new ways of collaborating with clients and colleagues alike. While the profession has been influenced by Professor Worrall’s work in so many ways, her greatest legacy has been to enhance the lives of people with communication disorders, in particular, those people with aphasia who found a true advocate and champion for the advancement of science around this complex condition. Professor Worrall’s influence has been extensive both throughout Australia and globally. As the ambitious co-creator and Director of the NHMRC Centre for Clinical Excellence in Aphasia Rehabilitation in 2009, Professor Worrall raised the profile of aphasia research to a new level, drawing together clinicians from all over the country to bring forward their ideas and their energy to set a new and ambitious research agenda. This initiative was the culmination of a long series of successes in creating opportunities for people with communication difficulties, founding, in 2002, the Australian Aphasia Association, a national consumer-led body that supports and advocates for people with aphasia, their families, and those professionals working in this area. Professor Worrall has also played a substantial role in drawing together the international aphasia community, in identifying common frameworks in which to situate ideas and create common agendas, and in co-founding the international peak body, Aphasia United. Her extensive network, and her extreme generosity in bringing people along with her, are testimony to the ease with which this Special Issue came together. Professor Worrall’s introductory paper, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Aphasia Therapists: the perspective of people living with aphasia (Worrall, 2019), leads this special issue and, in many ways, joins all the many aspects of her varied career. When delivered as the keynote presentation at the International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference in Aveiro, Portugal, in 2018, Professor Worrall received a standing ovation. This paper draws together findings from 48 studies, conducted by teams in which Professor Worrall has lead or worked, into seven key recommendations for speech-language pathology clinicians and researchers on how to be a ‘highly effective’ practitioner. Novel to this paper is that these ‘habits’ emanate from the views of people with aphasia and therefore have the critical ecological validity that should underpin professional behaviour and practice. The Special Issue then comprises a series of papers by colleagues who responded to a call to submit to this opportunity to celebrate the themes that resonate through Professor Worrall’s work. The first three papers focus on the importance of connectedness and communication between the clinician and client (Berg, Askim, & Rise, 2019; Lawton, Conroy, Sage, & Haddock, 2019) and between family members (Beales, Bates, Cartwright, & Whitworth, 2019). Lawton et al. (2019) draw attention to the critical role of the therapeutic relationship in the process and outcomes of aphasia rehabilitation. They