A speech therapist is a speech therapist who helps people with communication problems, such as fluency, stuttering, stammering, or a speech impediment. Speech therapists, also known as speech-language pathologists, diagnose and treat patients for language, speech and related disorders. To start your career, you will have to know your job responsibilities and earn your speech therapist license-usually a Bachelor of Arts degree. In the state of California, a speech therapist must be licensed before practising. In addition, you must pass a certain test administered by the State Board of Speech-Language Pathology to practice legally.
Students pursuing speech therapy as a career can take classes in a speech therapy school or at an accredited university. Some schools provide internship training. You can acquire a Master’s in speech therapy from a school that offers an internship program after completing your undergraduate studies. The requirements for licensure vary from state to state, and most states require students to pass an examination before getting a license.
Some speech-language Pathologists work in school systems and other community settings, providing students with pediatric, special education, developmental or speech pathology services. School districts contract with SLP to provide some of their speech therapy services. Others work at universities or colleges, assisting students with communication disorders. Most speech-language Pathologists perform private office visits, office support or may be involved in case management.
An SLP can also provide speech therapy services to people with hearing disabilities. They are trained to help people communicate using sign language, Braille, printed speech, or auditory aids. Most speech therapists specialise in several areas, such as communication disorders, voice or speech recognition, or speech pathology. Therefore, in addition to helping deaf or hard of hearing, they also provide services to individuals with speech disabilities.
As noted above, speech therapist Adelaide often specialises in one area of the communication process, such as signing. Many speech therapists also provide consulting or counselling to individuals with stuttering. Because stuttering is a condition that results from difficulty with speech articulation, speech therapists work with stutterers to reduce or eliminate stuttering. Because some stutterers cannot modify certain characteristics of their speech – such as length or pitch – speech therapists work with these individuals to teach them to overcome or learn to cope with stuttering.
A child might need speech therapy services if they: have trouble starting and finishing each sentence; is unable to communicate in sentences; or has delays in speaking due to brain damage, sickness or disease. A child might also benefit from a speech therapist if they have difficulties interacting socially or fail to meet their basic needs (e.g. hunger, protection, or comfort). Finally, a child might also benefit from a speech therapist if they: are too young/ immature for preschool, has other special needs such as sensory processing disorders, or because of another medical condition/problem, has a brain that is less developed than normal.
If you or a loved one experience: a loss of speech or language; a change in the appearance of speech (i.e. difficulty beginning or finishing a sentence); difficulty with swallowing, coughing, or breathing; has a history of a traumatic brain injury, stroke or another type of neurologic disorder that affects swallowing; or has a medical condition that affects swallowing, such as botulism, tuberculosis, diabetes, asthma, food allergies, cancer, or neurological disorders, you should see a speech therapist Adelaide.
To be diagnosed with a swallowing disorder, the patient must demonstrate three or more of the following symptoms: poor performance of swallowing; a sensation of pain in the mouth or throat when swallowing; or difficulty with movement of the jaw, tongue or mouth after swallowing. Additionally, the patient must have trouble initiating or using the upper or lower teeth or have an abnormal bite. Because many people will experience some combination of these symptoms, it’s important to work with a professional who has expertise in the area of articulation and speech.