Let’s talk speech therapy!
Stammering, delayed speech, childhood speech disorders due to brain dysfunction/mental retardation and injuries, clef palate, problems in articulation, require special care and treatment. Speech therapists help and treat such patients using sign language, lip reading, and other articulation exercises.
What’s this career about?
Speech-language therapists assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice and fluency disorders. They work with people who cannot make speech sounds or cannot make them clearly; those with speech rhythm and fluency problems, and those with problems understanding and producing language. They may also work with people who have oral motor problems that cause eating and swallowing difficulties.
These experts use written and oral tests, as well as special instruments, to diagnose the nature and extent of impairment and to record and analyze speech, language, and swallowing irregularities. Then they develop an individualized plan of care, tailored to each patient’s needs. For individuals with little or no speech capability, speech-language pathologists select augmentative alternative communication methods, including automated devices and sign language, and teach their use. They teach these individuals how to make sounds, improve their voices, or increase their language skills to communicate more effectively.
Often they counsel individuals and suggest ways to cope with the stress and misunderstanding that often accompany them. Sometimes they also work with family members to recognize and change behaviour patterns that impede communication and treatment and show them communication-enhancing techniques to use at home.
Some speech therapists conduct research on how people communicate. Others design and develop equipment or techniques for diagnosing and treating speech problems.
PLUS!
- How do I get there?
- Key skills
- Institutes offering a degree in Food Science and Technology
- Employment prospects and pay packages
- Hot locations
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Dr Vibha Gupta, a feature writer, is a Ph.D. in Mathematics from IIT Roorkee. Her book Careers: A Pathfinder and articles in various publications are an attempt to guide students in choosing a career according to their natural strengths, talents and skills.