Speech Therapy is a connected branch of health sciences that is linked to the disorder of voice, speech and language of a person. These days, speech therapy and audiology have become a successful career option.
“Speech Therapy is the assessment and treatment of speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication disorders in children and adults.”
Speech Therapists avert, diagnose and treat speech, communication and swallowing disorders. They tend to work in healthcare or educational sectors, treating adults and children. Therapists also assist in rehabilitating their patients from physical or psychological trauma. Speech therapists are also called speech-language pathologists and speech pathologists.
Speech Therapy has a wide career scope. There are various opportunities, to work as a doctor or in other job roles under this roof in India as well as abroad.
There is multiple sections for various courses under the speech therapy occupation. You can choose as per your interest and can work in sectors like clinics, district disabilities’ rehabilitation centres, rural health centres, speech and hearing centres, etc. Demand for speech therapists are generally high and professionals have a really good scope in future.
Here are some speech therapy courses
Diploma/Certificate Courses:
- Diploma in Hearing, Language and Speech for 1 year
- Diploma in Hearing Aid and Ear mould Technology
- Post Graduate Certificate Course in Auditory-Verbal Therapy for 6 months
Bachelor Courses:
- B.Sc in Speech and Hearing for 3 years
- Bachelor of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology for 4 years
Master Courses – 2 years:
- Master of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
- M.Sc in Speech and Language Therapy
- M.Sc in Audiology
- M.Sc in Speech-Language Pathology
Doctoral Courses:
- PhD in Audiology
- PhD in Speech-Language Pathology
After clearing +2 examination students can seek admission in bachelor courses in the PCB group from a renowned educational board with 55% marks. One must be a graduate in the related field to pursue postgraduate.
Many colleges select students based on NEET entrance test. And there are various institutions or universities that have their own entrance test like, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Jawaharlal Institute Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, etc.
Again, some institutions admit students on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination. Therefore, admission procedures vary from college to college.
The following are the few institutions that offer courses in Speech Therapy:
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences
- Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
- All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore
- Osmania University, Hyderabad
- University of Bombay, Mumbai
- TN Medical College, Mumbai
- Institute of Speech and Hearing, Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Health Education, Patna
Responsibilities:
- Communicating well with the patients, and also with their family members, teachers, physicians to arrange productive treatment plans.
- To give the best care by using tested and sampled therapies combining with the new and inventive method.
- By administering research, attending conferences and broadening professional and educational networks one must keep up-to-the-minute with developments in this field.
- Guiding and educating patients and their family members on speech dysfunction and therapies that help them cure.
- Maintaining proper records of patient history and improvement.
- Arranging mentoring and workshops for speech therapy scholars.
- Assessing patient improvements and planning changes to therapy schedules as and when necessary.
Speech Therapist Requirements:
- To become a professional speech therapist one should have a master’s degree in Speech Therapy or Speech-Language Pathology.
- Related licence and certification.
- Knowledge of database management software.
- Good communication Skills.
- Effective Interpersonal Skills
- Sharp observation skills.
- Keenness to conduct research and attend conferences.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Capable to work convincingly in teams.
Job designations:
- Audiologists
- Certificate hearing-aid audiologist
- Clinical speech pathology assistants
- Educational audiologist
- General audiology or speech pathology assistants
- Research assistants
- Research audiologists
- Speech pathology
- Speech therapists
Job Areas
- Academic Universities
- Government Agencies
- Government health departments
- Health care Institutions
- Health aid/cochlear implant industries
- Hospitals
- Medical hospitals/Clinics
- Nursing Care facilities
- Private Practice
- Rehabilitation Centres
- Special Schools
Choosing this career or working as a Speech Pathologist is absolutely exciting and rewarding. It is a deep-rooted and enduring career field with various job opportunities. If you have a keen interest in helping people with eating, drinking, swallowing and communication difficulties, and therefore ready to take up this career and enjoy success, go for it without any hesitation.
