Speech and language therapists

This text relates to young people who are eager to become speech and language therapists. We will try to answer all the issues and doubts regarding this profession. In the following lines, we will use short term for speech and language therapist, which is SLT.

SLT is supposed to assess and treat speech and language problems in communication in people regardless of their age. Also, the target for improving speech and language skills are people who have problems in swallowing and eating and therefore, they can’t express themselves properly. There are specials skills available to them, and they can use them with the help provided by SLT, which is supposed to work in close cooperation with teachers, nurses or health professionals.

To whom does SLT help?

SLT usually provides help to people and children who have problems that are connected to difficult speech and the production of the same, if people find it very hard and demanding to comprehend mother language, if they have some problems with the overall process of eating, if they are stammering, or if they have some other voice issue.

SLT also has to work with people who have an impaired ability to express themselves due to some physical or physiological trauma. If some condition has an effect on the part of the brain that is responsible for a speech activity, then the ability to hear or speech can be impaired. In that case, SLT come on stage, and try to restore previous ability to speak to the best level that they can. Facilities that SLT can work in vary and in most cases they work in hospitals, community health centers, special schools, and day centers, etc.

Education for an SLT

According to statistics, 2.5 million of people in the USA have some problem with speech. In order to receive all the necessary education so that you can one day become SLT, you would have to need five GCSEs and two A levels courses. You are supposed to have high grades. If you want to enroll in the University that has this type of education, you should always check the entry regiments.

Once you are in a training programme, you have to be aware of the fact that it usually lasts three or four years. These programs are accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. Once you become SLT, you are supposed to work with a general caseload minimum one year, and then you can decide in what direction you will go further; if you want to research, teach or work in a management. After finishing the pre-registration programme, you can apply for a permanent position. There are a lot of sources for finding position including web sites and trade journals.