As a speech pathologist, you’re helping people who have speech, language, mental health or swallowing problems learn to speak more confidently. There are so many different kinds of populations that benefit from your work. Young children with autism, stroke victims, flu sufferers, adults with dementia benefit from speech pathology. You could choose to specialise in one particular group or work in a variety of disciplines. But you’ll always be able to balance your work.
One area which is very popular with both young and older patients is in-home speech therapy. This can be for an adult with dementia or a child with autism. The speech pathologist may work with the parents of the patient or the family itself. They may even refer the patient if they feel they can offer the right kind of therapy. The great thing about this job is that there are no fixed hours, it’s often a part-time job, and it gives the speech pathologist a sense of control.
In speech pathology, there are three main sub-specialties. The first of these is stuttering. This problem presents itself in different ways in different people and often with different degrees of severity. Some stutterers don’t have their unique way of delivering their words, and that’s why speech pathologist often has to work alongside their team members to develop a plan of action.
For example, some speech pathologists might prescribe extra supplements for stuttering patients. They might look at the patient’s diet and decide to add extra vitamins or minerals. Others might decide to try a combination of supplements and maybe even talking therapies. Other speech pathologists might work with speech pathology. This means they use hearing aids or a digital device instead of correcting the problem directly. That’s an essential difference because some patients find that even speech improvement is a struggle.
When you’re a Speech pathologist Adelaide, you might find that you work closely with speech pathologists, which is another sub-specialty within speech pathology. Speech pathologists diagnose sounds and help them as they become damaged or incorrect. They restore everyday communication by determining where the sounds are coming from, how long they are saying them, how many, and how loud they are. If your child is struggling with the language, this might be the career for you to pursue.
In addition to helping speech pathology professionals like you and your team members, speech therapists need speech therapy. This type of professional development teaches you how to speak more fluently and better so that other people can understand what you are saying. You might find that you will need to take extra classes or learn how to specialise in particular areas of speech therapy. Some speech therapy students finish up going on a graduate-level research program to advance their education further.
When it comes to getting a job as a speech pathologist in Australia, you’ll have to have the education and certification to do so. Many speech therapists choose to further their education and get additional certification through either a university or a hospital. However, there are plenty of schools out there where you can earn your speech therapy certification without going through any formal schooling or learning program. There are also plenty of ways to get hands-on training. For example, a few schools that offer online courses are great for both students and aspiring speech therapists.
The lifestyle benefits of working as a speech pathologist are great, too. This is a field that requires you to interact with individuals daily. So not only will you be working with people’s emotions and mental health, but you’ll also be working with their physical well being as well. This means that you’ll be making people drink water, take their medicine, and clean their homes if they need it. You may even be asked to handle a patient’s insurance if the need arises.