A Speech Language Pathologist

The opportunity to observe the work overview of a Speech Pathologist, has tremendously solidified my interest in this field. At the Diana Rogovin Speech Center at Brooklyn College, I observed clients of various ages with different speech language disorders including articulation, language, voice, fluency and accent modification. Observing clinicians at the speech center gave me the opportunity to learn how important client-clinician interaction is for the session and how essential it is to build a good relationship with the client. Although I learned the

There, I had the privilege of seeing an Early-Intervention Speech Therapist work with one of my students. She would sit on the floor and play games with him. Through these games, she was able to elicit verbalization from this child who normally grunted to communicate. Over a course of a year, I witnessed his communication skills enhance little-by-little with the assistance of this therapist. I had not realized how much he had improved until I saw him interacting with his friends at the dress-up center. This little boy who would once play alone on the floor was now requesting different objects and laughing with his friends. Recollecting his progress was phenomenal. Inspired by what I saw, I researched more about the field. While doing so, my mother disclosed to me that she and her father had an articulation disorder. Although my grandfather did not receive services, my mother received therapy in school, which she recalls as an unpleasant experience. Taking into account all that I witnessed and learned about the subject, I realized that I had found the middle ground between teacher and therapist that I had been searching for in Speech-Language Pathology.

Upon first entering college, I struggled deciding at such a young age what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Through babysitting and volunteering with pre-school aged children at my church and through a school program called STARS, it became evident to me I had a love for helping children. It fascinated me to see how they viewed the world around them and how quickly they learned new truths everyday. Nevertheless, I knew I would not get the full enjoyment interacting with children as a schoolteacher because the teacher to student ratio is so large. Classroom demands would make it much more difficult to devot individualized attention to each student, and I did not like that concept. So

This occurs due to diminished mental capacity, structural abnormalities such as unrepaired cleft palates, or lack of commitment on the part of the patient. An additional challenge sometimes faced by a school based SLP is dealing with difficult parents and rigid and sometimes unrealistic district expectations. However, despite the challenges faced by speech pathologists, the field of study continues to grow with an expectation of a 21% increase by 2024 (“Speech-Language Pathologists”). While jobs as an SLP are readily available nationwide in a variety of different settings, the key areas of growth in the field are in the states of Illinois, North Carolina, Texas, New York, and Ohio (“Best”). The growth of the field is due largely in part to people’s increased awareness of the benefits of treatment by a speech pathologist. SLPs provide treatments which allow individuals to function better in daily life. For example, SLPs in the education field provide techniques and strategies to help students function better both in the classroom and socially. SLPs in the medical field provide support in regaining the ability to accomplish daily tasks, safely ingest solid foods, and interact socially with family and

Language is beautiful and wondrous phenomenon. Not only is it a crucial component in everyday communication, but it also accentuates the culture of those that speak it. As a student pursuing a career in speech-language pathology, the aspects of communication, such as language, are the pillars of my future profession and will be deeply embedded into my daily life. There are many reasons I have chosen this path, but my childhood friend, Jasmine, can be accredited with my finishing decision to become a speech-language pathologist. When I was in elementary school, Jasmine was one of my closest friends, but I did not always get to play with her at recess because she frequently had to see an audiologist, or go to speech therapy. Jasmine had a congenital

Some of the duties of a speech pathologist are, but are not limited to, evaluate patients’ levels of speech, language, or swallowing difficulty, identify treatment options, teach patients how to make sounds and improve their voices, work with patients to develop and strengthen the muscles used to swallow, and counsel patients and families on how to cope with communication and swallowing disorders (Duties, www.bls.org, 2015). ‘If the speech-language pathologists work in medical facilities, they work with physicians and surgeons, social workers, psychologists, and other healthcare workers’ (Duties, www.bls.org, 2015).

Speech-language pathologists play a significant role in evaluation and intervention with English Language Learners. More and more SLPs are playing a teacher role in the academic environment. The role and responsibility of a speech-language pathologist is essential when identifying the most ethical and appropriate services to meet the individual needs of the student. However, evaluating ELL students can be challenging from a clinical standpoint and typically is complicated by many factors including, personal, institutional, and society interests. Many school based SLPs are not proficient in a second language and therefore are not adequately trained to provide nonbiased bilingual assessments. Current practices in speech-language pathology support the decision making process for the family and their priorities when identifying assessment and treatment options. Consideration for implementing strategies that will benefit the student most should not be overlooked.

After practicing for over twenty years as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant, I have gained many skills and qualifications. I am a motivated self-starter, and licensed to practice in Idaho and Oregon. Working as an SLP-A has allowed me to be well versed in IDEA, and special education programs. My knowledge and proficiency have enabled me to perform therapy, follow directions, maintain daily notes, and assist with progress notes. I have been involved in various speech screenings in the schools. My experience is with a multitude of supervisors working with clients from pre-kindergarten to geriatric, both in group sessions and 1:1. In these sessions I have worked with to name a few articulation, fluency, expressive/receptive language,

The EDUX 9930 class allowed me the flexibility to choose a topic that was specific to speech pathology. I used the hours of class time to catch up on the most recent research completed through the American Speech and Hearing Association, watch in-services on multiple speech related courses, and listen to webinars that addressed disabilities that affected speech skills. It is important for speech pathologist to stay current with evidence-based practices that will help students make the most progress in the shortest amount of time. I work with students in kindergarten through fourth grade so several of the topics that I focused on were in depth articles on phonological awareness and reading during the primary grades. I will recap some of my

Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) are professionals who diagnose and treat patients who have difficulty with language and speech. Patients have a speech disorder if they have trouble generating proper or fluent speech sounds. A person who has problems with resonance also has a speech disorder. A SLP teaches patients with speech disorders how to coordinate the muscles in their mouth to pronounce certain sounds. Patients with language disorders have difficulty expressing their own ideas or understanding others. A SLP will help a patient with language disorders learn how to form words together in order to communicate. SLPs also treat patients with social communication disorders. People with social communication disorder are usually those who have autism or have suffered a

Do you ever ask someone what they want to become when they are older or what their major is? It seems as if I always get the same answer, everyone wants to become or is in the process of becoming a speech-language pathologist. I believe the amount of graduating speech-language pathologists are outnumbering the jobs available. Speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders. They are able to help individuals who have had strokes, surgeries, injuries, dementia, as well as those who have autism. Speech therapists work with individuals of all ages and are able to work in several settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and rehabilitation centers. Job opportunities for speech-language pathologist

The second limitation that Speech-Language Pathologists deal with when working with families is educating families. Janice Swanson, a Speech-Language Pathologist in Lincoln, NE, works with families both in a research setting through the University and also a healthcare setting through Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital. Swanson says that she engages families in their child’s therapy by educating them. She said that she provides them with strategies that they can use at home to continue to make improvements when they can’t be seen by the Speech Pathologist (personal communication, February 3, 2017). “Family members know the characteristics of their member with a language disorder more intimately than anyone else and come to share this insight with

Based on evaluation findings from an interdisciplinary team including a Speech-Language Pathologist, a school Psychologist, classroom teachers, and Mary Lou’s parents, Mary Lou has been diagnosed with dyslexia characterized under Language-Based Learning Disability (LLD) as she exhibits difficulty with both spoken and written words (ASHA, 2016). Based on below average score in following directions on the CELF-5, and Mary Lou’s self report of difficulties in comprehending verbal instructions from classroom teachers Mary Lou was diagnosed with a mild receptive language disorder. Mary Lou’s diagnosis of a receptive language disorder is then further impacted by her reduced processing speed as noted in standardized assessment using the WISC.

The article gives the scenario of a SLP walking in a deaf classroom and picking a child up for therapy. They go back to the therapy room and the clinician tries to teach the student how to produce sound. Then they as the question, “Does this vignette accurately describe the works of speech language pathologist working at residential schools for the deaf today? The article goes on to say that over the past 20 years, the dramatic gain

As a future Speech Language Pathologist, I have dedicated the last 3 years of my studies to researching speech and language. Thus, it is natural for the speech and language of different cultures to grab my attention while traveling. However, among all of my encounters with language through traveling, the context surrounding Ghanaian speech and language stood out to me tremendously. Elements such as spirituality and philosophy were strongly present in both the English and local dialects of Ghanaian speakers. Noticing such a major difference in the Ghanaian language compared to the language spoken by Mainstream America caused me to look further into the root of the thread between spirituality, philosophy, and language in Africa.