Speech-Language Pathological Analysis

How often do passion and profession come together? For me, being a natural communicator, I have always dreamt of being part of a multi-disciplinary team, improving the lives of others in both a direct and true-to-life level. With my sincere interest in people and curiosity of the mechanisms’ of the human body, having a simple conversation with my cousin is what made me fall in love with this career.

When undergoing the professional training needed to practice as a speech-language pathologist (SLP), we pride ourselves in “achieving and maintaining the highest level of professional competence and performance (ASHA Code of Ethics, 2016).” Even with the many clinical hours needed as a graduate student and the additional hours needed as a clinical fellow (CF), there are some areas in the scope of practice of an SLP one might not gain experience in. When applying for our first jobs in our field, SLPs should feel comfortable with the potential clientele we will be working with.

During my interview with Speech Pathologist, Deborah Kirsch, I learned countless details about the Speech Pathology career field. When we first began talking, I learned that Mrs. Kirsch works out of a company called “Professional Therapy Services”, where she is contracted out to work for “Eunice Smith Nursing Home” which is located in Alton, Illinois. She has been working at this facility for about a year. She is a newly found graduate from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and she graduated in May 2011. Another thing that I learned about Mrs. Kirsch is that she originally did not go to school to become a speech pathologist, this was a career that she found later in life. After she had graduated from SIUE, the first time with a bachelors in Psychiatry, she started working at a nursing home around this area. She came to know a Speech Pathologist that worked there and she quickly found the field very fascinating. She had always been driven to help others, and she witnessed some of the exercises being done with individuals at the nursing home and decided to go back to school to get her masters in Speech Pathology.

Choosing a major can be difficult, especially when considering expanding your collegiate career from your undergraduate career. For myself, Speech-Language Pathology was a clear answer for me to pursue, especially since I have a desire to help change an individual’s life and make a substantial impact that can affect more then just one individual. From the start of my Speech-Language Pathology collegiate career, I have always been drawn to working with children and increasing their communication skills. Although, my passion for working with children does not stop with expanding their communication skills, but also to help them to become more confident and content with whom they are.

There are many requirements that involve education and training, as well as personal requirements and aptitude. To be a Speech Language Pathologist, one must have a sincere interest in helping people, sensitivity, resourcefulness, and imagination. One must also be able to communicate orally and in writing. Michigan Works, an agency that assists with employment, posts jobs that display education and background requirements for obtaining a job as a Speech Language Pathologist. Some requirements include a master’s degree from a speech and hearing program certified by the ASHA, American Speech and Hearing Association, post-certification experience in an institutional setting. Home health experience is also desirable. One must graduate from high school and pass courses in biology, physics, social sciences, English, mathematics, public speaking, language, and psychology. Undergraduate courses should include a strong Arts/Science focus, linguistics, phonetics, anatomy, psychology, human development, biology, physiology, math, physical science, semantics, and social/behavioral science. To be an applicant for an SLP position, a graduate degree is required and also three hundred to three hundred seventy-five hours of clinical experience. Applicants have to pass

The qualities I possess to make me a successful speech language pathologist include compassion, open-mindedness, knowing how to be a team player and how to live out the FISH philosophy which is an approach dealing with workplace issues. Compassion is important to have in order to be patient with my future clients. Throughout my college years, I served on the executive council for my sorority for two years as Vice President of Member Development. While sitting in those meetings, I learned how to be open-minded to others’ opinions on certain topics being discussed. I also had to meet with people who were having a hard time maintaining good membership status. Sitting down and talking to those individuals taught me to be objective about the individual’s circumstance and to be as fair as possible. Not only does a speech language pathologist need to be skilled in speech treatment but also with counseling the parents and loved ones of the client who feel hopeless and helpless. Being empathetic helps create a trusting relationship between the clinician, client and family. Another quality of a great speech pathologist is being able to be a team player. Most cases require the collaboration of the speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, schoolteacher, paraprofessional, orthodontist, audiologists, and social services to

The career of speech pathology offers many opportunities in a variety of different settings. For those who are willing to tackle the challenge of advanced education and have a passion for working with others, speech pathology could be a great career choice. Through my individual research and interaction with other Speech Pathologists,

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).

There are hundreds of career paths and options, which can be overwhelming and exciting. I have looked into many possibilities and wanted to talk to a speech pathologist about their career and responsibilities. Speech pathologists, also known as speech-language pathologists or speech therapists, help individuals with a multitude of disorders, associated with swallowing, speech, and language. They can work in schools, hospitals, specialty clinics, or through private practice. I chose to interview Sherri Anderson, a speech pathologist for Rock Creek Elementary School in the Beaverton School District in Oregon. Ms. Anderson originally got a degree in English, and worked for a bookstore for a decade before going back to school to become a speech

I am writing with great interest regarding a potential speech-language pathologist opening at Gull Lake Community Schools. During the spring of 2014 I completed an internship at Richland Elementary, working under Shawn Herron and Stacy Robbins. I believe I had the pleasure of meeting you a few times as well. I have spoken with Mrs. Robbins regarding the possible opening this fall and she advised I send my resume to you.

In the profession of speech-language pathology, there are a variety of settings and clients with diverse needs to work with. One is able to work with not only children, but people of all age groups. Throughout my undergraduate program, I was able to gain the necessary skills in order to write professional reports for both medical and educational settings. The principles of formulating goals, establishing effective communication skills, and being flexible with your clients were among the many important skills I

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

I began my research by visiting the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, where I found a large amount of credible information regarding the job outlook for speech-language pathologists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017), “Employment of speech-language pathologists is projected to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations,” (para. 1). They support the projected growth through reasoning. The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests as the generation of baby boomers becomes older there will be more health issues in older individuals that require treatment from speech-language pathologist.