Speech Pathology Research Paper

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.

Many people would like to make a difference, not only in their own life, but in others’ lives as well. Deepak Chopra once said, “Everyone has a purpose in life…a unique gift or special talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.” All of us, at one point in our lives, have to make the difficult decision of the goals we want to work towards. We all have certain goals, standards, and expectations of ourselves. Not everyone will figure out what they want to be right away, and some will know from the very beginning. My plan for my life is helping others through Speech Language

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.

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

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).

NSOMEs focus on non-speech movements of the oral mechanism such as exercise, blowing, and repetitive exercise of different muscle groups such as spreading and rounding the lips. Resistance exercises, including opening and closing of the jaw when pressure is applied, can also be implemented. SLPs often utilize sensory stimulation such as applying vibration to the lips or tongue. It is believed that NSOMEs allow the child to develop motor skills for speech and motor memory of speech productions so he or she can accurately and appropriately move and place the articulators when addressing specific speech sounds (Ruscello, 2008).

The participation model begins by identifying the participation patterns and communication needs where the clinician then identifies participation barriers (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013, p. 108). SLP’s are then taught to differentiate between assessing opportunity barriers and assessing access barriers in the concept that the working clinician evaluates policy, practice, facilitator skill, facilitator knowledge, attitude, and current communication (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013, p. 108). The client’s current communication assessment includes a full assessment of their possible potential to increase natural abilities, an assessment of potential environmental adaptations, and an assessment of the potential to utilize AAC systems or devices (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013, p. 108). Once there has been a thorough analysis the speech language pathologist should plan and implement interventions that will span across the present and the future with a follow up to determine how effective the intervention has been in advancing a client’s participation (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013, p.

As a Speech Language Pathologist it is my responsibility to provide a means of communication to any individual who has an impairment as it relates to communication. No matter how severe the deficit may be as it relates to cognitive functioning, motor skills,etc.. and any other disability that may impact the traditional means of communication. A Speech language Pathologist who works with individuals who require the use of an Augmentative and alternative communication device, must keep in mind that it is their responsibility to make sure that more than one mode of alternative and or augmentative can be used, monitor the progression of intervention as well as evaluate the individual and most importantly keep up to date with current practice through

The American Speech- Language- Hearing Association (2011) has clearly stated the scope of practice for practicing Speech Language Pathologist as it relates to Augmentative Alternative Communication. It includes:

Speech disorders stemming from brain injury is something that has been researched for a long time. It has been argued that SLPs are “among the most qualified in school settings to meet the demands of detecting and managing concussion given their knowledge of cognitive- communication disorders,” (Duff & Stuck, 2015).

Everyone needs a little help. I need help from my teachers to learn, and other people need help to do simple tasks, as simple as tying their shoes. I have three younger brothers. Their names are Trevor, Drake, and Ross. All three of my brothers have a speech delay. I am the only one of my siblings to not have this. My little brothers were all put on an IEP for speech. They also attended the preschool at Fort Jennings School to get help. As my brothers grew up, only Drake was taken off his IEP for speech. Trevor, who is 16, and Ross, who is 8, still have a speech delay today. They are one of the reasons I believe I am meant to become a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP).

Currently, there is an increased demand for Speech-language Pathologist’ who are able to provide effective therapy to the diverse multicultural population. To work effectively within the multicultural setting, a speech-language pathologist should be prepared to offer services and work with individuals from a variety of different backgrounds. The individuals within the population of people who seek/need speech therapy speak different languages and dialects, are of different races, cultures, and socioeconomic status. However, when working with distinctive individuals there are both benefits and challenges.

In some cases, people may find that getting the help from a speech-language pathologist can be too expensive. This makes them less likely to look at all the positive things a speech-language pathologist can do. Also, people may be looking into finding a speech-language pathologist for help but can’t locate one nearby. This can cause people to give up on the search for help even though it could benefit them greatly. Speech-language pathologists are in demand and with more people entering into this career field it will be much easier to locate one nearby your hometown which can also help with keeping the cost down.

Each participant was assessed by a speech-language pathologist in a quiet room as a part of the pre-treatment assessment. Each participant’s speech, oromotor, and receptive language skills were assessed to determine their differential diagnosis. The participant’s speech skills were assessed by using the Articulation, Inconsistency and Phonological Assessments of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP). This assessment allowed researcher to obtain standard scores with a mean of 10 and normal range of 7-13 (Crosbie et al. 2005). The speech-language pathologist who conducted the assessment made on-line transcriptions of the data. These transcriptions were then compared to the audio recordings of the session to determine

One of mankind’s main characteristics that distinguishes them from other life on Earth is their ability to communicate with one another. Speech is frequently underappreciated and only valued when it is weakened, damaged, or lost. For as long as spoken language has lived, speech disorders have lived alongside it. Historic treatments of speech disorders include pebbles in the mouth, cutting the tongue, and exorcism. In the past centuries, the treatments for speech disorders have become safer and more successful than those of the past. Today, millions of people have some form of a speech disorder, either from disease or childhood impediments. More recently, however, technology has entered speech therapy within schools, clinics, and hospitals.