Career In Speech Therapy

By the word speech it is clear that something related to voice or communication. The term speech therapy means to apply therapy on the individuals suffering from speech disorders.

Speech therapy is an associated branch of health sciences which is related to the disorder of voice, speech & language of a person.

In recent times, speech therapy & audiology have become promising career options.

Simply, we can say that

“Speech Therapy deals with the evaluation and treatment of speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.”

Speech therapists are the specialists who treats people facing problems related to speech disorders. They helps the people having speech and language problems and who are lacking in fluency. Speech therapists are also called as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and speech pathologists.

Speech therapist treats/counsel kids, children and adults.

They also work with older people who lost their ability to communicate because of the medical reasons such as accidents, strokes, removal of the larynx, etc.

They have a degree or diploma in speech therapy.

Scope in Speech Therapy

There is wide scope career in study of speech therapy. You can work as a doctor or as other job roles in this field not in India but also in abroad. There are various sectors for different courses under the speech therapy profession. You can join according to your course. You can work in the given sectors such as clinics, district disabilities rehabilitation centers, rural health centers, speech and hearing centers, etc. Speech Therapists demand will be high & have a wonderful scope for professional in the future.

Candidates willing to opt this profession will get the details about courses from here. Below we have listed some popular speech therapy courses.

Also Check:

Popular Medical Courses

Courses & Duration

How to become a Speech Therapist?

One  can become speech therapist after earning per-requisite degree in related field. Education in speech therapy and audiology is provided at bachelor and master level. Postgraduate specialization in speech-language pathology or audiology is offered by many institutes. Some popular courses offered in the field of speech and therapy are listed below:

Diploma/Certificate Courses:

• Diploma in Hearing, Language & Speech (DHLS) – 1 yr
• Diploma in Hearing Aid and Earmould Technology (DHAET)
• Post Graduate Certificate Course in Auditory Verbal Therapy (PGCAVT) – 6 months

Bachelor Courses:

• B.Sc in Speech and Hearing – 3 years
• Bachelor of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology (BASLP) – 4 yrs

Master Courses – 2 years

• Master of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology (MASLP)
• M.Sc in Speech and Language Therapy
• M.Sc in Audiology
• M.Sc in Speech Language Pathology

Doctoral Courses:

• PhD (Audiology)
• PhD (Speech-Language Pathology)

Eligibility Requirement:

Students can take admission in bachelor courses after clearing higher secondary examination in PCB group from a well-recognized educational board with 55% marks. To purse postgraduate programme, one must have passed the bachelor degree in the related field.

Also Check:

Courses After 12th

Skills Required:

• Scientific Aptitude
• Strong Interpersonal Skills
• Good Communication Skills
• Compassionate nature
• Keen observation skills
• Ability to work effectively in teams

Admission

Most of the colleges admit students to bachelor and master courses on the basis of entrance test which is a NEET 2024. Many institutions/ Universities conduct their own entrance test for offering admission like All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Jawaharlal Institute Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER 2024) and many others. Right now, all other medical institutions in India offer admission through NEET UG scores only. Admission process vary from college to college. Some institutions provides admission based on the marks students scored in the qualifying examination.

Here, some institutions are mentioned that offers courses in speech therapy:

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS 2024)
• Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER 2024), Chandigarh
• All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore
• Osmania University, Hyderabad
• University of Bombay, Mumbai
• TN Medical College, Mumbai
• Institute of Speech & Hearing, Bangalore
• Indian Institute of Health Education, Patna

Jobs & Career Scope

In India, Job prospect in the field of speech therapy is good.

Postgraduate in audiology & speech language pathology can work as lecturers in medical colleges. Graduates in audiology and speech language pathology can practice in hospitals in the department of ENT, pediatrics, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, speech and hearing centers, hearing aid industry, child guidance center, etc. They can also practice as independent audiologists.

Those have a doctoral degree in the above field can be a part of human resource development at different training & research centers.

Diploma holders can assist audiologists and speech language pathologists in schools of hearing impairment, mental retardation etc.

Speech therapists are also required in reputed hospital like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). After acquiring degree in relevant field, speech therapist can also open their own clinic.

Most of the speech therapists work in public schools. You may either work on healthcare setups like at hospitals or work at NGOs, nursing homes. You can also work on your own rehabilitation and private practice setups.

Job titles for the professionals working in speech therapy field:

• General audiology or speech pathology assistants
• Speech therapists
• Research assistants
• Clinical speech pathology assistants
• Audiologists
• Speech pathology service manager
• Educational audiologist
• Certified hearing-aid audiologist
• Research audiologist

Job Areas:

• Health Care Institutions
• Government Agencies
• Government Health Departments
• Hospitals
• Nursing Care Facilities
• Rehabilitation Centers
• Private Practice
• Academic Universities
• Hearing aid/cochlear implant industries
• Medical Hospitals/Clinics
• Special Schools

Salary

In India, Speech therapist earns the salary of around Rs. 2.5 to 3 lacs per annum. With the years of experience, salary increases. Private hospitals offer better salary as compared to government hospital. Your remuneration will depends upon job title and organization you are working for.

In abroad, the earnings of speech therapist ranges from $52,000 to $80,000 per annum.

Books & Study Materials

Some best books that you can refer for the studies of speech therapy are listed below:

• Speech and Language Therapy by Myra Kersner, Jannet A. Wright
• An Advanced Review of Speech Speech-Language Pathology by M.N. Hegde
• Speech and Language Second Edition: Clinical Process and Practice by Monica Bray
• Treating Phonological Disorders In Children 2e by Howell & Dean
• A Resource Guide for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention by NCHAM
• Screening for Speech and Language Delay in Preschool children by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• An early start for your child with Autism by Rogers
• Hereditary Hearing Loss and its Syndromes by Teriello

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