Speech Language Pathology Essay

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.

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

My intensive Speech Language Pathology coursework at California State University- Fresno has provided me with the skills to implement treatment plans, assist during speech and language assessments, and keep formal documentation of client’s progress in speech therapy. These are the necessary skills required to be an effective Speech Language Pathology Assistant and will make me as asset to have in the school speech setting.

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).

In order to help a patient, the speech pathologist must be patient, a good listener and compassionate towards their patient. These skills are important because you will be dealing with someone who will need your encouragement and patience since there will be times when they are going to feel discouraged. This job requires a lot of your time and it can get overwhelming due to paperwork and if you are expected to work outside of your scope (Yeh, 2014). I a currently taking American Sign Language (ASL) and I have felt impatient at times. Taking this course has made me feel that I can be patient and not get discouraged. ASL has been very difficult at times so I feel that if I were to become a speech language pathologist I would have already learned to be more patient and observant with my patients because I know how hard learning something new is. Especially since learning ASL requires you not to use your voice and just your fingers. It goes with people who are deaf and taking therapies to learn to

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

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

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:

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).

Communication is very crucial in life, especially in education. Whether it be delivering a message or receiving information, without the ability to communicate learning can be extremely difficult. Students with speech and language disorders may have “trouble producing speech sounds, using spoken language to communicate, or understanding what other people say” (Turkington, p10, 2003) Each of these problems can create major setbacks in the classroom. Articulation, expression and reception are all essential components for communication. If a student has an issue with articulation, they most likely then have difficulty speaking clearly and at a normal rate (Turkington, 2003). When they produce words, they

Researchers at the University of Iowa have released the results of their most recent study testing a newly developed drug that could potentially treat patients with speech deficiencies by stimulating part of the frontal lobe of the brain. While the results of the study may demonstrate that the drug has potential to be useful for patients in the future, there are a number of flaws found within the study and drug itself that serve as reasons for concern. The study used to test the effectiveness of the drug was experimental, as it was used to identify the cause and effect relationship between an independent and dependent variable. An independent variable is a factor that is manipulated, in this case the drug or placebo given to the patients.