With the development of modern technologies in the field of medicine and psychology, a very interesting profession - speech therapist - is gaining immense popularity. Let's find out what kind of specialist this is, what tasks he solves and what are the advantages of working as a speech therapist.
Who are speech therapists?
These are specialists who correct speech defects, resorting to various corrective techniques. They work with both children and adults. For example, very often elderly people who have suffered a stroke lose their speech ability, in such cases one profession becomes irreplaceable - speech therapist! It is he who draws up an individual treatment plan, according to which such speech defects as burr, stuttering or lisping are eliminated. Almost all young children have similar problems, as they grow up in many, they pass by themselves, but some need special help.
How did this profession come about?
Speech therapist is a relatively new specialty, it appeared about 50-60 years ago, when people stopped thinking that problems with pronunciation are associated with physical disabilities. Western doctors were the first to determine the nature of the manifestation of speech defects and from the middle of the twentieth century began to use psychological methods to eliminate them. Modern techniques can achieve very impressive results in a short time.
Speech therapist-defectologist profession: features and social significance
It is necessary to understand what type of profession this specialty belongs to. It is believed that a speech therapist is a person who combines a talented teacher and an experienced doctor. He must accurately determine the cause of the speech defect and competently draw up effective exercises and techniques to eliminate problems. For this, a professional speech therapist should thoroughly know how human physiology is structured, in particular, the structure of the speech system and the pathologies associated with it. In addition, a good specialist should have special skills, for example, the ability to do speech therapy massage to relax the muscles of the larynx and other organs of the pharynx.
It is no exaggeration to say that speech therapist is the profession of the future. After all, it is he who teaches people to speak correctly, and speech is the most important component of the communications of all mankind: thanks to it, we can communicate with others, share thoughts and transmit information.
Often a person who has speech impairment feels inferior, he may experience serious complexes that adversely affect his whole life. That is why the profession "speech therapist" is indispensable, these specialists eliminate many speech defects, teach to pronounce sounds correctly and thereby practically change the fate of a person. In addition, they provide psychological assistance: they help to integrate into society, adapt a person to social life and contribute to his development in terms of self-improvement.
What qualities should a speech therapist have?
In fact, a speech therapist is a kind of teacher who should be very patient and understanding with his students. The most important traits in the character are love for children, patience, emotional restraint, calmness, curiosity, perseverance, perseverance and endurance, because the results of the work done make us often wait very long. Some people have to deal with more than 2-3 years to achieve visible improvements.
If it’s easier to work with kids, because they learn quickly, then things are different with adults. Few are able to admit their shortcomings and go to a specialist. For this reason, a professional speech therapist should be able to find an individual approach to everyone, be able to tactfully find out the problem and, without hurting the feelings of the patient, provide initial consultation assistance. Therefore, the specialist does not hurt to know at least the basics of human psychology.
The speech therapist must be responsible, because he has no right to make a mistake in making a diagnosis. If he incorrectly identifies the problem and prescribes an ineffective treatment technique, then this can turn into a real tragedy for patients: speech defects tend to lose their ability to correct over time, so it is very important to eliminate the deficiencies in time. Over time, it will be much more difficult to get rid of them, which is why a speech therapist has such a great responsibility.
Where to study for a specialist?
There are many options where you can get a profession (speech therapist or speech pathologist) under various conditions. Usually they study in this specialty in higher educational institutions: these can be universities or institutes with a pedagogical or humanitarian direction. Speech therapist education must be special, i.e. a diploma of higher education in the relevant or related profession is simply necessary.
Many students, after completing the first courses, begin to realize that they made a mistake with the choice of a profession and wish to change it. For these, another option is possible to get an education in the specialty "speech therapy". The easiest way is to take intensive courses in the training of speech therapists-defectologists. However, in order to get a public service, you will need a diploma of higher special education.
Employment
Despite the fact that annually a huge number of speech therapists are issued at universities across the country, the need for these specialists is only increasing. This is primarily due to improvements in state social programs aimed at providing free assistance to children with disabilities.
Upon graduation from institutes or universities, young specialists have the opportunity to get a job in various institutions. The most popular of them are kindergartens, clinics, children's development centers with log groups, schools with a functioning log center. Rehabilitation hospitals for the elderly and, of course, private treatment centers.
There are many advantages to working in kindergartens: it is an opportunity to contact with children and get to know them better, a fixed schedule, as well as communication with colleagues and a pleasant atmosphere.
The disadvantages of the profession of speech therapist, if he works in state clinics, are associated with filling out various documents. Sometimes it takes more time to process it than directly to classes with patients. By standards, a specialist must work out 18-20 hours a week, this is not so much compared to other specialties.
Profession speech therapist. Pros and cons of work
This is a very responsible job, which requires great patience and love for their work. Let's take a closer look at the main advantages of this profession. So, here are the main advantages:
- short working day - 4 hours, for many this is a great opportunity to combine work and a favorite job;
- socially significant activity - this means that the speech therapist will enjoy the work done;
- long vacation - almost all summer;
- self-improvement - this profession involves constant self-development of a person, reading educational literature, attending various thematic conferences, where together with colleagues you can discuss the latest methods of treating speech disorders.
And of course, one cannot exclude from the list such an advantage of speech therapists as the ability to conduct private practice. But what are the disadvantages?
Underwater rocks
Thanks to the free schedule set by the specialist himself, this profession may seem attractive. However, there are many specific features in it, which for some can turn into flaws. Here are the most obvious disadvantages of this profession:
- emotionally difficult work, because patients are mainly children with various abnormalities and diseases (with Down syndrome, etc.);
- the need to fill out reporting documents at inopportune times, that is, speech therapists do not receive an increase in the basic salary for maintaining documents in state institutions;
- there is no guarantee that the work done will bring at least some results, so that many speech therapists are faced with huge disappointment, so they need perseverance and perseverance to continue treatment sessions.
Who else needs speech therapists?
Very often speech therapists-defectologists begin to engage in private practice, helping a variety of people. In addition to children with speech impairments, elderly people who have had a stroke, and even professional actors, also seek help.
If you decide that this is your vocation - the profession of "speech therapist", reviews about it should be carefully studied, and it is from the professionals themselves. Judging by the reports on various thematic forums, this is an extremely difficult job, requiring complete dedication. The main plus is considered the opportunity to engage in private lessons with children or adults, for example, to give lessons in oratory to novice actors or managers of trading companies.