A SPEECH -LANGUAGE THERAPIST IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
Screening, identification, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, intervention and follow up services for the disorders of:
- speech (articulation, fluency, voice)
- language (including disorders of receptive and expressive communication in oral, written, graphic and manual modalities)
- oral, pharyngeal, cervical, oesophageal and related functions e.g. dysphagia, including disorders of swallowing and oral function for feeding; orofacial myofunctional disorders
- cognitive aspects of communication
- social aspects of communication
As well as:
- Developing effective alternative and augmentative communication techniques or strategies and training individuals and families in their use;
- Selecting and fitting effective /appropriate prosthetic/ adaptive devices for speaking and swallowing;
- Using instrumental technology to diagose and treat disorders of communication and swallowing;
- Providing aural rehabilitation to children with hearing impairment;
- Collaborating on assessment of CAPD, management partner;
- Audio screening: pure-tone air conduction and tympanometry;
- Enhancing speech and language proficiency ;
- Consultation and counseling, referrals; training and supporting family members; training / supervising support personnel;
- Developing and managing academic and clinical programmes as well as conducting and applying research .
Communication Pathologies: Some Causes and Contributing Factors
The are a number of different causes that lead to a range of communication problems. Communication problems include:
- Delays in young children learning to use language as they should;
- Problems in the production of sounds which make speech unclear and difficult to understand;
- Language based problems in learning, reading and writing;
- Stutter or other problems with fluency of speech;
- Voice problems such as hoarseness and loss of voice;
- Communication problems may occur in association with specific conditions such as Cerebral Palsy or with cleft palate;
- Adults who may have communication difficulties due to strokes or head injuries.
A student with two children with cleft lip and palate immediatley pre-surgery. This student was invovled with the Operation Smile campaign in the Eastern Cape
Exciting and Challenging Work Opportunities include:
- Developing and running awareness programmes for effective use of the voice by singers and public speakers
- Organizing support groups e.g. for people who stutter and their families or for parents of children who cannot speak
- Engaging in collaborative management programmes e.g. with teachers in fostering written language skills.
Available Career opportunities
Speech-Language Therapists can work in the following occupational settings:
- State and private Hospitals
- Assessment and Therapy Centres
- Special schools for cognitively impaired, physically disabled or learning disabled
- Clinics serving mainstream schools
- Homes for the Elderly
- Private practice
- Teaching and Research programmes at Universities.