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Speech Pathologist Essay

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Introduction From being diagnosed at a young age with dyslexia and apraxia of the speech, I am not sure where I would be without the help and encouragement of my speech pathologists. ‘Speech-language pathologists assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in patients’ (Summary, www.bls.org, 2015). Along with helping their patients overcome or learn how to understand their disorders, speech pathologists must keep records. Interests/Skills Used 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). Work or Learning Conditions As of …show more content…

There are some required courses that need to be taken. ‘Graduate programs often include courses in speech and language development, age-specific speech disorders, alternative communication methods, and swallowing disorders’ (Education, www.bls.gov, 2015). To legally start working as a speech pathologist, one must obtain a license which requires a master’s degree as well as s supervised clinical experience. American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association offers a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). If a speech pathologist wishes to work in a school environment, they must obtain an additional teaching certificate. (Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations, www.bls.gov,

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