Speech therapist(from the Greek logos - speech and paideia - education) - a specialist in correcting diction defects in adults and children. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in psychology (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).
Features of the profession
With the help of specially selected exercises, massage and other techniques, a speech therapist teaches people how to articulate correctly, i.e. pronounce words without burring, without lisping, without stuttering, etc. A speech therapist helps to give the correct position of the tongue and lips when pronouncing sounds. To consolidate the skill, he asks the student to read texts and tongue twisters. A good speech therapist can work with most speech disorders, but the best results can be obtained by specializing in one particular area. For example, in the treatment of stuttering or in eliminating reading and writing problems (dyslexia and dysgraphia). Treatment takes at least five months. Sometimes, with complex patients, the process drags on for a year or even more.
A speech therapist can work not only with children. A person carries diction problems that were unresolved in childhood into adulthood. And he can also contact a speech therapist. Sometimes speech problems occur as a result of a stroke or head injury. In this case, the help of a speech therapist who knows special techniques is required.
Workplace
Speech therapists work in kindergartens, clinics, hospitals, centers for psychological and pedagogical rehabilitation and correction for children with hearing and speech impairments. An option for professionals is to open their own private speech therapy office.
Salary
Salary as of 02/12/2020
Russia 10000—60000 ₽
Moscow 20000—60000 ₽
Important qualities
The work of a speech therapist requires enormous patience and goodwill. People with pronunciation defects are often embarrassed by their shortcomings and when communicating with them you need to be as correct as possible, be able to encourage and support them.
Knowledge and skills
To work, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of voice formation and the pathophysiology of speech. Be able to use special exercises, speech therapy massage, etc.
Speech therapist training
The Higher School of Technology and Management (HSTU) provides training in the specialty “Speech therapist” and other pedagogical areas. Training takes place in full-time and part-time format using distance learning technologies, which will allow you to combine study with work. The educational activities of GSTU are licensed and comply with professional standards. Now you have the opportunity to get a 50% discount using the promo code uchitel50. The cost, taking into account the discount, will be 4,975 rubles, and only 1,000 rubles. Get professional training at the lowest price!
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In this course you can obtain the profession of a speech therapist remotely in 5 months and 13,000 rubles:
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As you know, there are no ideal people, and each of us has, albeit a small, flaw. Of course, most external flaws can be, if not corrected, then disguised with the help of cosmetics or clothing. However, there are also shortcomings that cannot be hidden; they can only be dealt with with the help of specialists. One of these disadvantages includes speech defects, which speech therapists help get rid of.
As you know, there are no ideal people, and each of us has, albeit a small, drawback: some have problem skin, others suffer from excess weight or excessive thinness, and for some, the subject of dissatisfaction is the shape of the nose or hair color . Of course, most external flaws can be, if not corrected, then disguised with the help of cosmetics or clothing. However, there are also shortcomings that cannot be hidden; they can only be dealt with with the help of specialists. One of these disadvantages includes speech defects, which speech therapists help get rid of.
Note that in modern society profession of speech therapist is of particular importance because its representatives help us better understand each other. After all, if a person does not stutter or pronounces all the letters correctly, then he not only feels freer when communicating with other people, but it is also much easier to understand him. By the way, if you think that anyone can become a speech therapist, you are deeply mistaken. And after reading this article, in which we will try to talk about all the features of this profession, you will understand why.
Who is a speech therapist?
A highly qualified specialist who studies the causes of speech defects (stuttering, lisp, burr, dysgraphia, dyslexia, etc.), and using special techniques, methods and techniques helps adults and children get rid of them.
The name of the profession comes from the Greek logos (speech) and paideia (education). That is, judging by the name, a speech therapist deals with speech education - in essence, teaches how to speak correctly. This profession cannot boast of a “rich” past: the formation of speech therapy began only in the 17th century, when European teachers began to develop methods for teaching children with hearing problems. Speech therapy in its familiar form began to take shape only in the mid-20th century. It was during this period that teachers increasingly began to think that speech defects, for the most part, were most likely the result of psychological problems that could and should be dealt with.
That is why modern speech therapists not only know numerous methods and methods for correcting speech defects, but also study the basics of psychology, which help them identify the root causes of the defect (if it is not congenital). Well, since speech defects can occur at any age, and the approach to treating children and adults is strikingly different from each other, speech therapists today are usually divided into specialists for adults and specialists for children.
Naturally, the “age” division of speech therapists mainly affects only the approach to “patients”. The responsibilities of all speech therapists are approximately the same. This is an examination of a person and identification of the structure and severity of a speech defect, correction of speech defects, carrying out activities aimed at developing a speech culture, maintaining reporting documentation, timely advanced training, etc.
What personal qualities should a speech therapist have?
Speech defects often become the cause of various complexes, which can sometimes manifest themselves in aggression or depression, therefore, in their work as speech therapists You have to show miracles of patience and endurance. In addition, the following personal qualities will help speech therapists effectively perform their duties:
- communication skills;
- goodwill;
- stress resistance;
- tolerance;
- tact;
- observation;
- persistence;
- the ability to be persuasive.
Of course, all these personal qualities will not help if the speech therapist does not have a huge amount of knowledge behind him. And not only in the field of speech therapy (including mastering the most modern methods and techniques for correcting a particular speech defect), but also in pedagogy, anatomy, medicine and psychology. After all, the cause of a speech problem can be both psychological and physiological disorders, and a speech therapist must not only identify this cause, but also recommend a specialist to the person, cooperation with whom will allow him to completely get rid of the defect (for example, if the speech problem arose due to a congenital speech defect device, then you can get rid of the problem only with the help of surgery followed by speech correction).
Advantages of being a speech therapist
It’s not difficult to guess that the main advantage of being a speech therapist is the feeling of actually being “useful” and being able to help people. However, in addition to the “spiritual” advantages, this profession also has several “material” ones. The latter include:
- the opportunity to conduct private practice and formulate your own pricing policy, which means receiving a high income and a free work schedule;
- large “geography” of employment - speech therapists are in demand in many organizations: schools, kindergartens, clinics, rehabilitation centers, etc.;
- demand - the services of speech therapists will always be needed, so these specialists will never be left without work;
- You can continue working as a speech therapist for as long as the specialist is ready and able to work (that is, there is no such thing as a retirement age for speech therapists).
Disadvantages of being a speech therapist
But you shouldn’t think that speech therapists “roll like cheese in butter” and don’t have any problems. There are also disadvantages to their work. Main disadvantage of being a speech therapist can be called a huge expenditure of emotional and physical strength. Quite often, a speech therapist also has to act as a psychotherapist, ready not only to listen, but also to empathize.
Another obvious disadvantage of this profession, many speech therapists call the need to maintain a huge amount of various documentation (especially if the specialist works in a government agency). At the same time, “paper” work, as a rule, is not included in the main working hours, which is why specialists have to spend their free time on “writing.”
And most importantly, a speech therapist can never be completely confident in the success of his work, since a lot depends not only on the level of his professionalism, but also on the desire and performance of the “patient” himself.
Where can you become a speech therapist?
Get a profession as a speech therapist it is possible in almost any pedagogical university, on the basis of which the department of speech therapy or the faculty of defectology operates. However, it is important to understand that choosing this profession means being prepared for a process of continuous learning - constant advanced training, monitoring and studying the latest methods and techniques for correcting speech defects, self-education in related areas (psychology, medicine, pedagogy, sociology, etc.).
The choice of educational institution largely depends on what goals you are pursuing. If you have chosen the profession of a speech therapist only because you are guaranteed to be able to find a job, then it does not matter which university you choose. If you have set yourself the task of achieving great success in your professional field, and the choice of profession is made at the behest of your soul and heart, then it is best to give preference to leading universities that provide not only a diploma, but also high-quality knowledge.
TO the best universities in Russia, which have proven themselves well among employers, today include.
What exams do you need to take when applying to become a speech therapist? and got the best answer
Answer from _ one_such _ Victoria_[guru]
Study at any pedagogical university.
It is better to study at a state higher education institution. Moreover, ideally, get a degree in speech therapy at some well-known university, so that you can then feel confident when looking for a job.
At the institutes there are both evening and correspondence forms of education. The duration of training varies - it can be 2-3-4 years.
But correspondence education, according to many, unfortunately, does not provide the same knowledge base as full-time education, and to a greater extent involves self-education.
What exams do you need to take to become a speech therapist?
Subjects that are taken upon admission to the defectology faculty - essay; Russian + oral literature; biology (anatomy and general biology); interview.
Answer from Natasha Rostova[newbie]
Society and biology
Answer from Lary[active]
To become a speech therapist, you need to obtain a higher education in one of the following profiles:
Speech therapy
Preschool defectology
Special (defectological) education
Education of persons with speech disorders (speech therapy)
Russian language and special pedagogy
You can view all profiles and correlate them with exams and universities here link
All programs require Russian language and Biology. The third exam varies: Mathematics, Social Studies, Literature.
Salaries: how much does a Speech Pathologist earn *
Beginning: 15000 per month
Experienced: 20000 per month
Professional: 60000 per month
* - information on salaries is given approximately based on vacancies on profiling sites. Salaries in a specific region or company may differ from those shown. Your income is greatly influenced by how you can apply yourself in your chosen field of activity. Income is not always limited only to what vacancies are offered to you on the labor market.
Demand for the profession
According to statistics, in the last decade there has been a sad trend: the number of children with certain speech problems is growing year by year. Moreover, this applies not only to oral speech, but also to written speech. Children are reading and writing worse and worse. Therefore, the specialty of a speech therapist will be in great demand for a long time.
Who is the profession suitable for?
The profession of a speech therapist is more suitable for people who enjoy communicating with people.
Career
You can rise to the position of manager in the place where you worked.
Responsibilities
Children and adults turn to a speech therapist with various problems of pronunciation, reading and writing: stuttering, incorrect pronunciation of sounds, dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc. The speech therapist selects exercises and massages, teaches them to speak and articulate correctly, eliminates lisps, burrs and stuttering. As a rule, work lasts from six months to several years. It all depends on the complexity of the task and the age of the client. It is best to contact in childhood; problems are solved faster at the stage of growing up.
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