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 and so on.
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 part-time using remote educational technologies, which will allow you to combine study with work. Educational activities VSTU is licensed and meets 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. Have time to pass professional education at the lowest price!
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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 is still for a long time will be very, very in demand.
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 pronunciation, reading and writing: stuttering, not correct pronunciation sounds, dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc. The speech therapist selects exercises and massages, teaches how 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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A speech pathologist is a highly qualified specialist who works with special children. As all colleagues of such professionals agree, their work is more difficult than that of most teachers. We have to interact with a variety of children who have autonomic and functional disorders. The task of a speech therapist is to develop the ability to speak with children who were not taught this basic human skill at the age appropriate.
Modernity and education
The demands of our everyday life are such that we have to spend more and more time interacting with machines. This has a number of positive aspects, but it is not without its drawbacks: the field for work of speech pathologists and speech therapists is becoming wider and wider. Many children, although excellent with technology, have difficulty mastering speech skills and suffer from speechopathy and tongue-tiedness. It leads to social problems and difficulties of interaction, as a result, internal psychological problems. The child becomes withdrawn, uncommunicative, unsure of own strength who are afraid to expand their horizons. Such a child rarely allows himself to be curious and learn new things, but often feels unhappy.
It so happens that many modern children learn to live by spending time in front of television screens, and then try to copy the behavior and manner of speech of the actors and heroes of the series. Parents, too busy with work, simply do not have the opportunity to control this process.
They will teach you everything! Or not?
Many adults are accustomed to thinking that at school a child will be taught everything necessary - to speak, count, and behave correctly. The opinion is erroneous - the school does not have such obligations. The period for studying the primer is strictly limited by time, and teachers simply do not have the opportunity to adjust the program for individual children who cannot keep up with the main group. Simultaneously with studying the ABC book, the baby is taught to read syllables. Sometimes parents, at some point discovering the unsatisfactory results of such training, clutch their heads in horror and begin to search for a speech pathologist who can correct the situation.
It is known from pedagogical practice that incorrect speech perception is possible in clearly speaking, congenial children if there are phonemic difficulties. This is more typical for the preschool age period. Left-handed people are more likely to have problems. If you do not pay attention to this in time, high school the problem will cause a lag in various humanities disciplines.
How to help?
A speech pathologist has specific knowledge and approaches that allow him to successfully interact with special needs children. Such a specialist practices extraordinary things relative to generally accepted ones. pedagogical practice approaches. Its main task is to help the child become involved in educational process. To do this you need to take a closer look at individual characteristics specific child, understand what the causes of the problems are, what help is needed.
An experienced defectologist - speech therapist and psychologist, as they say, “in one bottle.” Such a specialist must be able to create friendly relations with the child, organize the atmosphere during classes, find common ground with the student, and enter into close contact with him. Professionals in this category work with children of preschool and school age groups. To do this, you need to be able to use different programs, choosing the optimal one for a particular case.
As part of the work process, a speech therapist-defectologist (and a psychologist by compatibility) teaches the child to write, read, forms correct pronunciation, works intensively to eliminate sensory difficulties, using individual programs.
Do I need this?
A children's speech therapist-defectologist seems to many parents to be an incomprehensible specialist whose help their children definitely do not need - what if others think that the child is developmentally delayed! As professionals say, this approach is incorrect. There is no need to be afraid of a defectologist, or to be shy if you need the help of a qualified specialist. The average person is unlikely to be able to teach a child who has problems with speech and reading on his own, since there is no access to the specific techniques that speech therapists use in their work - and this has been taught in universities for many years.
Poor reading precludes a child's literacy in the future. Illiteracy and sluggishness of language do not allow a person to think fully. Teaching speech is a difficult task, and the work requires a lot of time. A children's speech therapist-defectologist works painstakingly on all the difficulties inherent in a particular case, but in a week or two of classes with a new specialist, the child will not learn everything as if by magic - you should not count on this, the course will be long.
Problems and reality
IN last years The breadth of the work field of a speech therapist-defectologist is also increasing due to the increase in the number of children suffering from various disorders and deviations caused by mental and physiological characteristics. The help of a specialist is needed for cerebral palsy, visual impairment, hearing impairment, deficiencies in language culture and the breakdown of cognitive activity.
Not everyone understands how big the difference is between a speech therapist and a speech pathologist. These two concepts are similar, so they are often combined into one. You just need to remember that defectology is a science designed to use pedagogical methods to correct the behavior of a patient who has certain developmental deficiencies. For this purpose, restorative approaches and educational methods are used.
Speech therapy is one of the branches of defectology along with typhlo-, deaf-, and oligophrenopedagogy. A teacher defectologist-speech therapist is a specialist who uses defectology methods to correct pathologies associated with speech culture. Among the defectologists there are also deaf, typhological, and oligophrenic teachers. All of them are highly specialized professionals who can cope with the specific problem inherent in the child.
What is the job?
A speech pathologist-speech pathologist will help if a child has language imperfections. You can contact such a professional through a specialized institution. Sometimes speech therapists are on the staff of mass educational institutions, but this is the exception rather than the rule. A speech pathologist-defectologist will help if you seek help from a correction center, development group, or private practice.
Before starting work with a speech therapist, the child must be shown to a commission of psychologists and doctors. Here they will make a diagnosis and evaluate the reasons for the deviations. The speech therapist, having a conclusion in hand, determines the characteristics of the case and the tools that will help in a specific case.
Many people are accustomed to thinking that the profession of “speech pathologist-speech pathologist” is a specialization aimed at correcting a child’s pronunciation of sounds. In fact, this view is very simplified. The main task of a speech therapist is to improve the patient’s speech, develop the ability to speak coherently, accumulate a vocabulary base, develop phonemic awareness, master grammar and begin to pronounce words correctly. A speech therapist teaches the art of inflection. Correct and regular exercises help eliminate writing disorders, improve memory and activate thinking, stimulate fine motor skills and perception of space.
What to work with?
The specialty “speech pathologist-speech pathologist” is available in a number of universities in our country, and for many applicants it seems attractive, since in the future there are unlikely to be difficulties with employment. Before enrolling in such a direction, you need to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities of a defectologist so as not to be disappointed in the future.
In many ways, the functions depend on the specific workplace, universal job description does not exist, but it is possible to formulate the scope of work in general outline. A speech therapist is consulted when the child’s deviations are such that it is impossible to cope with them within the framework of a general education program. A defectologist helps with problems with vision, hearing, and intelligence.
The specialist works on the formation of sensory skills, taking into account individual impairments, and also instills hygienic standards, teaches how to play and shows game techniques - if children have developmental disabilities, play abilities are often below average. Through speech, the child gets the opportunity to expand his horizons and get acquainted with the world around him, and through writing - to analyze. A child is taught to speak and write by giving an idea of sounds and their sequences.
Do I need it?
Reviews of speech pathologists and speech pathologists vary. Some parents whose children needed such specialized assistance, admit that the specialist was a good help. They indicate that as part of the work, the child received general ideas about objects, the space around him, and learned to interact with them. Others note that the long course improved motor skills, coordination of movements, and the child himself became more inclined to creative work.
It is noted that professionals pay special attention to developing cognitive skills, thanks to which the child remembers better, the ability to concentrate increases, and mental activity is activated. To do this, different methods and approaches are used.
There are other reviews about speech therapists and speech pathologists. Some say that working with such specialists is fruitless, and educating a child costs a lot of money and only becomes a source of self-doubt for the child. As a rule, this is possible if the choice of a specialist is unsuccessful. To avoid an unpleasant experience, you should first study independent reviews of the work of various specialists in your area, and only after that send your child to a preschool educational institution.
When is a specialist needed?
It is not always clear to parents whether it is time to see a professional or whether the child is developing normally and does not need a speech pathologist. As experts say, the child should be referred for correction, if there is indication for it, from a very early age. Children are registered with a speech therapist from the age of three. The difference in time is explained by the characteristics of a particular condition, the presence of deviations (hearing impairment, vision impairment, etc.).
When planning to refer your child to a defectologist, it is important to do it on time - better sooner than later. Upon receiving a qualification at a university, a speech pathologist-defectologist firmly understands that work must begin when the disorder is accurately diagnosed. The baby’s speech skills develop gradually, improvement occurs step by step. For a child to start speaking, he needs a formed speech apparatus, mature centers in the cerebral cortex. Important condition- being in society. This does not allow the speech therapist to begin work before the patient reaches the age of three - only by this time all the prerequisites are finally ready. If, before reaching 3 years of age, it is clear that the child is significantly behind, it is necessary to contact the commission to select a defectologist - probably at first it will not be a speech therapist, but a specialist with related qualifications.
I want to become a professional!
To obtain the appropriate qualifications, knowledge and skills, you need to choose a place where to study. Speech pathologist-defectologist is a specialization that is taught in several educational institutions in our country. In many ways, the quality of a future specialist depends on the institution where a person receives his education. Thus, universities located in the central region are traditionally considered prestigious, but the number of places is limited, so not everyone can study here. Speech therapists are mainly trained at pedagogical universities.
If you are planning to get an education, you can enroll in the Ural State Pedagogical University or the Leningrad State Pushkin University. The training of speech therapists and speech pathologists is practiced at Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen and Kurgan State Universities. You can enroll in the Ivanovo State University, the Pavlov First Medical University in St. Petersburg or the Herzen State Pedagogical University. They study to become a speech therapist-defectologist at universities in Moscow - at the Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, City Pedagogical University, Pedagogical State University.
Features of training
You can enroll in the specialty “speech pathologist-defectologist” after school. Educational institutions that have a defectology department have the right to study in this specialty. Here they teach not only narrow-profile disciplines, but also general child psychology, pedagogy, and also explain how to interact with children who have developmental disabilities. During the training process, a defectologist acquires medical knowledge about the structure of the speech apparatus, organs of vision and hearing.
Individuals who have already graduated in various pedagogical and medical specialties are often interested in whether it is possible to obtain the qualifications of a speech therapist-defectologist by completing an accelerated correctional education, a short course program. Currently this is not possible. Defectologists are trained only in You can enroll in a second higher education. In this case, the training program will take no more than three years.
General overview
Defectology - scientific direction, dedicated to the laws and developmental features of children with mental and physical disabilities and imperfections. Science deals with the peculiarities of not only education, but also the upbringing of such an audience. Specialists working with children are called upon to develop the child, help him adapt to society, everyday life, study, acquire a profession and realize himself in other areas of life.
In addition to a wide-profile speech therapist, designed to help with a variety of speech disorders, there are teachers of the deaf. Such specialists work with children who have hearing problems. The contingent is very diverse - from those who are simply hard of hearing to the completely deaf. If it is necessary to educate a child with disabilities or a delay in intellectual development, an oligophrenopedagogue will help. In case of visual impairments, a typhology teacher will come to the rescue.
At the initial appointment, the specialist examines the child, determines the characteristics of the disorders, talks with the parents and clarifies the circumstances in which the deviation formed and developed. If necessary, the defectologist may advise you to undergo additional examinations and tests. Then the specialist will analyze the information received.
Defectologist-speech therapist: what is he like?
It is believed that a highly intelligent and purposeful person with developed intuition can become a good specialist. In this line of work, it is necessary to be observant and communicative, mentally and emotionally stable. For a speech pathologist, sensitivity, the ability to empathize, responsiveness and tact are important. This job is suitable for people who are patient and humane, sociable, and have a good memory. To master all professional skills, you must have enhanced communication abilities. For a speech therapist, it is important to speak clearly and intelligibly, be resistant to stress and have strong nerves. An important personal feature is a well-trained voice.
To cope with his tasks, a speech therapist-defectologist must be able to diagnose the child’s condition, teach him, taking into account individual deviations, and help the child develop. An important skill is methods of coming into contact with students, regardless of their age. A speech pathologist must be responsible and friendly. It is impossible to imagine a successful person in this area if he does not have high level responsibility. In addition to ideas from pedagogy and medicine, a defectologist needs psychological training and knowledge of the mechanisms for correcting deviations. It is necessary to be able to assess the overall picture, determine the possibilities for correcting individual disorders, and predict the child’s development, taking into account the changes made to his psyche and skills.
After receiving higher education find workplace possible in educational institutions for preschool and school age groups. There are also specialized correction centers - private and public.
Psychologist, teacher and educator are considered to be somewhat close to the profession in question.
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, are most likely the result of psychological problems, which can and should be fought.
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, speech therapists will be helped to effectively perform their duties by the following: personal qualities, How:
- 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 mastery of the most modern methods and techniques for correcting one or another speech defect), but also 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 to "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.).
Choice 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 Russia, which have proven themselves well among employers, today include.