Speech therapy can help people who have difficulty speaking to communicate better and to break down barriers that result from speech impediments. The goals of speech therapy include improving pronunciation, strengthening the muscles used in speech, and learning to speak properly. Having a goal or vision for your career in speech pathology can be incredibly motivating. If you're looking for inspiration for the next season of your career, look no further: check out our list of six exciting career goals for speech therapists.
If there is an area that you are passionate about recently or in which you would like to improve your skills in order to increase the variety of clients in your case portfolio, this career goal could be for you. There are many ways in which you can expand your knowledge and strengthen your skills in specific areas of the profession. If you set a goal around this topic and work actively to perfect this skill set, you may be able to reduce the number of cases and prepare to work in the area of the profession that brings you the most joy. The American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and accrediting association with 228,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support staff; and students.
These include articulation goals, phonology goals, receptive speech pathology goals, and fluency goals. Speech therapists can achieve these goals through low-tech means, such as an image exchange communication system (PECS), high-tech communication devices (tablets, Go-Talk), or esophageal speech. To obtain the CCC-SLP, individuals must complete a graduate course and clinical practice at a college or university whose program is accredited by the Council for Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). Then, they have to obtain a master's degree in speech and language pathology and then pass the praxis exam in speech and language pathology.
The goals of expressive language are the other side of the coin and teach people to tell stories, make gestures and ask for help. Because of the high demand for speech-language pathology services, there may be part-time, full-time, and PRN (literally, pro renata in medicine, as needed) opportunities, depending on location, desired center, work flexibility, and other factors. Finally, the goals of the AAC in speech pathology help people who use other methods to communicate instead of speaking. The goals of receptive speech pathology focus on what people understand, and the goals include helping them answer questions, follow instructions, and learn vocabulary.
Speech therapists are fortunate to be able to move and live practically anywhere and still serve their clients. Applicants for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) must obtain a graduate degree, successfully complete the required clinical experiences, and pass a national exam. A speech therapist's workday consists of diagnosing communication and swallowing disorders, developing treatment plans, and treating patients. Speech therapists work to prevent, evaluate, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
Voice-related goals have more to do with volume, tone, vocal hygiene, respiratory support, and resonance; the lack of these skills can hinder the ability to communicate effectively...
