9781422279946

Speech Pathologists & Audiologists

Careers in Healthcare

Athletic Trainers Clinical & Medical Laboratory Scientists Dental Hygienists Dietitian Nutritionists EMTs & Paramedics Nurses Physical Therapists Physician Assistants Respiratory Therapists Speech Pathologists & Audiologists Ultrasound Technicians Occupational Therapists Orthotists & Prosthetists

Speech Pathologists & Audiologists

Samantha Simon

Mason Crest Philadelphia

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D

Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com ©2018 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America. CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #CHC2017. For further information, contact Mason Crest at 1-866-MCP-Book. First printing 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

on file at the Library of Congress ISBN: 978-1-4222-3806-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4222-7994-6 (ebook) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4222-3337-5 (hc) ISBN 978-1-4222-8622-7 (ebook)

1. Southwestern States—Juvenile literature. 2. Arizona—Juvenile literature. 3. California—Juvenile literature. 4. Nevada—Juvenile literature. I. Title. F785.7.L37 2015 979—dc23 2014050200

Careers in Healthcare series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3794-6

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Table of Contents 1: What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist? ............7 2: A Look at the Opportunities ................................17 3: Education and Training ........................................27 4: The Evolution of Speech Pathology ....................37 5: Overview and Interview ......................................47 Series Glossary of Key Terms....................................58 Further Reading ........................................................60 Internet Resources ....................................................61 Index ..........................................................................62 Photo Credits/About the Author..............................64

Words to understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowl- edge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments and much more!

Text-dependent questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series glossary of key terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

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Speech language pathologists use many different tools and strategies to help improve a variety of speech disorders.

Words to Understand in This Chapter

abdomen— the medical term referring to the part of the body from the diaphragm to the pelvic region. audiologist— a health care professional who is trained to evaluate hearing loss and related disorders. augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems— any form of communication that is not verbalized and is used as a form of communication; the most common is sign language. cognitive-communication disorders— speech-language disorders that deal with the brain or thinking. dysphagia— the medical term for any swallowing or esophagus malformations. phonology— the system and science of relationships among the speech sounds. stroke— a sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interrup- tion in the flow of blood to the brain. swallowing disorders— disorders dealing with the ability to move food or saliva down the esophagus.

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What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist? S peech and language are vital parts of our everyday lives. We can hardly go a full day without speaking to another human being. This is true around the world, in all languages and countries. Communication and language are crucial to inter- and intrapersonal relations and comprise a core form of expression. Humans express thoughts, feelings, and ideas orally to one another through a series of complex movements that form a basic tone created by voice into specif- ic, decodable sounds. These specific decodable sounds are known as language. Spoken language is produced by precisely coordinated mus- cle actions, using various parts of the body, including the head, the neck, the mouth, the tongue, the chest, and even the

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abdomen. Speech development is a gradual process and the growth of speech and language takes place over a period of time. During speech development, which typically begins in the early stages of childhood, children learn how to regulate these vocal muscles to produce under- standable and decodable speech. When our ability to speak or express ourselves in language is compromised, a speech pathologist is usually called in. Speech pathologists, sometimes called speech therapists, diagnose, treat, and help prevent communication, language, or swallowing dis- orders.

Speech pathologists work not only with patients, but with their families as well.

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Speech Pathologists & Audiologists

A speech pathologist’s duties typically entail:

• Evaluating and assessing patients’ speech, language, or swallowing abilities. • Identifying the cause(s) of speech impediments. • Designing and implementing treatments and thera- pies for a specific patient’s needs. • Teaching patients how to make sounds, speak, and communicate in various ways. • Working with patients to strengthen the muscles used to swallow. • Offering counseling to family members of patients with communication problems. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 7.5 million people in the United States have trouble communicating or using their voices in some way. Communication issues can range from dif- ficulty with certain syllables or sounds to having no communi- cation or vocal skills at all. A speech pathologist works with

people who have problems with speech and language proficiency and fluency. Among the key issues speech pathologists address are speech, language, social communication, and swal- lowing disorders. Speech disorders may encom- pass difficulty producing speech

Did You Know?

It is estimated that 40 million Americans have communication disorders, costing the United States approximately $154 billion to $186 billion each year.

What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

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sounds correctly or fluently, something like a stutter or a lisp. Language disorders generally occur when a person has trouble understanding others or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings. This can be an issue in dealing with syntax, phonology, mor- phology, or even the proper use of language in social settings. Speech pathologists also work with patients with social communication disorders. These disorders involve difficulties with either verbal or nonverbal communication, including problems communicating for social purposes, like offering “One story that will probably stay with me is when I worked in a specialized school for children who were deaf or hard of hear- ing. A lot of these kids had just been fitted with cochlear implants and hearing aids and they were doing a lot of unique therapies and strategies with us to try to get adjusted to their new auditory atmosphere and auditory inputs around them. I had one three-year-old who recognized that I was wearing hear- ing aids just like her. She could not speak or verbalize yet, but she pointed to my ears and then to her ears and she just smiled at me. There was a great connection between us, even though she was so young.” “A Child I’ll Never Forget” A speech language pathologist was asked to share a real-life story about an experience she had had with a patient that would stay with you forever. She responded:

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Speech Pathologists & Audiologists

greetings or practicing the social graces. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder have social communication prob- lems. Social communication disorders are also found in patients with brain injuries or brain degenerative diseases. In addition, speech-language therapists deal with cognitive-com- munication disorders. These disorders may occur as a result of a stroke, a traumatic brain injury, dementia, or congenital brain disorders. Speech pathologists also work with patients who have swal- lowing disorders. Dysphagia is the medical term for any swal- lowing or esophagus malformations. These disorders, which often affect eating and swallowing, may be caused by an illness,

Speech language pathologists work to resolve many different problems, including speech issues caused by mouth, tongue, and throat deformities.

What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

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Speech therapists are required to maintain detailed notes of evaluations and treatment sessions.

surgery, stroke, or injury. Speech therapists provide rehabilitation and therapy for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, they give many people the ability to communicate in unconvention- al ways. These are called augmentative and alternative commu- nication (AAC) systems. AACs may include sign language or even different languages, so patients can communicate in some way. AACs are usually for individuals with severe expressive or language comprehension disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder or progressive neurological disorders. Because speech, language, and communication disorders

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Speech Pathologists & Audiologists

span such a wide range, the spe- cialties of speech-language pathologists cover a wide range as well. Speech-language pathologists tend to specialize in working with specific age groups, such as children or the elderly. Others focus on treat- ment programs for particular communication or swallowing problems, such as those result- ing from strokes or a cleft palate.

Educational Video

Scan here for an overview of the speech pathology career:

Speech pathologists can help people address other language or communication issues as well. For example, speech patholo- gists have helped executives develop successful communication methods and improve their public speaking skills. Speech pathologists also work with employees to enhance communica- tion with their customers. At times, speech pathologists have coached actors and actresses who need to take on accents and adopt unfamiliar communication methods for particular acting roles. These niche jobs offer additional opportunities for speech pathologists. Speech pathologists also engage in research. They conduct research to understand more about human communication and how to bolster it, along with developing new methods and equipment to evaluate communication problems and investi- gate behavioral patterns associated with these disorders. This research promotes more effective and comprehensive treat- ments for speech and language disorders.

What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist? 13

A cleft palate is the fourth most prevalent birth defect in the United States, affecting 1 in 700 children at birth. It can be corrected with surgery, but speech problems often remain.

Speech pathologists also collaborate with other therapists. Most often, speech pathologists work on teams with physicians and other kinds of therapists. These therapists include occupa- tional therapists, audiologists, and psychologists. Speech pathologists practice in various environments. They may be employed in medical facilities, private practices, and even schools. Today, more than 135,000 speech-language pathologists are working full time in the United States. About 40 percent of speech-language pathologists worked in schools in 2014. Most others practiced in health care facilities, such as hospitals. Like other therapists, over the next ten years this

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Speech Pathologists & Audiologists