Speech Pathologist – A Modern-Day Catch Phrase

Speech pathologist is a profession that focuses on analysing and diagnosing the diseases of the speech pathogenetic mechanism. Speech pathology is one of the few branches in speech science that strongly emphasises research and academic study rather than clinical practice. Nevertheless, it involves both research and clinical practice. Many of the most eminent speech pathologist Adelaide are also microbiologists. Therefore, the main aim of this doctorate program is to specialise in the field of speech pathology.

speech pathologist AdelaideSpeech pathology or speech-language pathology deals with speech and communication impairments disorders, focusing on the areas of speech articulation and voice production. The main specialty areas include communication disorders related to voice, speech production, speech comprehension and speech understanding. This career field is very much related to the medical specialties of audiology, speech-language pathology, otolaryngology, medical speech translation, and medical transcription.

The work settings for speech pathology vary depending upon the area of specialty. Some of the common work settings for speech pathology are general medical offices, pediatrician offices, hospitals, school clinics, private practice, and public health clinics. In clinical settings, the primary focus is to diagnose and treat patients suffering from speech or communication impairments using diagnostic procedures and therapeutic techniques. The primary treatment approach is to manage speech and communication impairments. Patients are diagnosed and treated according to the particular disorder.

The scope of work of an audiologist is significantly different from that of a speech therapist or speech pathologist Adelaide. For example, speech pathologists/speech therapists have more training and specialised education in diagnosing and treating speech and communication disorders than speech pathologists. Audiologists also perform additional specialised treatment such as hearing screening and testing.

The mean salary of a speech pathologist Adelaide with BLS is approximately $76k per year. The difference between the median salary and the actual value of the job is quite significant when considering the specialisation required of this profession. It may not be easy to find a job in speech pathology, but it is not impossible.

A few years ago, those working in speech pathology were expected to know a lot about the speech articulation of the individual they were helping. Today, their function is far less dependent on knowledge of speech anatomy and physiology and more dependent on their ability to devise a treatment plan based on findings of diagnostic studies and client’s feedback. It is a highly skilled job requiring knowledge of many different speech and communication disorders areas and a broad range of communication treatment plans.