A Speech Therapist's POV
I interviewed my speech therapist so readers could get a sense into what she does and why she decided to become a speech therapist as her profession.
Why are you a speech therapist?
Her original plan was actually not any sort of linguistics profession, so she went back to college after she had graduated to study linguistics/communication because she found it as an interesting topic for her. She liked studying all kinds of different communications, so she went into speech therapy specifically because it stood out to her
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2. In what ways can speech therapy help?
She says that speech therapy has different outcomes for everyone, but has benefits for all. Speech therapy is based on the individual’s personal goals, so the therapists and the clients can create a program and schedule that is personalized towards them. One of the main parts that speech therapy helps with is by fostering attitudes and feelings.
3. What is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of being a speech therapist is being able to successfully teach strategies that the client can use in their everyday life. It's different to practice your speech in a session with your speech therapist than incorporating them in conversation you have everyday. Using the techniques independently is definitely the most challenging aspect a speech therapist has to teach.
4. How do you measure signs of progress in your clients?
Signs of progress are measured by looking at the client’s communication goals they set in the beginning of their sessions. If they are reaching their speaking goals consistently across 2-3 sessions, it indicates mastery of the skill. The skill and/or task complexity is then increased to promote using the skill in their daily communication either independently or with an appropriate level of support."
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5. Why is speech therapy important?
Speech therapy is important and impactful when the client can meet their own personal goal in communication. A goal could be to just gain more confidence and speak out in public, and when that actually happens they will feel like they accomplished something because they worked hard with their therapist. Speech therapy is also important because it can help the person just become more comfortable in their own voice because those sessions are a place to talk their way without any extra pressure or judgement.