Profession speech therapist: description, which universities and specialties to study in

Features of work
Where to study
Who is a speech pathologist?
How to get education remotely
Employment

Currently, there is an increased interest in the profession of speech therapist. The main reason is the continuous increase in the number of children with serious speech disorders, complicated by various neurological abnormalities. Such problems require long-term complex treatment and a high level of specialist competence.

Adults also began to see a speech therapist more often. For example, people who have suffered a stroke and therefore have difficulty communicating. The services of a speech therapist are also needed for those for whom Russian is a non-native language, in order to learn correct pronunciation.

History of the specialty

The name of the profession comes from the Greek words logos and paideia, which mean “speech education.” The first attempts to correct impaired ability to speak were made in ancient times, but were recorded only in the 17th century in works on deaf pedagogy. At that time, speech disorders were viewed as a medical problem.

And only in the 1930s, with the development of scientific thought, came the realization that speaking defects are associated not only with problems of articulatory muscles or breathing, but also with personality psychology. The basis of the modern science of “speech education” is pedagogy, physiology, linguistics and psychology, and speech therapists began to be taught en masse in universities in the middle of the 20th century.

Historical excursion

Science appeared not so long ago. The active peak of its development occurred in the 50s of the 20th century. Previously, attempts had been made to classify speech disorders as a separate group. Mentions of various defects in Ancient Rus' have been preserved.

People who had difficulty speaking were called tongue-tied. Foflu - those with a lisp, that is, those who did not pronounce whistling sounds. Stuttering - stuttering. The completely mute were also singled out.

The Slavs did not have a clear division according to violations, but the following groups were distinguished:

deaf;
with deficiencies in sound pronunciation;
with a violation of tempo and rhythm.

Many proverbs and sayings have been created about the beauty of speech and its connection with thinking. The Slavs were sure that defects were sent by higher or dark forces as punishment.

In Europe, Kamensky was the first to ask questions about the correct formation of speech. He emphasized that normally a child should not have a burr or other problems with pronunciation.

In the middle of the 9th century, attempts to correct stuttering began. At this time, speech impediments were considered a medical problem. Therefore, doctors dealt with them.

The number of domestic works is extremely small; mainly translations of literature from Europe come to Russia. Aphasia, rhinolalia, tachylalia, and tongue-tie are being actively studied. Doctors are actively looking for the causes of problems and ways to overcome them.

In 1877, the science of logopathology was distinguished in Russia. Its subject was a person with speech pathologies, and the subject was observation of him. Different forms are compared and methods of overcoming are developed. At this time there are still no scientific works that would be devoted to theory.

By the end of the 9th century, the works of domestic scientists appeared. Oltushevsky, Khmelevsky and others identified two approaches to the study of violations. The first was based on performing exercises without taking into account the defect, the second involved a detailed study of the causes of its occurrence.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, speech therapy was identified as a separate science. The main history of development occurs in the mid-twentieth century. An attempt is being made to create a classification, and a clinical and pedagogical version is being developed.

Help is provided for children with speech disorders. Since 1920, they began to train defectologists. Since the 50s, speech therapy has been moving into the pedagogical field.

Levina's psycho-pedagogical classification appears. A network of preschool and school institutions for children with speech disorders is actively developing. All clinics open offices where specialists provide assistance.

A system of correctional schools was developed, of which there were eight types. Schools for persons with disabilities have been created. Teachers emphasized the training and adaptation of all persons with disabilities.

Speech therapists have written a number of fundamental works on the correction of various disorders and methods for identifying them. They began to develop an interdisciplinary approach and develop a categorical apparatus.

Description of the profession

A speech therapist deals with correcting the speech of children and adults, and the techniques used for different age categories differ significantly. Specialists work with disorders of oral and written speech. The largest number of patients suffer from oral speech disorders (stuttering, lisp, burr, nasality, etc.), but there may also be problems with writing (dysgraphia or agraphia).

A speech therapist may be a generalist or focus on a specific disorder. If a child (or adult) is “severe,” that is, in addition to speech deficiencies, he has other health problems (poor hearing, vision, or a reduced level of intelligence), then he is treated by a speech therapist specializing in defectology.

Places where a speech therapist can work:

medical institutions (clinics, hospitals);
children's preschool institutions;
speech correction centers;
centers of psychological and pedagogical rehabilitation.

You can also work in a private speech therapy office, using the most advanced correction techniques and innovative technologies.

Where can I work?

Professionals with speech therapy education are accepted into kindergartens, schools, and clinics. They are also in demand in additional education centers for preschoolers, schoolchildren and adults. Having work experience will allow you to get a job in a rehabilitation center or organization to combat speech disorders. Speech therapists, whose classes have an obvious positive effect, easily gain a client base. This allows you to conduct consultations at the same time or even open your own private office.

Example resume

Sample resume (page 2)

What specialties to study?

The profession of a speech therapist requires a higher pedagogical education; after the 9th grade it will not be possible to obtain such a specialty (a special education teacher, which you can become after graduating from college, is not a speech therapist).

Speech correction specialists are trained by universities within the enlarged group “Education and Pedagogical Sciences” in the direction of “Special (defectological) education.” Main training profiles:

speech therapy;
preschool defectology;
preschool speech therapy;
speech therapy and social psychology;
Typhlopedagogy.

Despite the fact that speech therapists receive their education at pedagogical universities (mainly at defectology departments), the first three courses are intensively studied in disciplines directly related to medicine - neuropsychology, physiology, anatomy, neurology, clinical and developmental psychology and many others. If your plans include working with those who have suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury, in addition to a diploma in speech pathology, you will need to complete advanced training courses.

What exams do you need to take?

Most often, Unified State Examination results are required in biology and the Russian language. Additional subjects depend on the specific university - these could be mathematics or social studies. Many universities also take internal exams (professional testing), organize interviews, and conduct psychological testing.

How long to study

As a rule, speech therapists are trained in undergraduate programs where the duration of study is 4 years full-time and 5 years part-time and part-time. Holders of diplomas in psychologists, teachers or doctors can undergo one-year professional retraining (about 1,000 hours) at leading universities.

Important nuances

School graduates are wondering: is it possible to somehow “facilitate” admission to the desired university by participating in various events and does the average grade point of the certificate play a role?

All this definitely makes sense, because the university can add up to 10 points for individual achievements! These include: victories in sports competitions, volunteer activities, a certificate with A's and much more.

The average score of the certificate does not play any role, since the results of the Unified State Exam are taken into account. For a certificate with honors, the university can award up to several points.

Best Universities to Study

You can get a speech therapist education in Moscow and St. Petersburg at a number of prestigious universities:

Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University. Students who have graduated from the Faculty of Clinical and Special Psychology have deep knowledge of defectology and can work in boarding schools, hospitals, correctional centers, and social institutions.
Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis. Here, at the Faculty of Psychological, Pedagogical and Special Education, they provide the most current knowledge in the field of speech therapy.
Institute of Special Pedagogy and Psychology named after. Raoul Wallenberg (St. Petersburg). University students learn to correct speech disorders, ensure the socialization of special children, and provide support to students and their families.
Russian State Pedagogical University named after. A. I. Herzen (St. Petersburg). Its structure includes the Institute of Defectology Education and Rehabilitation, whose graduates acquire skills in working with children with various physical and psychological problems. A diploma can be obtained in the profiles of “speech therapy”, “typhlopedagogy”, “deaf pedagogy”, “special psychology”.

In the regions there are also places to apply to become a speech therapist, for example:

Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University. At its Institute of Childhood, created in 2011, one can receive education in various specialties of defectology: speech therapy, deaf pedagogy, oligophrenopedagogy, preschool defectology.
Volgograd State Social and Pedagogical University. The Faculty of Social and Correctional Pedagogy has developed bachelor's and master's programs in speech therapy.
Pedagogical Institute named after. V. G. Belinsky Penza State University has been training speech therapists since 1994.
School of Pedagogy FEFU (Far Eastern Federal University). Students in the “Special (Special Defectology) Education” direction study speech therapy under the guidance of practitioners who combine work with scientific research.

Responsibilities at work

The range of functional responsibilities of a speech therapist is quite wide, it includes:

examination of preschoolers or school students for the development of their speech functions, determining the severity and structure of the defect;
planning, organizing and conducting individual and group correctional work with children who have speech development disorders;
improving literacy and expanding children's vocabulary;
staffing subgroups taking into account the characteristics of the pupils’ condition;
consulting parents and teaching staff regarding the specifics of working with a particular child, techniques and methods of assisting him;
carrying out work aimed at socializing the child, developing the culture of his personality;
filling out a speech card and other documentation.

If we move away from general phrases, then when working with each student, the speech therapist needs to perform the following algorithm of actions:

get to know the child and establish contact with him;
conduct an examination, identify speech development problems and make a diagnosis;
determine the methods by which it is best to organize classes;
conduct classes on them in a group or individually according to the approved schedule;
develop an individual set of exercises for regular performance at home and conduct educational training for the child’s parents;
evaluate the achieved result after a certain period of time, and then adjust the program.

Room

It is also necessary to select a suitable room for a speech therapy room. The ideal location is close to educational institutions (schools, kindergartens) and on busy streets. A speech therapy room does not require a room that is too large. It is enough to design the waiting area and the office itself in which you will conduct classes.

The premises must comply with all SES and fire inspection requirements. Set up a corner with useful information for parents about speech development. Place a soft sofa and a hanger to make customers feel comfortable. The office does not need to be decorated too brightly so that the child is not distracted during classes. You can add famous children's characters as interesting original accents so that the child feels comfortable in class.

Who is it suitable for?

The profession of speech therapist is suitable for everyone, but mostly women go into it, since the work requires enormous patience, which most men do not possess.

A speech correction specialist should know:

fundamentals of age-related physiology and psychology, valeology, pedagogy;
theory and practice of speech therapy;
anatomy of the speech-forming apparatus;
modern techniques for correcting written and oral speech;
current methods of psychological and pedagogical diagnostics;
principles of recruiting groups of students;
technologies for behavioral, cognitive and emotional development of personality.

As for the personal qualities of a speech therapist, first of all you will need:

endurance and patience;
kindness and ability to communicate with a variety of people;
tact and tolerance;
psychologist skills;
observation and good memory;
perseverance and persuasiveness.

Only a teacher who has deep knowledge of his profession and related fields of knowledge will become a good speech therapist. When a specialist begins to manage a specific case, he first determines what is causing the speech disorder. Sometimes additional work with a child psychologist will be required, in some cases the problem lies in a physiological defect, and the intervention of a surgeon is needed, after which it will be possible to begin classes.

What do you need to submit additionally?

Don’t forget about such an additional test as an interview with an applicant. It is here that the applicant can express himself and demonstrate his desire to study in this particular area of training.

During a personal interview, questions can be both professional and cultural.

Since this is a very responsible profession and it requires special skills, questions may be asked during the interview. Questions can be of a professional nature or of a cultural nature. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to purposefully prepare for it by reading professional literature.

Profession speech therapist: pros and cons

The advantages of the work can be considered:

a large selection of organizations for employment;
high demand for speech therapists;
short working hours;
long vacation in the summer;
the opportunity to engage in private practice;
sincere gratitude to parents and children if successful.

The negative side of the job is its emotional and physical difficulty. We have to deal with children who, due to their speech defects, often become withdrawn, notorious or embittered. In addition, the results of the correction are most often visible only after several months, and before that, difficulties arise both with the wards and with their parents. Another disadvantage is the huge amount of paperwork that you have to fill out, often taking work home.

Qualities of a specialist

It's difficult to make choices before leaving school. Many universities and colleges are open to graduates. For a speech therapist, such qualities as patience, tact, and morality are important. You need to be able to find an approach to parents and convince them of the need for correctional help.

In order for a speech therapist to be in demand, he must have high qualifications. He must wisely choose correction means, be able to carry out diagnostics, plan work, and use the basic principles of training.

Ethics is of great importance in this profession. The parents of the sick child are in a state of shock. Some of them find it difficult to recognize their son or daughter’s defect. They will refuse to start working on a fix.

The speech therapist must control himself. Disdain and disgust are not allowed. You need to be able to keep your distance and not judge your parents.

Another main quality of a speech therapist is clear and competent speech. There should be no burr, lisp, or other defects. An abundance of colloquial expressions, spelling errors, etc. is not allowed.

The teacher's speech is a model for the child. Therefore, he strives for the ideal. You need to want to work with children, help them cope with difficulties.

Prospects for the profession

Unfortunately, in the last decade, a disappointing trend has been progressing: the number of children with various kinds of problems with oral and written speech is constantly increasing. Defects are becoming more complex and more difficult to correct. So, sadly, speech therapists will not be left without work in the near future.

If you still have even the slightest doubt that the profession of a speech therapist is right for you, then we strongly recommend taking a career guidance test from Profguide . It costs mere pennies, and at the same time allows you to avoid mistakes that can go in the wrong direction and cripple your whole life. Find out more >>

Is it still possible to do without a certificate and advanced training?

Theoretically, yes, if you work with private clients as a speech therapist-tutor. You can register as an individual entrepreneur or register with the Federal Tax Service (since tutoring is essentially self-employment). But if you plan to correct the speech of “special” children, that is, work with stuttering, general underdevelopment of speech and other serious disorders, you still need to obtain a certificate, as well as improve your qualifications. And it’s not just a matter of prestige: an insufficiently qualified specialist may not only not help, but also harm the patient.

Author of the article

Yurkin Alexey