There are around 10,000 practising speech & language therapists in the UK.
The NHS employs the majority of these.
Other therapists work for education or charities. Some therapists work
independently and treat patients privately.
Speech and language therapists work closely with infants, children and adults who have various levels of speech, language and communication problems including,
Children with:
- Language delay
- Specific language impairment
- Difficulties in producing sounds
- Hearing impairment
- Stammering
- Autism/social interaction difficulties
- Voice disorders
- Cleft palate
- Learning difficulties
- Physical disabilities
- Selective mutism
- Feeding and swallowing difficulties
And adults with:
- Head, neck or throat cancer
- Communication or eating and swallowing problems following neurological impairments including stroke and head injury
- Communication or eating and swallowing problems associated with degenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease
- Voice problems
- Learning difficulties
- Physical disabilities
- Stammering
- Hearing impairment
Many experienced speech & language therapists do private work and an increasing number of them see private clients only.
To practise as a speech and language therapist you must have a degree accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and be a registered member of the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Undergraduate degree courses are 3 or 4 years. Theoretical subjects that are covered include neurology, anatomy, physiology, psychology, phonetics, linguistics, child development, speech pathology and therapeutic methods. Supervised placements typically take place in hospitals, schools & clinics throughout training.
If you have a degree in a subject other then speech and language therapy, you must undertake an accredited 2 year postgraduate course in order to qualify.
Job vacancies for speech and language therapists and speech and language therapy assistants are advertised in a range of places. Most trusts will advertise their vacancies on the NHS Jobs website. Some will also advertise in trade journals and on trust websites.
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