When you want to help people overcome speaking issues, being a speech therapist is a great career option. As a speech therapist, you hold tremendous power in helping people communicate with others. Being able to help a person communicate with his or her loved ones is truly a gift. You can also develop your skills in order to become an expert speech therapist by completing a college program. If you desire to become a speech therapist, then you should research all of the speech therapy programs that exist at a local community college or university. It is important for you to become as educated as possible so that you can enjoy a multitude of opportunities as a speech therapist. Obtaining a master’s degree may allow you to have greater access to your patients. Maybe you have wondered, “How do I become a speech therapist?” When you want to become a speech therapist, it is important to consider the future of your education.
What’s it like to be a speech therapist?
When you are a speech therapist, you meet with patients on a weekly basis. You will have appointments scheduled to meet with patients and oversee the progress that they have made. You may have to travel to the home of a new patient in order to understand his or her speech impediments. It is essential for you to figure out the exact issue that a patient is facing in his or her speech. You will then need to figure out which appropriate techniques can help the patient overcome his or her disability. You may have to talk with the patient through these techniques in order to help him or her overcome the issue. Your techniques will help the patient develop confidence in the speaking process. Parents may also want to discuss surgery procedures and other means of helping their child deal with a speaking issue.
Education Requirements
To become a speech therapist, you should obtain a bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. Speech therapy programs are now very common at universities. If you want to distinguish yourself in the profession, then you should obtain a master’s degree in speech therapy. This will allow you to separate yourself from the competition and earn a greater salary. When you have a master’s degree, you oversee the appointments of other speech therapists. You will need to ensure that speech therapists are meeting with patients on a regular basis. You can also increase your earning power by choosing a major in a second language. If you understand other languages, then you will be able to help individuals with speech issues from different backgrounds. You may be able to help an individual who speaks Spanish or another foreign language.
Salary & How to Get a Job
According to the BLS, the average salary of a speech therapist is about $66,000 a year. When you decide to receive a master’s degree, you may see that your salary increases by $20,000. It is important for you to apply for positions at schools if you decide that this is your career path. Most speech therapists frequently obtain their start by working at a school. When you work at a school, you can develop connections with the parents of students. Parents may hire you on the side to work with their children. You can also apply for positions at local speech therapy centers. This will give you the opportunity to work with larger groups of students. You may need to teach special courses that help students overcome their speech issues. These courses will often gather four or five students in one setting.
References
1. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm
2. http://www.ehow.com/speech-therapy/