For those who would like to start a career in one of the healthcare services, and who may also enjoy teaching and working with children and adults who require assistance in overcoming language or communication issues, a job as a speech therapist could be perfect.
Also known as speech-language pathologists, these practitioners Heathcare Assistant Recruitment work with patients of all types who exhibit learning, speech and communication problems for a number of different reasons.
It is a growing profession and demand for qualified graduates of speech therapy schools has increased in recent years, so there are many employment opportunities available.
Earning an attractive salary as well, making it a great career choice for anyone who is patient, detail oriented, and likes working with patients of all kinds who are dealing with some personal challenges.
Working as a Speech Therapist
As with many jobs in the therapeutic and rehabilitative fields, therapists may work with many different types of patients.
One of the more common positions for therapists is working for regular schools, or special education schools, to help teach students of all ages - even through to the college level - who may be having difficulty with their speech, or other aspects of their ability to communicate well with people.
Schools and educational organizations make up the largest percentage of employers of speech-language pathologists other than skilled nursing facilities. Additionally, those who have advanced their educations may can find employment at various schools as instructors or clinical supervision of these programs.
Those employed by skilled nursing facilities may work with both children and adults who are disabled, have some kind of developmental delay, or have experienced some kind of brain injury or stroke that has affected their ability to speak or communicate well.
This can be especially significant with elderly patients, which is why speech therapists work just as much in geriatrics as they do with children and child learning. Besides these places, they are also employed in specialty private practice, by regular hospitals, local Heathcare Assistant Recruitment departments, research agencies, home health agencies and even as consultants in corporate business for bilingual or linguistics assistance.
Getting an Education in Speech Therapy
In the US and Canada, although there are programs that start at the Associate's degree level, students must graduate from a Master's degree program in order to become certified as a speech-language pathologist.
Currently, there are over 300 schools in the US and over 15 in Canada, most of which offer programs to graduate students who have already earned a general Bachelor's degree.
In the UK there are nearly 20 educational programs offering Bachelor's and Master's degrees in speech-language therapy, both of which qualify graduates for registration with the national heathcare council as speech-language therapists.
To achieve their best results, both with their education and in their ability to easily enter the workforce in their new career, students must be sure they enroll in an accredited program.
Through accreditation, students and employers alike can be sure that students have had access to the most current ideas in therapy. It will ensure they have completed a curriculum that has been approved by professionals working in the field as providing the most necessary teachings for student success.
Students who have not graduated from accredited schools are also ineligible for certification or registration, so this is a very important consideration for those researching schools.
Finding Approved Speech Therapy Schools
The easiest way for interested students to find the best programs in their country, and the ones that will make them eligible for certification and registration, is to contact their country's professional organization on speech-language pathology.
These groups typically either oversee or partner with accreditation councils to ensure that educational programs being offered adhere to strict standards including providing an up-to-date curriculum and instruction on the most accepted and necessary methods.