How to Become a Speech Therapist?

A speech therapist is a specialist who treats a person with speech disorders. These therapists hold a degree or diploma in speech therapy. A career as a speech therapist is proving to have great potential for aspiring students. So how to become a speech therapist? Speech-language therapists typically need at least a master's degree. Although master's programs do not require a particular undergraduate degree for admission, certain courses must be taken before entering a program. And the required courses vary by institution.

How to Become a Speech Therapist in India?

Speech pathologists, also known as speech therapists, diagnose and treat individuals with disorders that affect speech and prevent communication, including swallowing disorders. If you want to meet patients daily and make a personal difference in their lives, this is the profession for you! The growing awareness among people to treat speech and auditory disorders has increased the demand for these experts.

Below are the stepwise guidelines for becoming a speech therapist in India.

• Step 1: Academic Requirements for Speech Therapist
• Step 2: Speech Therapist Admission Process
• Step 3: Develop Skills Required for Speech Therapist

Step 1: Academic Requirements for Speech Therapist

Several speech therapy courses are available for interested students with basic courses such as B.Sc (Speech & Hearing) and M.Sc (Speech & Hearing).

The basic requirements for pursuing a course in speech therapy are as follows.

• For pursuing a diploma course, a potential candidate must pass the 10+2 examination.
• To pursue an undergraduate program in speech therapy, a candidate needs to have passed their 12th class with English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology with an average of 50% to 60% marks. However, the cut-off varies with institutions.
• The postgraduate program, which spans for a period of three years, requires a candidate to have completed graduation in the respective subjects.

Step 2: Speech Therapist Admission Process

Several colleges admit students for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs based on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). In addition, many institutions/Universities conduct their own entrance test for offering admissions.

Some of them include,

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research)
• Jawaharlal Institute Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), and many others

The admission process varies from college to college. Some institutions provide admission based on cut-offs.

Step 3: Develop Skills Required for Speech Therapist

Speech therapy is still a very new concept in India; the number of speech therapy professionals is very low. Not many leading hospitals and clinics, and very few schools have speech therapists.

It is only in the recent past that colleges introduced professional courses in this field. It is the main reason that the job prospects in India are enormous. There is an increase in awareness about the importance of speech therapy, which will increase the demand for speech therapists by large numbers in the coming future.

To get these opportunities, a graduate needs the following skills:

• Scientific Aptitude
• Strong Interpersonal Skills
• Good Communication Skills
• Compassionate Nature
• Keen Observation Skills
• Ability to Work Effectively in Teams

Courses in Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and Language theory programs are best suited for individuals with a passion for working among the differently-abled people in society. The course consists of both theoretical components and also exposure to clinical practice.

Below are the UG and PG courses in Speech and Language Therapy.

• BA S.L.P
• B.Sc ASR
• B.Sc (Speech and Hearing)
• M.Sc ASR

BA SLP

Bachelor in Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology is a permanent 4-year course for elective candidates who have finished their senior secondary education from the recognized education board. The course is branched into 6 semesters of 6 months each, and the last year is committed towards practical learning through internships.

The objectives of the BASLP program are to equip the students with knowledge and skills to function as audiologists, and speech-language pathologists in different work settings understand concepts in speech, hearing and disability. The course also requires students to evaluate, diagnose and assess the severity of different disorders related to speech, language, and hearing.

B.Sc ASR

B.Sc Audiology & Speech Rehabilitation is a full-time three-year Bachelor of Science course. It is granted to candidates who have finished their secondary education from a recognized education board.  

B.Sc (Speech & Hearing)

B.Sc Speech and Hearing program provides a wide understanding of speech and hearing impairments that exist. Treatment systems and methods are also taught. The course spans over three years, and the selection process varies from college to college.

M.Sc ASR

M.Sc in Audio Speech Therapy and Speech Rehabilitation is a postgraduate Audio Speech Therapy course. Audio Speech Therapy is the science of hearing and the study of hearing loss and its variations. Some of the core concepts taught are acoustics, noise pollution, diseases and defects of the ear, and the effects of hearing loss on a child.

Institutes Offering Speech Therapist Courses

One can become a speech therapist after earning a prerequisite degree in a related field. A speech therapy and audiology degree is required at the bachelor and master level. In addition, many institutes offer postgraduate specialization in speech-language pathology or audiology.

Some popular institutes that offer in the field of speech and therapy are listed below:

• Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai and regional centres in Kolkata, Secunderabad, and New Delhi  
• All India Institute of Speech & Hearing, Mysore
• BYL Nair Hospital and Medical College, Mumbai
• Dr.SRC Institute of Speech and Hearing, Bangalore
• Dr.MV Shetty Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mangalore 

Speech Therapist Career in Detail

As mentioned earlier, speech therapists work with patients of diverse age segments, from kids to adults. They are communication professionals who help patients with communication and swallowing disorders that include speech sounds, fluency, language, feeding, swallowing, etc.

As the baby boomer population is growing older and the cutting edge technological advancements in the field of health care has not only resulted in an increase in average life expectancy, but it has also brought a drastic increase in the number of trauma survivors, it is predicted that the demand for speech therapists or speech pathologists will increase up to 20% by 2022.

Speech Therapist Job Roles

The employment prospects of speech therapists are good in India. At AIMS, a clinician attends to 15 patients daily on average. Speech therapists work in both government and private hospitals, and they also work in special schools and NGOs that focus on developing speech and hearing disabled. They are very much in demand in several developed countries.

In India, the demand for speech therapists is increasing; however, not many students choose this field, and this untouched populace makes it a high-demand area. Therefore, there are various job profiles for Speech Therapists in India based on their areas of interest.

Some of the popular job profiles one can select for Speech Therapists are,

• Audiologist
• Teacher/ Lecturer in Special School
• Researcher
• Supervisor
• Speech-Language Pathologist

Audiologist

A speech specialist qualified in diagnosing hearing loss, or similar disorders can become an audiologist. An Audiologist works in clinical fields with patients in various areas like auditory care, paediatrics, auditory balance, tinnitus, cochlear implants, etc. The average salary of an audiologist in India is INR 4.90 Lakhs per annum.

Teacher/ Lecturer in Special Schools

Teachers or lecturers in special schools use sign language and lip-reading skills for students with hearing loss and braille for visually disabled students. Besides, they also use tools like computers and audio-visual resources to encourage learning. Teacher's roles include a framing lesson plan and relevant presentations. The average salary of a speech therapy lecturer/ teacher in India is INR 3.64 Lakhs per annum.

Researcher

Speech Therapist researchers primarily work on advancements in research projects, including experiments, assessments, and highly advanced research trials with speech and hearing disabilities. The average salary of a researcher in India is INR 4.85 Lakhs per annum.

Supervisor

Speech therapists can work as clinical supervisors of mental health counselling. They are responsible for monitoring the professional problems of employers and individual casework. The average salary of a clinical supervisor in India is INR 4.19 Lakhs per annum.

Speech-Language Pathologist

Speech-language pathologists specialize in diagnosing, assessing, preventing, and treating speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Language disabilities arise if a person finds it difficult to understand others. The average salary of a Speech-Language Pathologist in India is INR 3.08 Lakhs per annum.

Speech Therapist Salary

In India, a Speech therapist earns a salary of around INR 2.5 to 3 Lakhs per annum. With years of experience, salary increases. Private hospitals offer a better salary as compared to government hospitals. Therapist remuneration depends upon the job title and organization you are working for. Outside of India, speech therapists are paid a lot higher pay rates. A speech therapist gets a yearly compensation of about $52,000, and the most noteworthy pay being paid is $80,000 per annum in the US.

Below is the salary of a Speech Therapist in India.

Speech Therapist Salary in India

Speech Therapist in India	Salary (Per Annum)
Base Salary	INR 52,000
Average Salary	INR 2.98 Lakh
Highest Salary	INR 10 Lakh

Employment Areas for Speech Therapist

There is a wide scope of careers in speech therapy. There are various sectors for different courses under the speech therapy profession from doctors or other job roles in this field.

Some of them are listed below:

• Hospitals
• Rehabilitation Centres
• Nursing Care Facilities
• Home Health Agencies
• Long-term Care Facilities
• Research Labs
• Centres for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
• Public or Private Schools
• Private Practice
• Community Clinics
• College/University

Roles and Responsibilities of Speech Therapists

The role of a speech therapist is to work closely with patients who suffer from communication and swallowing disorders caused by a plethora of reasons such as stroke, brain injury, hearing loss, developmental delay, Parkinson's disease, even autism. Understandably, Speech Pathologists work with both children and adults. Also, the demand for the adult sector is expected to expand rapidly as the baby-boomers population grows older.

A majority of people think of speech-language pathology as mastering speech impediments, but the profession of speech therapy goes much deeper. Fluency, the ability to express thoughts and ideas, understanding others, or even swallowing properly are all issues that speech therapists might assess, diagnose, and treat.

Scope in Speech Therapy

Speech therapy has a wide scope of careers in India, from being a doctor to other medical counsellors. Some popular sectors include speech & hearing centres, district and state disabilities rehabilitation centres, clinics, rural health centres, etc.

Scope in Abroad

Speech pathologists and audiologists have work prospects inside and outside the nation. Numerous students, generally postgraduates in speech pathology or audiology, discover placements in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Gulf nations.