Thelma Said:

How can I get work experience that would help me get on to a postgraduate Speech and Language Therapy course?

We Answered:

I've just graduated from the BSc course (UK) but we also took the classes with the Postgrads, only difference is that they squeeze our 4 years into just 2 years!!!

When it comes to experience, I think it depends which areas you'd be interested in working with but if you want to work with children maybe volunteer in a community clinic, or you can even work as an assistant if you are able to. You can also work/volunteer at a school (mainstream or special), but make sure you try and get experience with communication rather than, for instance, as a PE assistant. The following site might also be useful:

http://www.ican.org.uk/sitecore/content/…

If you want to work with adults you could try and find something related to stroke, brain injury etc

There are also many charities (e.g. for stammering, stroke, specific special needs etc), search on the internet for ones in your area.

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists will have lots of info and you'll also be able to contact them:

http://www.rcslt.org/
http://www.rcslt.org/aboutslts/career

Studying to become an SLT is hard work but totally worth it!

Katrina Said:

Is this enough work experience to get into a masters course in speech and language therapy?

We Answered:

Doing all that on a weekly basis is good.

Check with admissions at your uni of choice that they don't want you to have a full-time job before starting the masters.

Tim Said:

Any advice on a Speech & Language Therapy degree?

We Answered:

Speech-language pathology is an amazing field to go into. I don't think you could find another profession with so many options. You can work with anyone from newborn babies to the elderly in just about any setting. You can work in schools, hospitals, nursing facilities, or private practice, just to name a few.

One of the greatest aspects is that you can change your mind about what you are interested throughout your career. If you started out working with kids, but want to try something new, you can transition to working with adults instead. You can specialize in many different areas, such as voice, stuttering, or feeding (many many more in addition to these).

If you look online, you can find rankings for speech pathology programs. However, I would strongly advise that you get an idea about what you are interested in, then find a university with professors and clinical supervisors that specialize in that area. It is so important to have knowledgeable professors and excellent supervisors. I think that you just have to find the right program for your interests.

Job opportunities afterwards are great. As I said, there is a huge variety of settings to work in with a variety of schedules. Pay is good (check out the U.S. Department of Labor site for stats on pay).

Most of all, it's a really interesting field and it's a lot of fun.

Gregory Said:

Sometimes people do not take up the speech and language therapy services offered to them What might be reason?

We Answered:

Embarrassment.

Un-acceptance of the need.

Age.

Low self esteem.

Previous educational underachievement.

Julia Said:

Is it better to study speech and language therapy as a degree or as postgraduate?

We Answered:

Most speech and language therapists need to have more than a 4 year degree for entry-level so I say study as a post-graduate.

Andrea Said:

I want to do a masters in speech and language therapy? does this sound like enough experience?

We Answered:

The ones you've mentioned are ideal.

Try to repeat the work so it is not just a single visit.