K A T I E G A S Q U E J A N U A R Y 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

H E A L T H 4 1 9 0 - S E C T I O N 0 0 1

Speech-Language Pathology

Fig. 1 “Tips on Picking a Speech-Language Pathologist: What to Look Out For.” Stuttering Foundation of America. 1991-2016. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

Introduction to Speech Pathology

�  Basic Goal: to evaluate and treat people with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders

�  Specific Responsibilities:

¡  Adjust treatments based on progress observed ¡  Create treatment plans for stuttering, delayed language, swallowing

disorders, or harsh voice problems ¡  Write reports and document patient information ¡  Assess hearing or speech/language test results, barium swallow

results, or medical information to diagnose and plan treatment

History of Speech-Language Pathology

�  1700’s: Elocution became an interest in England �  1882: Samuel Potter, MD published “Speech and its Defects”

¡  Included definitions and treatments of all speech disorders ¡  Caused the U.S. to shift interest from elocution to communication disorders

�  1926: American Academy of Speech Correction established �  1939-1945: World War II

¡  Many soldiers returned home with brain damage which increased the number of people suffering from aphasia

�  1940’s-1950’s: Researchers put more focus on brain processing abilities ¡  Brain studies, technological advances, and development of standardized tests helped create

more reliable receptive and expressive language tests and treatments ¡  Field of speech pathology became speech-language pathology

�  1960’s-1980’s: Further advances in linguistic studies ¡  Enhanced speech-language pathologists' ability to treat a variety of language disorders from

people of all ages �  2000’s: Speech-language pathologists have begun to research/treat the pragmatic use of

language ¡  Speech-Language Pathology continues to develop in the U.S.

Elocution-skill of clear and expressive speech

Aphasia-loss of ability to understand/express speech

because of brain damage

The Daily Life of a Speech-Language Pathologist

�  Skills and Abilities: ¡  Active listening ¡  Critical thinking ¡  Learning Strategies ¡  Reading comprehension ¡  Social perceptiveness ¡  Oral comprehension ¡  Speech recognition ¡  Deductive Reasoning ¡  Inductive Reasoning ¡  Speech Clarity

�  Work Context ¡  Constant contact with

others ¡  Face-to-face discussions

every day ¡  Group work is extremely

important ¡  Extreme importance of

being exact and accurate ¡  A lot of freedom to make

decisions

Fig. 2 “Speech Program.” The Miriam Hospital. 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.

The Daily Life of a Speech-Language Pathologist

�  Personality: ¡  Should enjoy helping people, teaching, and talking ¡  Should do well at jobs that require:

1.  Dependability 2.  Concern for others 3.  Integrity 4.  Cooperation 5.  Adaptability 6.  Attention to detail

�  Education: 1.  Master’s Degree 2.  Certificate after Master’s

Fig. 3 “Scope of Speech Language Pathology” Let’s Grow Speech. 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2016

The Daily Life of a Speech-Language Pathologist

�  Growth Potential ¡  New job opportunities are likely in the future. ¡  From 2014-2024, employment is expected to rise 21%, which is much

faster than the average of all jobs. ¡  As the baby-boom population grows older, causes of conditions that

cause speech problems will increase (i.e., strokes or hearing loss). ¡  In May 2014, average opportunities for employment exists in SC

(1,700-2,910 employed annually). �  Salary Range

¡  In May 2014, the annual salary varied from $44,940 (10th percentile) to $111,000 (90th percentile).

¡  In May 2014, the median annual salary was $71,550, and the mean hourly salary was $34.40.

¡  In SC, the mean annual salary was $67,600, and the mean hourly salary was $32.50.

Fig. 4 “Occupational Employment Statistics” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2014. Web. 25 March 2015

Flexibility/Options

�  Speech-Language Pathologists have flexibility in their jobs that provide them with opportunities to work in a variety of different settings.

�  Settings include but are not limited to elementary and secondary schools, health practitioner offices, hospitals (general and specialty), nursing care facilities, home health care services, and medical and diagnostic labs.

�  Industries with the highest employment rate for this occupation include elementary and secondary schools (57,740 employed annually), health practitioner offices (25,410 employed annually), and general hospitals (14,040 employed annually).

�  Top paying industries for this occupation include home health care services ($95,170 per year), physicians’ offices ($90,350 per year), and retirement communities/assisted living facilities ($90,020 per year).

My Plan

1. Pre-Graduate School •  Contact the Graduate Admissions Coordinators for the University of South Carolina, the

University of Virginia, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to set up interview dates.

•  Prepare and take the GRE on June 16, 2016. 2. Graduate School •  Options:

a. **Top Choice**: University of South Carolina -Master of Speech Pathology (MSP) -Desired Program: average GPA of 3.7, average GRE verbal of 153, average GRE quantitative of 148 -Retention Rate: For the past 3 years, 96% of students admitted have completed their degrees. -Pass Rate of Praxis exam: For the past 3 years, 100% of students have passed. -Employment Rate: For the past three years, 100% of those students have been employed. -Academic Fee (per semester): $7,192

Fig. 5 “Speech-Language Pathology” Wikipedia. 2015. Web. 16 December 2015

My Plan

b. University of Virginia -M.Ed. in Speech Pathology and Audiology-clinical degree -Desired Profile: GPA of 3.0 or higher, GRE Quantitative of 150 or greater, a GRE Analytical of 150 or greater, and a GRE Writing of 4.0 or greater -Retention Rate: An average of 98% of students admitted have completed their degrees. -Pass Rate of Praxis Exam: Over many years, 100% of students have passed. -Employment Rate: An average of 100% of students within the first year of completing the program have been employed. -Annual Academic Fee: $24,288 c. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill -MS in Speech Language Pathology-clinical degree -Desired Profile: GPA of 3.6 or higher, GRE Verbal scores and GRE Quantitative scores in at least the 50th percentile -Retention Rate: For the past 3 years, 100% of students admitted have completed their degrees. -Pass Rate of Praxis exam: For the past 3 years, 100% of students have passed. -Employment Rate: For past three years, 100% of those students have been employed. -Application Fee: $100 (Academic Fees not listed under general information)

Fig. 6 “University of Virginia Student Calendar” University of Virginia. 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2016

Fig. 7 “UNC Uncovers Potentially More Violations in NCAA Academic Scandal” Goldsboro Daily News. 2015. Web. 14 Aug. 2015

My Plan

3. Postgraduate Work ¡  Preferred industries: a.  Elementary school setting

÷  highest employment rate (57,740 employed annually) within the occupation of Speech-Language Pathology

÷  annual mean salary of $66,910 ÷  I would enjoy this setting because I love the idea of working with

children, and I would be able to work part time, if desired, when raising my own children.

b.  General hospital setting ÷  third highest employment rate (14,040 employed annually) ÷  annual mean salary is $79,050 ÷  I like the organization and structure of a hospital setting. Also, I

particularly enjoy performing swallowing tests.

Why am I a Desirable Candidate…

Ø  for Speech-Language Pathology? �  Interest Code of Speech-Language Pathologist: SIA

¡  Social-involves working with and teaching people ¡  Investigative-involves working with ideas that incorporate a lot of thinking ¡  Artistic-involves working with forms, designs, and patterns

�  My O*NET Profiler Results: AES 1.  Artistic- 24 points

¡  I am able to come up with creative ideas which will help when developing plans and treatment options. 2.  Enterprising-24 points

¡  I like making decisions and always finish projects that I start. I have the determination to treat patients until improvement is seen.

3.  Social-22 points ¡  I enjoy teaching and helping others. These traits will aid in my relationships and trust from patients, important

because face-to face discussion and constant contact are two main facets of this job. �  The Party Game Results: CIS 1.  Conventional: I am organized, pay close attention to detail, and make detailed plans. Since one work

concept of this job is “extreme importance of being exact and accurate”, these traits will be a valued asset in my field.

2.  Investigative: I love figuring out solutions to problems. This trait will help me when adjusting the treatments of my patients.

3.  Artistic: My creativity will be beneficial when I have to develop treatment plans. *As seen, my O*NET Profiler Results and Party Game Results contain the interest code of this occupation (SIA). Although the characteristics of “enterprising” and “conventional” are not listed for this job, they will give me a competitive edge. The fact that I am extremely determined and detail-oriented will set me apart from others in my field.

Why am I a Desirable Candidate…

Ø  for USC Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology? Ø  I have experience shadowing this occupation. I am familiar with the terms and treatments for

speech disorders. I have done intensive research, and I am passionate about this occupation. Ø  I am exceptionally hard working and dedicated to my studies. I was valedictorian of my high

school and my cumulative GPA at Clemson is a 4.0. I am willing to spend as many hours studying as necessary in order to understand the material presented. The required GPA for USC is a 3.7, so I fit into the requirements set by the admissions offices.

Ø  I have all of the pre-requisites required for this program (human biology, behavioral or social science, statistics, and physics or chemistry) and have taken other courses I feel will help me be a key contributor to this program.

¡  Academics that I have completed that I feel are particularly important for this

program (and Speech-Language Pathology, in general) include: 1.  Anatomy and Physiology- Knowing different parts of the brain and how they relate to speech helps

me better understand my patients’ problems. 2.  Psychology-Studying functions of the human mind and how they relate to behavior will give me an

advantage, especially when working with younger patients. 3.  Communication- Understanding general communication skills will assist me not only when

working with patients, but with my graduate school classmates and coworkers as well.

Conclusion

�  Speech Pathologists assess and treat people with speech, language, voice and fluency disorders.

�  Active listening, critical thinking, and learning strategies are some of the skills required for this occupation.

�  From 2014-2024, employment for Speech-Language Pathologists is predicted to rise 21%.

�  The annual salary ranges from $44,940-$111,000, with a median of $71,550 per year.

�  I wish to attend USC, UVA, or UNC-Chapel Hill for graduate school and go to work in a school or hospital setting.

�  I am a good candidate for this occupation because I have all of the necessary traits and interests. I love helping others and figuring out problems, and I have a creative mind.

�  I am a good candidate for USC graduate school because I have observed and researched this field, have the required courses and GPA, and I am dedicated to my studies.

�  Additional courses that I have completed that will be helpful to this field are anatomy and physiology, psychology, and communication.

Works Cited

�  "A History of Speech-Language Pathology." Judy Duchan's History of Speech. Judith Felson Duchan, 12 May

2011. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. �  "Definition of Aphasia in English:." Elocution. Oxford University Press. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. �  "Definition of Elocution in English:." Elocution. Oxford University Press. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. �  "Degree Programs: Communication Sciences and Disorders." Degree Programs: Communication Sciences

and Disorders. University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, 17 Jan. 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. �  "History of the Professions." Speech & Hearing Exhibition : UNC Health Sciences Library. Health Sciences

Library, 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. �  "M.Ed. in Speech Pathology and Audiology." - Curry School of Education. University of Virginia, 2015. Web.

17 Jan. 2016. �  "More Details at O*NET OnLine for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move." More Details at O*NET

OnLine for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move. My Next Move, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. �  "Occupational Employment and Wages for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move." Occupational

Employment and Wages for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move. My Next Move, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.

�  "O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move." O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move. My Next Move, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.

�  "Speech and Hearing Sciences." Desired Profile of Students Admitted into the MS Program. UNC School of Medicine, 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.

�  "Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move." Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move. My Next Move, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Speech-language-pathologists.htm.