Speech
disorders can arise in various parts of the nervous system and muscles and
other apparatus involved in speech. These may lead to inability to communicate
effectively. Some of these disorders however are disturbances of language
rather than of speech since they result from an impaired ability to understand
or to form words in the language centres of the brain rather than from any
defect in the apparatus of speech production. People with speech and language
disorders can be helped by speech therapy. Hearing impairment (deafness) may be
complete or partial inability to hear.
Total
deafness is usually congenital. Mutism ? refusal or inability to speak ? is a
symptom off profound congenital deafness. Rehabilitation professionals in this
field help people with three inter-related problems of speaking, language, and
hearing. There are three types of professionals ? speech and language
therapists, audiologists, and teachers for the hearing impaired. Speech
therapists diagnose and evaluate the individuals, speech and language abilities
and plan treatment programmes to restore or develop patient?s communication
skill. Audiologists are concerned with the prevention of hearing impairment.
Speech
and hearing science is the study of normal functioning and disorders of the
auditory system, the speech mechanism, and language processing. It is a diverse
field with connections to a number of other disciplines, including anatomy,
physiology, psychology, linguistics, medicine, and education. Students pursuing
a major in speech and hearing science are introduced both to basic and applied
research and to clinical applications. Ultimate career paths can include speech
science, hearing
Science,
speech-language pathology, or audiology.
Hearing,
speech, and language scientists study such topics as sound localization, speech
perception, and language learning in both normal and impaired persons. Their
research may be basic in nature or may be more applied, as in studies of the
effectiveness
of
clinical hearing aids or voice therapies.
Speech-language
pathology and audiology are concerned with evaluation, treatment, and research
in human communication and its disorders. Speech-language pathologists assess
and treat persons of all ages with speech, language, voice, and fluency
disorders. They also may work with people who have oral motor problems that
cause eating and swallowing difficulties. For individuals with little or no
speech, speech-language pathologists select alternative communication systems,
including automated devices and sign language, and teach their use.
Audiologists
specialize in prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of
hearing disorders. When a hearing loss exists, they determine the nature and
extent of the hearing loss and recommend appropriate treatment, including
hearing aids or other assistive devices. Audiologists also test noise levels in
workplaces and conduct hearing protection programs.
Career Opportunities:
Speech-language
pathologists and audiologists are professionals who work closely with teachers,
physicians, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation counselors, and other
members of an interdisciplinary team, but they are autonomous and do not work under
direct medical supervision. They provide professional services in a wide range
of facilities, including public and private schools, hospitals, rehabilitation
centers, nursing care facilities, community and university clinics, private
practice offices, state and local health departments, home care, adult day care
centers, centers for the developmentally disabled, research laboratories, and
industries.
It
is important to note that for professional certification as a speech-language
pathologist or audiologist, a master?s degree is necessary. All states that
license these professionals require master?s-level training. In addition, the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) requires both completion of
a master?s degree and a year of clinical internship (Clinical Fellowship Year)
for the certificate of clinical competence (CCC) in speech language pathology
or audiology.
Career
opportunities for persons with a bachelor?s degree in speech and hearing
science are comparable to those for students with undergraduate degrees in
related fields, such as psychology, sociology, linguistics, or other liberal
arts.
There
are two types of courses: (i) courses for speech and language therapists and
audiologists, (ii) courses for preparing teachers for the hearing handicapped.
Courses for speech and language therapists and audiologists are offered at
three levels- diploma, graduate and postgraduate. Entry requirement for the
diploma course of one-year duration is a pass in 10+2 examination in Science
subjects. The qualification requirement for the first degree programme of
three-year duration is also a pass in 10+2 examination with biology is open to
degree holders preferably in speech, hearing and audio logy. Two premier
institutions in this field are (1) Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the
Hearing Handicapped (AYJNIHH) (KC Marg, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (West),
Mumbai-400050), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment; and (2) All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (Manasagangotri,
Mysore-570006) established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
AYJNIHH
offers the largest number of courses for speech language therapist and
audiologist and teachers for the hearing handicapped both at its main campus in
Mumbai and other centers in several cities. The All India Institute of Speech
and Hearing is the only institution to offer a PhD programme in speech &
hearing. Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute (Porur,
Chennai-600116), a deemed university has introduced a course of four-year
duration (including one-year of internship) leading to the award of B.Sc.
(Speech Language and Hearing Sciences). Although the number of institutions
offering these courses are small the nomenclatures of the award vary, e.g., B.Sc.
(Audiology and Speech), B.Sc. (Hearing Language and Speech), B.Sc. (Audiology
and Speech Rehabilitation), B.Sc. (Speech Language & Hearing Sciences),
BASLP (Bachelor in Speech Language Pathology).
A
total number of 13 institutions offer the B.Sc. course. Of these, only four,
viz., AYTNIHH, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Institute of Health Science, and All India Institute
of Speech and Hearing, have introduced M.Sc. course. Diploma course is offered
by four institutions, vi., AYJNIHH, J M Institute of Speech and Hearing, (Inder
Puri, Shastri Nagar, Patna-800023), Medical Trust Hospital (MG Road,
Cochin-582016) and the Gujarat University (entry requirement is a B.Sc.
degree).
B.Sc. (S&H) and M.Sc. (S&H) Courses
All IndiaInstitute of
Medical Sciences,
New Delhi-110029 ? (Deemed University) B.Sc. (S&H)
Royal Seema Seva Samithi, No. 9, OldHazurOfficeBuilding,
Tirupati-517501 ? B.Sc. (HLS)
Sweekar Rehabilitation Institute for
Handicapped, Upkar Circle,
Picket, Secunderabad-500003 ? B.Sc. (HLS)
Indian Institute of Health Education, Health
Institute Road, Near Central Jail, Beur, Patna- B.Sc. (HLS)
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education
& Research, Chandigarh-160012 ? DeemedUniversity
? B.Sc. (Audiology & Speech Therapy) also M.Sc. (S&H)
Institute of Speech & Hearing, Hennur Road, Bangalore-560084
? B.Sc. (HLS)
All India Institute for Speech & Hearing,
Manasgangotri, Mysore-B.Sc. (S&H) also M.Sc. (S&H), PhD (S&H)
Institute of Health Sciences, A.B.
Shetty Circle, Mangalore-575001 ? B.Sc. (HLS)
also M.Sc. (S&H)
TopiwalNationalMedicalCollege, Dr
A.L. Nair Road, Mumbai-400008
RMSCollege
of paramedical Sciences, Pondicherry
? B.Sc. (HLS)
SriRamaChandraMedicalCollege and Research Institute, Porur, Chennai-600116 ?
(Deemed University) B.Sc. (Speech Language and Hearing Sciences)
ManipalAcademy of Higher Education, Manipal-576119 ? (Deemed
University) B.Sc. (Speech, Language and Hearing).
There
are two types of courses (called special education) for preparing teachers for
the hearing impaired: (1) Degree course (B.Ed-Hearing Impaired) (also M.Ed ?
Hearing Impaired), and Diploma in Special Education ? Hearing Impaired
(DSE-Hearing Impaired). The degree course of one-year duration is open to
graduates while the entry requirement for diploma course, also of one-year
duration, is a pass in 10+2 examination.
B.Ed
(H1) is offered by three institutions ? AYJNIHH (at Mumbai, Hyderabad
and Calcutta), AWH College of Education (RehmaniSchool
for Handicapped, P.O.MedicalCollege,
Calicut-673048), and Shrud B.Ed (H1) College (805 Smruti Bhandarkar Road, Pune-411004).
Diploma Courses are offered by more than 25 institutions.
Diploma in Special Education (Hearing
Handicapped)
Sweekar Rehabilitation Institute for Handicapped,
(Secunderabad-500003); Helen Keller?s School for the Deaf,
(Cuddapah-516001)
Training Centre for Teachers of Visually
Handicapped, (Hyderabad-500020)
Shri K L Institute for the Deaf,
(Bhavnagar-390018)
TrainingCollege for Teachers of the Deaf & Blind,
(Ahmedabad-380009)
C S I Training Centre for Teachers of the
Hearing Impaired, (Kerala-679513)
The School for the Deaf, Enathu, (Kerala-691526)
The Educational Audiology & ResearchCentreSchool for Deaf,
(Mumbai-400006)
The Central Institute of Teachers of the Deaf
(Mumbai-400011);
Society for the Rehabilitation of the
Handicapped, (Miraj-416410)
V R Ruia Mook Badhir Vidyalaya (Pune-30)
Training Centre for Teachers of the Deaf (Bhubaneshwar-751012)
The ClarkeSchool for the Deaf,
(Chennai-600004)
U P Institute for the Hearing Handicapped
(Allahabad-211002).
Hearing
and speech scientists are found primarily in universities, research
institutions, government agencies, and industry. Audiologists have multiple
career options. They can work in government hospitals, health departments of
government and government agencies. Private hospitals, health centers, clinics
and nursing homes also offer employment opportunities to audiologists. Job
opportunities are also available to audiologists in community care centers,
community clinics, rehabilitation centers, centre for disabled, nursing care
facilities and clinics run by college and universities. Audiologists also can
work privately to provide services to schools, hospitals and nursing homes.
Teaching in medical or para-medical colleges is also an option available to
audiologists. Annual income of audiologists is quite promising. They may start
from a monthly salary of Rs 8,000-10,000. In private hospitals and clinics the
pay scale is higher, which may start from Rs.15, 000. An audiologist can reach
to the monthly salary of Rs 25,000-30,000 within 4-5 years of experiences.
According
to a 2003 survey by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the
median annual salary for speech-language pathologists is $52,600; for
audiologists, it is $55,000. Salaries for speech scientists and hearing
scientists are quite variable, depending on the employment setting, and can
range from $40,000 to more than $60,000 for master?s and Ph.D. graduates.
(The author is working as lecturer in G.L.ACollege,
NilamberPitamberUniversity
Daltonganj, Jharkhand)
