Speech-language therapists are professional who are  responsible for providing clinical services for speech, language, communication and swallowing problems.

Below are examples of speech, language, communication and swallowing problems:

Source : Writer’s collection

A person  with speech, language, communication, and/or swallowing problem should be  referred to a qualified Speech-Language  Therapist to treat the problem. The Speech-Language Therapist will either do screening, assessment, provide treatment and/or counseling  to manage the problem.

Speech, language, communication, and swallowing difficulties  could happen to anybody at any age level.  Commonly, children with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, learning difficulty, hearing impaired, cleft lip/palate, and  Autism Spectrum Disorder will have speech, language, and/or communication problem. Adults also could acquire speech, language, communication and/or  swallowing problems  due to stroke,  brain injury, and aging process. The need of speech therapy session is different from each person depending on potential and motivation of patient and family towards the therapy program.

Additionally,  Speech-Language Therapists are also involved in activities such as :

Qualification

Bachelor of Speech Science @ Bachelor of Health Science (Speech Pathology) from local and foreign universities are recognized.

Working Placement

Career as a Speech-Language Therapist is a profession that is constantly evolving over time. The advantages of this profession is that it allows Speech-Language Therapists to work in various sectors including:

Challenges

Although a career as a Speech-Language Therapist has seen extensive work opportunities, but there are some constraints in the scope of services in Malaysia. Among the challenges are:

1. Lack of graduates in the field of speech-language therapy

   So far only two public universities offer courses in the field of speech-language therapy for degree level. The number of new students for a university is very low, about 15-20 students in the past year. This is due to the lack of lecturers and facilities for clinical training.

2. Lack of Speech-Language Therapist working with Ministry of Health

   Although speech therapy services have been introduced in the Ministry of Health since 2001, the shortage of Speech-Language Therapist in the Ministry of Health is still a major issue. In 2014 the ratio of Speech-Language Therapist to Malaysian population is 1: 156,760.

   As of September 2015, there are only 104 Speech-Language Therapists serving in the Ministry of Health.  New intake of  Speech-Language Therapists in the Ministry of Health in the past 10 years (2001 to 2010) was about 6 people a year. Patients have to wait for longer time to see a Speech-Language Therapist due to shortage of Speech-Language Therapist in Ministry of Health. One of the reasons why only a limited number of Speech-Language Therapists are interested to join Ministry of Health is because they can earn more in the private sector or abroad.

References