speech and language therapist

Speech and language therapists focus on the aetiology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of communication and swallowing disorders in people of all ages in order to help them maintain, promote, improve, initiate, or recover the ability to communicate both verbally and nonverbally. They address the development of language, speech, vocal and hearing functions, and disorders and disabilities in the cranial, facial, and oral area.

Alternative Labels

speech pathologist

practitioner in speech and language therapy

speech therapy practitioner

paediatric speech therapist

logopaedist

speech-language pathologist

logopaedics therapist

paediatric speech and language therapist

psychomotor specialist

speech therapist

language therapist

specialist speech and language therapist

speech and language therapist

language therapy practitioner

Regulatory Aspect

To see if and how this occupation is regulated in EU Member States, EEA countries or Switzerland please consult the Regulated Professions Database of the Commission. Regulated Professions Database:

http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/services/free-movement-professionals/qualifications-recognition_en

Skills & Competences

Essential Skills and Competences

work in multidisciplinary health teams inform policy makers on health-related challenges treat swallowing disorders use techniques to increase patients' motivation develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship manage healthcare users' data monitor patients' progress related to treatment treat speech disorders provide health education contribute to continuity of health care interact with healthcare users deal with emergency care situations conduct research on speech-related topics formulate a case conceptualisation model for therapy evaluate the psychological impact of speech problems comply with legislation related to health care record healthcare users' progress related to treatment educate on the prevention of illness diagnose speech disorders use e-health and mobile health technologies listen actively counsel on communication disorders apply context specific clinical competences ensure safety of healthcare users comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice perform therapy sessions teach communication methods communicate in healthcare adhere to organisational guidelines apply organisational techniques work in a multicultural environment in health care exercise patience advise on healthcare users' informed consent counsel patients on improving speech encourage healthcare user's self-monitoring respond to changing situations in health care empathise with the healthcare user follow clinical guidelines organise relapse prevention accept own accountability promote good habits to avoid communication disorders promote inclusion

Essential Knowledge

special needs education logopaedics otorhinolaryngologic conditions neurology psychology human anatomy lip reading health care occupation-specific ethics first aid phonetics movement techniques phoniatrics paediatrics linguistics facial gymnastics hygiene in a health care setting audiology human physiology medical informatics hearing loss health care legislation speech techniques professional documentation in health care sign language pathology neuropsychology audiometry psychiatry behavioural neurology medical terminology

Optional Skills and Competences

use foreign languages for health-related research refer healthcare users use foreign languages in patient care supervise speech and language team ensure proper appointment administration undertake clinical audit

Optional Knowledge

pedagogy bobath therapy autism cued speech psychoacoustics

Concept URI

Concept Uri

http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/8021f3a2-e3de-43c0-b366-075da74dc5b7

Status

released

Occupations