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

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

Essential Knowledge

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

Optional Skills and Competences

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

Optional Knowledge

cued speech autism psychoacoustics bobath therapy pedagogy

Concept URI

Concept Uri

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

Status

released

Occupations