What do Speech Therapists do?*
Speech Therapists, also known as speech pathologists and speech-language therapists, assess and treat speech, swallowing, language or communication problems in people of all ages to enable them to communicate to the best of their ability. They may also work with people who have eating and swallowing problems.
Speech and language therapists work with a wide age-group of individuals ranging from infants to the elderly. The clientele includes:
- infants and children with feeding difficulties (e.g. premature babies, children with cerebral palsy)
- children with various speech and language disorders
- children with autism and other learning difficulties
- children with hearing impairment
- adults with speech, language and/or swallowing difficulties following
- stroke or brain injury
- brain tumours
- degenerative neurological diseases (eg. Parkinson's disease, motor neuron disease, dementia etc.)
- head and neck cancers
What are the fields of practice for Speech Therapists?*
There are opportunities to work in areas such as:
- Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) management
- Voice rehabilitation
- Fluency (stuttering) management
- Various speech and language management for children
- Speech management for cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies
- Rehabilitation of acquired communication difficulties (e.g. post stroke or post surgical intervention in head and neck cancers)
* Source: The Speech-Language and Hearing Association of Singapore
What educational qualifications do I need to practice as a speech Therapist in Singapore?
You would need to complete formal tertiary education to qualify as a Speech Therapist.
| Minimum Qualification |
· Degree in Speech Pathology or · Masters in Speech Pathology (entry level) |
| Institute for Training |
· Overseas Tertiary institutions · National University of Singapore Division of Graduate Medical Studies (DGMS), Master of Science in Speech and Language Pathology (MSc SLP) |
| Duration of Study |
· 4 years for Degree in Speech Pathology or · 2 years for Masters in Speech Pathology (entry-level) |
Speech therapists and other allied health professionals are governed by the Allied Health Professions Act and regulated by the Ministry of Health. Registration has commenced on 15 April 2013. A registrable qualification in speech therapy with the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) will be required for practise in Singapore. For more information on registration matters, please visit www.ahpc.gov.sg.
More Information
The Speech-Language and Hearing Association (SHAS), Singapore is the local professional association for speech therapists. If you wish to find out more about speech therapy in Singapore, please visit SHAS.
- Find out more about what it's like to be a speech therapist!
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Note:
The allied health practitioner may not be able to conduct the full range of services/activities listed above, as his/her scope of practice depends on the level of training, experience and competence attained. The onus is on the employer and the practitioner to ensure that all services/activities are conducted within the scope of competence of the respective practitioner.
