A Career in Speech and Language Therapy - Jannet A Wright, Myra Kersner

...university in September, to study a degree in Speech and Language Therapy. When I was at the Open Day at De Montfort University, one of the lecturers recommended this book and I am so glad she did. It was also recommended at the Newcastle University Open Day, but by this time I already had the book!

* "The role of a speech and language therapist (SALT) is to assess and treat speech, language and communication problems in people ...
...book is written by Jannet A Wright and Myra Kersner whom have both worked as SALT's. It is written for anyone who is interested in a career as a speech and language therapist.

I ordered the book on 22nd February (the day after the Open Day) and it arrived at my house on 24th February. (I was pleasantly surprised at the quick delivery, as the cheque didn't clear until 27th of the month!). When it first arrived, I was so excited and ... more

As many of you know I'm going to university in September, to study a degree in Speech and Language Therapy. When I was at the Open Day at De Montfort University, one of the lecturers recommended this book and I am so glad she did. It was also recommended at the Newcastle University Open Day, but by this time I already had the book!

* "The role of a speech and language therapist (SALT) is to assess and treat speech, language and 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." NHS Careers*

The book is written by Jannet A Wright and Myra Kersner whom have both worked as SALT's. It is written for anyone who is interested in a career as a speech and language therapist.

I ordered the book on 22nd February (the day after the Open Day) and it arrived at my house on 24th February. (I was pleasantly surprised at the quick delivery, as the cheque didn't clear until 27th of the month!). When it first arrived, I was so excited and interested in reading it that I just kept dipping in and out of different sections. Then I realised that I could miss some important information so I started reading it from beginning to end. I have since dipped in and out again though, as it reminds me why I'm working so hard on my A-Levels now.

The book is split into five parts and 33 chapters and all of the information is very accessible.

There are abbreviations before the main chapters start. This consists of a list of abbreviations in alphabetical order and they cover a double page. The abbreviations are used throughout the book. I think it is great having it set out like this as if I don't know what an abbreviation means I can flip straight to the beginning of the book and take a look.

Examples,

I CAN - A charity that helps children with Speech and Language difficulties
RCSLT - Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
SENCo - Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator

~ Introduction - Frequently asked questions ~

This part makes really easy reading as the answers to the questions are not too long but give enough detail to satisfy.
Some of the questions include: Is it an easy job? What are the career prospects? Should I learn Sign Language? And, What other professionals will I work with?
I think this is an effective start to the book as it gives a brief overview of what is involved in the career.

*Part I - Speech and Language Therapy as a Career*
There are 9 chapters here covering, communication disorders, ways of working, where therapist's work, what therapists do and the skills and qualities needed to be a Speech Student. There's also a chapter on whether this is the career for you, detailing how to get more experience. (I've observed 2 SALT's and help out in the Special Needs department at school. I hope to do some more voluntary work over the summer)

Again this is set out really well. In some of the chapters in this section there are spaces to fill in (though I haven't written in the book). One of these is to fill in when your own communication has broken down. At first I didn't know what sort of things to say but it gives you some examples such as using your phone in a noisy environment and not being able to here what the person is saying. I'm sure this is something most people have experienced at some point and it really shows that everyone's communication can break down even if it's only temporary. I think this is a good exercise to complete as it makes me want to help the people who have communication difficulties on a more permanent basis.

Part I is quite long but when I was reading it I didn't feel like it was as it was so interesting. The more I read this book the more I know that this is a career for me.

*Part II - Case Studies*

There are ten chapters here, each with a case study about a SLT. These show the variety of work SALT's do as well as showing how rewarding and worthwhile their work is. I think this an excellent part of the book as it details real people in their jobs. I found it extremely interesting to read and it really showed how many different routes you could take once qualified. There is ten case studies ranging from a paediatric specialist to a speech and language therapy manager.

*Part III - Applying for a speech and language therapy course*

This section looks like it would be really useful but by the time I had the book I had already sent my application off. However, it still made for interesting reading and some of the information was still useful. There is a section on being interviewed and some of this was not SALT specific so it was useful for my friend who is going to study a degree in nursing and had an interview recently.

This section of the book would have been much more useful had I had it at the beginning of year 13 (if not earlier) for writing my personal statement. It does give details about funding though, which is still useful even after I've applied.

*Part IV- Being a student*

This is a short section consisting of two chapters. It details the student group and studying and professional development. It outlines being a student straight from school or going in as a mature student. It also talks about theoretical aspects of the course such as linguistics or medical aspects.

*Part V - Now you are qualified…*

This section talks about applying for a job once you are qualified and it addresses further options such working overseas or in private practice.

The last few pages of the book give some references for further reading and useful web addresses to visit. I think this is really good because my research into this subject doesn't have to stop at reading this book.

~ My Overall Opinion ~

When reading this book, I got the impression that a lot of the time the authors were trying to put you off SALT as a career. I don't mean they don't want people to be interested in it, more like they are trying to get rid of any niggling doubts. After all they wouldn't want people enrolling on the course to find it isn't suited to them and dropping out. The more I read the book, the more I feel sure that this is the career for me. The book just makes me more determined to do well so I know that I am making the right decision. I know the Speech and Language Therapy course is going to be hard work and the job at the end of it stressful, yet rewarding, but I know that all my hard work with be worthwhile. I am so glad I have read this book as it is a wonderful insight into the profession and it makes me want to go out and get more experience so that I will reach my full potential!

If you (or anyone you know) think you might be interested in a Career in Speech and Language Therapy, then I would definitely recommend this book as it answers all the questions I can think of and after reading it I feel as though I am already a part of this profession. I cannot recommend this book enough.

The book is paperback and costs £12.95 though when you order it via post (from Metacom Education) you need to pay postage too (£2.95). It is available on Amazon but it is £14.94 at present.

Thanks for reading! xx 

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