A Fulfilling Career in Healthcare

Communication includes speaking, listening, reading, writing, signing and gesture. Language acquisition problems affect 7% children worldwide, and can lead to life-long under-achievement as well as behavioural and emotional disturbance. For children and adults, acquired speech-language and swallowing disorders are common after a head injury or stroke, and can be a consequence of surgery for tumours. In recent years, there is growing demand for speech therapy services to support people living with other conditions affecting cognition and communication, such as neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, dyslexia) and progressive neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., dementia, Parkinson’s disease). Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are trained to assess and treat disorders that affect a person's speech, language, cognition, fluency, voice, social interaction and swallowing (dysphagia). They work with clients across the life span and in many different settings, e.g. public and private sector, hospitals and clinics, special schools and rehabilitation centres. Please visit the Speech and Language Therapy Singapore (SALTS) website to learn more about the scope of this profession and its practice in Singapore.