Andhra Pradesh   

Evoking sounds from silence

Puja S. Navin

EducationPlus Careers in speech therapy abound as demand outstrips supply

SPEECH IS GOLDEN: Teaching the hearing impaired to speak could be not only professionally satisfying but also lucrative. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Audiologists and speech pathologists play a key role in providing diagnostic and therapeutic services to children born with hearing and speech disorders, to individuals who lose their voice and hearing abilities in accidents as well as to autistic, mentally retarded and cerebral palsy-affected children and adults.

But the demand for trained professionals is quickly outstripping supply as many leave India for lucrative careers abroad. "Most professionals are moving out of India and existing centres (about seven in the city) are managing without special educators," says D.P.K. Babu, Secretary of Ashray-Akruti, a voluntary organisation in the city working for hearing challenged children. Similar strains are echoed by K. Basawannapa, Convenor of Sweekar Rehabilitation Institute for Handicapped, who says of 100 professionals 90 leave the country. Hence for those who would like to carve a career in this form of therapy, opportunities abound.

How to go about it

For an entry into the field right after Class XII, you need to have completed Intermediate with maths, physics and chemistry or biology, physics and chemistry with 50 per cent marks.This makes you eligible for BSc (ASLP) i.e. Audiology, Speech, Language Pathology), a three-year course with one year of internship.

"In the BSc course students learn basics of hearing loss, anatomy, physiology and pathology of the ear. They study case histories of patients to understand what kind of family histories precipitated such disabilities," says J. Ganesh, Vocational Counsellor at the Secunderabad centre of Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped. This is one of the three institutions offering BSc, MSc courses in the field. Others include Sweekar Rehabilitation Institute for Handicapped and Helen Keller Institute.

Sweekar offers 80 seats in the BSc (ASLP) course in the State of which 40 are in the city and 20 each in Kadapa and Tandur. After BSc, students can opt for an MSc course for additional practical insights and research inputs.

For those who would like to take up doctoral studies in the field, the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore affiliated to Mysore University and Dr. S.R. Chandrasekhar Institute of Speech and Hearing, Bangalore affiliated to Bangalore University are destinations to go to.

However before choosing any institutions Mr. Ganesh advises students to make sure that the institution is recognised by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), it has an attached clinic so that they can be exposed to different types of patients. "If patient input is not there even if they get the degree, quality will not be there." In addition students should also check qualifications and experience of the faculty.

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