Speech and Language Therapy - need advice.

[luanmahi]

I have been thinking about a change in career, well, ever since I fell into my current one. I never really planned my career as I was always thinking about other things like going travelling, then paying off debts, then moving out of my parents' house, then buying my own home, then getting married, etc., etc. Anyway, I'd always temped in offices to save up money in the short term and when it came to actually getting a permanent job, the only thing I had any experience in was office work. A few years down the line, I have a reasonably paid job in marketing but I don't enjoy it and, as I'm on mat leave at the mo, it has given me time to think about what I'd really like to do.

I'd like to retrain to become a speech and language therapist. I've already done some research into it but am trying to get as much knowledge as possible as to the various routes. I do have an English Language A level but none of my others are useful and my degree was in History is totally irrelevant. Also, it is a fair few years since I did my A levels so could do with freshening up my formal qualifications. I will need to retrain and do a specific degree but I need some relevant experience / qualifications to actually get onto the course. Are there any SLTs out there who could give me any advice?

[OneNiceGreenLeaf]

It's a while since I trained, so some of my experiences might be a bit of out date. You'll need a science A level I think. They counted my sociology A level as science. They're often keen for a language, at GCSE minimum.

Apart from formal qualifications, you'll need some relevant experience to put on your application form. This could be shadowing a Speech and Language Therapist (ring your local department but these opportunities are much harder to come by these days as resources are so stretched) or a range of volunteering/paid roles with adults or children. I volunteered with the stroke association and did some paid work with children with additional needs.

Good luck with it all! :) Any more questions, do ask.

[tasmaniandevilchaser]

Hi, I qualified about 8 yrs ago and there was no particular subject requirements at A level. Most people had a relevant degree on my post grad course but not absolutely everyone. You will need to shadow both adult and paediatric therapists and get some volunteer or paid experience.

It's a very interesting job if you like working with people but job opportunities for newly qualified therapists aren't all that easy to come by at the moment, hopefully things will improve in the next few years.