Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists (NOC 3141)
Description
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists diagnose, evaluate and treat human communication disorders including hearing, speech, language and voice disorders. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists are employed in hospitals, community and public health centres, extended care facilities, day clinics, rehabilitation centres and educational institutions, or may work in private practice.
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Example Titles
- audiologist
- certified audiologist
- clinical audiologist
- educational audiologist
- research audiologist
- speech therapist
- speech-language clinician
- speech-language pathologist
>> View all titles
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Classified Elsewhere
- Audiology and speech-language technical and assisting occupations (in 3235 Other Technical Occupations in Therapy and Assessment)
- Managers in Health Care (0311)
- Phoniatricians (in 3111 Specialist Physicians)
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Duties
Audiologists perform some or all of the following duties:
- Administer audiometric tests and examinations to diagnose and evaluate the degree and type of hearing impairment
- Plan and implement habilitation/rehabilitation programs for patients, including selection, fitting and adjustment of hearing aid devices, teaching speech (lip) reading and providing counselling
- Establish personalized care plans working as a member of an interdisciplinary team
- Conduct research related to hearing
- May instruct students and other health care personnel.
Speech-language pathologists perform some or all of the following duties:
- Administer tests and examinations and observe patients to diagnose and evaluate speech, voice, resonance, language, cognitive-linguistic and swallowing disorders
- Plan and implement remedial programs to correct speech, language and voice disorders
- Establish group and personalized care plans working as a member of an interdisciplinary team
- Conduct research on speech and other communication disorders and on the development and design of diagnostic procedures and devices
- May instruct students and other health care personnel.
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Skills
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists need the following skills and abilities:
Essential skills include:
- good listening and observational skills,
- good verbal and written communication skills,
- good problem-solving and decision-making skills,
- the ability to concentrate and pay close attention to details,
- be able to relate well to a wide range of people and gain their confidence
Technical skills include:
- technical equipment operating skills,
- good organizational and time-management skills.
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Employment Requirements
- In the province of Manitoba, a Masters degree is the minimum requirement for a license to practice audiology or speech-therapy. Some employers also prefer certification with the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.
- A membership with the Manitoba Speech and Hearing Association is required. This organization is the registering body for the province of Manitoba.
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Terms & Conditions
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists commonly work indoors. They usually work during normal business hours, except in cases where they provide home visits in rural settings and travel from community to community.
Most audiologists and speech-language pathologists work full-time (75%). Almost all are employees.
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Earnings
$59,800 per annum - starting
$67,500 per annum - average
$83,800 per annum - high
Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.
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Education / Training
- There is no master's degree program for audiologists and speech language pathologists in Manitoba. There are a number of universities in Canada and the United States which do provide this training. In Canada, master's degree programs in audiology and speech pathology are offered by:
- University of Western Ontario (London), http://www.uwo.ca/fhs/csd/programs/speech_language_pathology/index.html
- University of Toronto, http://www.slp.utoronto.ca/site4.aspx
- University of Alberta (Edmonton), http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/spa/
- University of British Columbia (Vancouver), http://www.audiospeech.ubc.ca/
- Dalhousie University (Halifax), http://humancommunicationdisorders.dal.ca/index.php
- University of Montreal (instruction in French) offers an undergraduate program in Speech Language Pathology, http://www.eoa.umontreal.ca/
- McGill University (Montreal), http://www.mcgill.ca/scsd/programs/slp/
- Laval University (instruction in French), http://www.ulaval.ca/al2/web/index.html
- University of Ottawa (instruction in French), http://www. health.uottawa.ca/sr/slp/index.htm
- Students should check with the University to which they wish to apply for the specific pre-requisite courses needed for the master's degree program. Most of the pre-requisite courses for the Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology are offered by Manitoba Universities. The Special Pre-Medical Studies Program at the University of Manitoba is a two to four year program preparing Aboriginal students for entrance into medical and dental schools or other health-related faculties.
There are programs available to students who choose to study outside Canada:
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Career Paths
Speech-language pathologists and audiologists may work in private practice or they may be employed in child development centres, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, government agencies, colleges, universities, and research centres.
Progression into management positions such as chief audiologist or director of speech-language pathology is possible with experience.
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Outlook
Employment prospects for audiologists and speech-language pathologists are expected to be good in the period 2010 - 2014. Employment in 2010 in Manitoba is estimated at 290.
An aging population will experience greater hearing loss and will require more therapeutic services. This is a small occupational group, and job prospects are largely dependant upon the level of government funding. While the number of incremental positions will be limited, job opportunities will arise as a result of turnover. The workforce is predominantly female, which means casual work opportunities are likely to arise when maternity leave is accessed, or when women decide to leave the labour force to raise a family.
A proportionally larger number of jobs for audiologists and speech-language pathologists are located in Winnipeg. They are employed in Educational Services (62%) sectors and Health Care and Social Assistance (40%). For the approximately 115 positions in the Health sector, 48% are in hospitals, 35% in community based offices or clinics and 9% in nursing and residential care facilities.
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Employment by Age Group
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Employment by Industry
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Employment by Region
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Employment by Gender
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Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
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Employment by Visible Minority
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Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.
Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...
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