Speech Pathologist Reflection Essay

Prior to the enrollment in this course, I had little to no understanding nor experience about the SLP profession. I was originally a biology major until I realized that it was not for me. I decided to pick this major because UWG only have a handful of good majors here where I would be guaranteed a job after I graduate and this was one of those majors. I did research on speech language pathologists, but only basic research such as, the definition of speech pathologists, how to become speech pathologists, and the salary of a speech pathologist. I was unaware of how much SLPs do; I thought they only helped children/adults with speech disorders. I was also unaware of the unlimited choices of work settings you could choose to work at; I thought SLPs worked in either a school or private practice. I was aware that I would have to work and study hard to become an SLP because that is what everyone kept saying in YouTube videos and websites, but I did not realize
I learned about different communicative disorders. I learned what to do in order to diagnose, treat, and evaluate the patients by doing assessments, screenings, orofacial examinations, etc. to determine what type of disorder and the severity the patient may have. One of the lectures I found to be interesting was when we learned about dysphagia. I am aware that treating a patient with a swallowing disorder is one of the most dangerous things a SLP can do because the patient can possibly die while in our care, but I believe as long as we are trained well, there should not be a problem. It was interesting learning about the different phases and disorders involved in swallowing. Seeing modified barium swallow studies were attention grabbing to me because you get to see if a patient aspirates and you can visually see the liquids going down their pharynx into their esophagus or