Speech and Language Therapy

The Profession of Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy is coming to the fore as a new profession across Türkiye. It is expected to be one of the professions needed today and in the future. As all over the world, speech and language therapy is a distinct profession recognized on a legal basis in Türkiye.

Who Is a Speech and Language Therapist?

Graduates of the Department of Speech and Language Therapy are awarded the title of Speech and Language Therapist . A Speech and Language Therapist is a health professional who supports the development of communication, language, speech, voice and swallowing processes, provides the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, rehabilitation and therapy of their disorders, and is engaged in scientific research in the field of speech and language therapy.

What Are the Areas of Practice of Speech and Language Therapy?

Language, speech, voice and swallowing disorders occur across a broad spectrum that can start in early childhood and extend into old age. Speech and language therapists carry out diagnosis and therapy processes for fluency disorders (stuttering and cluttering), developmental and acquired language disorders, speech sound disorders, motor speech disorders (apraxia and dysarthria), dyslexia and dysgraphia, resonance disorders (cleft lip and palate), voice disorders (nodules, polyps, paralysis, etc.), and feeding and swallowing disorders.

What Courses Are Taught in the Department of Speech and Language Therapy?

The Department of Speech and Language Therapy offers a systematic education and training process aimed at equipping students with professional knowledge and skills. Throughout the four-year program, the first year aims to build a professional foundation through introductory courses in basic health sciences. In the second and third years, education is provided on the characteristics of communication, language, speech, voice and swallowing disorders, diagnostic methods, and specialized speech therapy methods for different disorders and diseases. In the fourth year, students receive clinical practice training, where they have the opportunity to apply what they have learned over three years.

Where Do Speech and Language Therapists Work?

Speech and language therapists can work in the relevant outpatient clinics of public, private or university hospitals. They can also work in special education and rehabilitation centers and counseling centers serving individuals with communication, language, speech, voice and swallowing disorders. They can establish their own private practices/clinics or provide services together with relevant physicians and specialists. Graduates who wish to pursue an academic career also have the chance to do so by continuing their graduate education at universities in Türkiye and abroad.

The Opportunity to Become a Health Professional on National and International Platforms!

The Department of Speech and Language Therapy at Bahçeşehir University aims to train speech and language therapists who have the relevant professional knowledge and skills, are aware of professional ethics and responsibilities, are competent in individual and multidisciplinary work processes, and have opportunities to work on national and international platforms.