Profession defectologist, its main pros and cons

At the moment, specialists in the field of pedagogy are again in demand, and defectology is one of the most popular areas. What does a defectologist do? He does everything possible to prepare for school a child with lagging behind in physical, speech, mental or mental development. Such children need adaptation in society, and often it is with the help of a defectologist that significant progress can be made.

Defectology, in turn, is divided into several more specialties: deaf pedagogy, oligophrenopedagogy, tiflopedagogy, speech therapy. Deaf teachers specialize in children with hearing impairments. oligophrenopedagogues teach children with mental retardation, the specialization of a typhlopedagogue is children with visual impairments. Speech therapists work with all types of speech disorders and do not specialize in something specific.

The profession of a defectologist, like any other, has its own specific pros and cons. It is worth considering them in more detail.

Pros of the profession

• Short work day- most speech pathologists working in budgetary institutions are released after four hours, which makes it easy to combine several professional interests or devote more time to yourself and your family.
• big vacation: defectologists can afford to rest almost all summer, because their vacation lasts as much as 56 days (this again applies to budgetary educational institutions).
• The social significance of the profession: teachers help children, even with the most severe disabilities, to get on their feet and become, if not a full-fledged, then still an independent member of society.
• Huge space for self-realization: there are a great many different teaching methods that can be mastered through seminars and courses. The particularly creative may even develop their own method and use it.
• Opportunity to run a private practice: many parents are ready to give a lot of money for individual lessons with their child. It is enough to recruit a clientele, and then you can forget about financial trouble, because parents satisfied with the result will definitely advise their friends of a good specialist.

Cons of the profession

• Often you have to work with very difficult children - children with extremely severe disabilities need a defectologist. You need to be prepared for this, otherwise what you see may shock you.
• Unfortunately, in kindergartens, the services of a speech pathologist-defectologist not well paid– the average salary varies from 15,000 to 35,000. However, if you keep in mind the short working day, this seems pretty fair.
• The competition is pretty big, after all, experienced specialists can remain such until a very old age, and young cadres need to try to find their place in the sun.
• Very often it turns out that classes do not entail absolutely no effect. This can undermine professional confidence. You need to understand that all children are completely different, and what one succeeds with ease, the other may not learn. Of course, the task of the defectologist is to do everything possible so that the child can speak, read and write, but success can be achieved for years.

What qualities should a pathologist have?

Each profession requires a certain set of personal qualities that must be possessed by its representative. Below are a few tips that will help you become a truly excellent specialist and win the hearts of customers.

1. Like any other teacher, a defectologist must love children with all his heart, feel and understand them. It is unlikely that without this something will work out, the work will only be a burden.
2. Stress resistance will help you not to despair in difficult situations and always look at things positively.
3. When working with sick children, it is very important to have compassion and patience, because they are not at all to blame for their lack of learning. On the other hand, such children are distinguished by devotion and kindness. With an affectionate attitude, they most often respond in kind.
4. Mindfulness is very important when working with children. The defectologist must find an approach to each child, find a point of contact with him, learn as much as possible about his character and interests.
5. Responsiveness also matters a lot. The child must feel that he is important, that the teacher really cares about him and wants to help him, and not just mechanically doing his job.
6. Tact when working with difficult children is essential. In no case should you allow yourself to say something superfluous, to focus on the physical defect of the child or to comment on his appearance. This can offend anyone, and for children with mental disorders, such behavior can be a big blow.

Where else can you work

Despite all the disadvantages, this specialty is popular in pedagogical universities, which nevertheless indicates its demand. In any case, a young specialist will find a job in a kindergarten or a correctional school, but here are a few more employment options:

1. Speech problems are not limited to children. People with speech disorders, stroke survivors and other injuries can turn to a speech pathologist.
2. With the education of a defectologist, you can also work as a nurse, nanny for children with disabilities.
3. Many teachers for the summer are arranged as counselors in children's camps. This is a great opportunity to earn money without quitting your main job.

A defectologist is not the easiest and problem-free profession, but it can become a true calling for those who love children, want to make the world a little better and are not afraid of difficulties. At the moment, more and more young people are choosing this particular specialty to study at the university, which cannot but rejoice, because there are still many children with developmental disabilities, and only speech pathologists can really help them.