After graduating with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours), Su Li returned to Singapore, where she joined Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), a member of the National Healthcare Group (NHG). She had the opportunity to be involved in the care of different patients through her rotations in general medicine, geriatric medicine, neurology, and community care.

Despite what some may think, speech therapy focuses on more than just speech. Speech therapists like Su Li are responsible for assessing and helping patients manage swallowing and communication (language, speech, voice, fluency, cognitive-communication and alternative and augmentative communication) difficulties.

The ability to facilitate functional changes and help improve the quality of life makes Su Li's role as a speech therapist immensely rewarding. She partners her patients and their families in addressing their swallow and/or communication difficulties though assessments, goal setting and developing personalised treatment plans to meet their specific needs.

Currently, Su Li works with patients from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as well as those who present with medical conditions requiring advice from the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) medical team at KTPH.

  Su Li with her colleagues

Given the dynamic nature of healthcare, Su Li's daily routine varies greatly based on her patient case load.

As she explains it, “Typically, we begin the day as a department with a roll call, where we account for the number of inpatient and outpatient cases that we are attending to, as well as administrative tasks to be completed."  

“After that, I'll start to plan my day and prepare for my cases. Then, I'll proceed to either the wards or clinics to attend to my patients."

The content and structure of a session depends on the patient's medical condition(s), presentation and goals.

For example, when working with patients with swallowing disorders, Su Li will assess their swallow functions using food and liquids of different consistencies. These allow her to tailor recommendations that address each patient's specific swallowing difficulties.

Her goal is not only to improve their physical ability to swallow but also to enhance their quality of life by enabling safer and more enjoyable eating experiences.

Besides patients with swallowing issues, Su Li also provides therapy for patients with communication difficulties, which can occur due to a range of causes such as neurodegenerative conditions, or traumatic events impacting the voice box or brain.

“We perform communication assessments to evaluate language, cognition, speech, voice, and fluency. This helps us to understand the specific areas impacted and the severity of the patient's condition, to better plan out what needs to be done to help the patient."

  Su Li doing an assessment with her patient

In one case, Su Li was working with a patient whose speech had become severely slurred because of his medical condition, with reduced precision and rapid speech rate being the most salient features. This made it difficult for his family to understand him, which added to the patient's frustration.

Given the severity and nature of his medical condition, there was a need to address the current communication breakdown as well as forward plan for further deterioration.

She brought the issue up with her colleagues, who recommended that she used a pacing board. A pacing board is a tool used by speech therapists to help individuals slow down their rate of speech, which may in turn make them more easily understood

Su Li incorporated the pacing board during her sessions with the patient. The results were evident in a single session. While his speech was not 100% understandable, the clarity was adequate for the family to understand him when speaking in short phrases.

This had a positive effect on the patient as it helped him overcome his sense of frustration that previously stemmed from others not being able to understand him and having no effective strategy to deal with his speech difficulties.

It also served to inspire Su Li to this day, "What stood out to me most was the enthusiasm and strength of character that the patient displayed during our sessions. Watching the simple strategy effecting a functional improvement for him was truly satisfying, and the joy on his face will always stay with me."

And for Su Li, this is what makes the job worth it. Through her work, she can bring about real change in the lives of her patients by helping them reintegrate into society while journeying with them as they overcome their difficulties or supporting them in making decisions that are the most ideal (in their own terms) at different time points in their medical journey.

In addition to her practical experience, Su Li is also looking for ways to improve herself professionally. This is so that she can continually provide her fellow Singaporeans with top-quality care.

For instance, Su Li is undergoing training for the Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study. This will enable her to conduct assessments of patients' swallow using real-time X-ray imaging.

Learning this technique allows Su Li to support her team by objectively assessing swallowing disorders, so that they can tailor their therapeutic interventions.

This additional skill set will not only broaden her expertise in the field of speech therapy but also ensure she provides effective, evidence-based treatment to her patients, ultimately making her a more versatile speech therapist.

For those looking to follow in her footsteps, she says, "Make sure to find out more about your chosen career and what it entails – speak to people in the field, try to secure an observation session. This will make it easier to decide if it's the right decision and fit for you."

“You should also remember that it's important to have a sense of compassion. Speech therapy is not just about technical skills; it's about connecting with and supporting individuals through their challenges. Your dedication and empathy will be the driving forces that make a real difference in people's lives."

Want to find out more about what Su Li does? Check out this video feature.

MOH Holdings (MOHH) is offering local and overseas scholarships to nurture the next generation of nursing, pharmacy and allied health professionals. These scholarships are in partnership with public healthcare institutions and allow you to study in local and overseas universities. For more details on the health science disciplines (including Speech Therapy) offered, check out this page.