5 Reasons to Major in Communicative Disorders or Deaf Studies

Choosing a major is difficult, which is why many people end up changing their major multiple times before walking across the stage to accept their diplomas. It's intimidating to choose something that will affect the rest of your life and determine the kinds of jobs that you'll take. You don't want to be stuck in some dead-end job, but rather you want to find something that you'll enjoy doing and will become more than a paycheck for you. You should consider majoring in communicative disorders or deaf studies for the following benefits:

1. A Rewarding Career

One of the greatest advantages of majoring in communicative disorders or deaf studies is that you will gain the information that you need to help others. Your patients will range from young children to the elderly and from people born with communicative disorders to people who experience hearing loss after an accident or after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

No matter who your clients are, you will be able to make a difference in their lives as you help them understand their surroundings and others in a way that they didn't think would ever be possible otherwise. These clients are looking for someone with compassion who is eager to help them, and you will feel their gratitude and joy for all of your efforts.

2. Variety of Employment Options

What are you going to do with a major in communicative disorders or deaf studies? There are lots of different options. You could become an audiologist, special education teacher, counselor, consultant, speech and hearing therapist, speech language pathologist, etc. You could work in a hospital, rehabilitation center, school, assisted living center, or other facility.

If you want to be self-employed, you can even create your own hours and help clients in their homes or from your own office. There is a variety of industries and fields that require a background in communicative disorders or deaf studies, so you can determine the specialization that you want to work towards and try out different places to find the perfect fit for you.

3. Further Education Opportunities

If you're someone who enjoys learning, you'll love that communicative disorders and deaf studies offer plenty of continuing education opportunities to help you get ahead. For example, you can become a speech language pathologist by getting a master's degree from an accredited school. You can also take other classes to help you specialize in the field that is most interesting to you, so you can gain the information that you need to help your clients.

4. Help Empower Parents

When parents learn that their children are struggling with a communication disorder, they have a lot of questions and fears that they need to work through. With the knowledge that you gain from your classes, you can empower parents with information and ideas on how they can help their child. You can help them understand the cause of the disorder by speaking with them about how language develops, the hearing process, diagnosing problems, and other important aspects of speech development. Through you, parents will gain the information that they need to help manage their child's disorder and get him or her the help needed to succeed.

5. Make a Difference

By majoring in communicative disorders or deaf studies, you'll have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of your clients and their families. You can help your clients with issues ranging from articulation and fluency to aphasia or dysarthria. Your education will provide you with the information that you need for a successful and rewarding career that will support you throughout your life and allow you to feel pride in what you do.