SGH Speech Therapist - Brian So

Brian So considered himself lucky that during his junior college days, he had the opportunity to be part of an induction programme that allowed him to shadow various Allied Health professionals in a hospital setting. That was how his interest in speech therapy was ignited, as the speech therapist he was on attachment with was very passionate about her work, leaving a deep impression on Brian. He applied for a Ministry of Health scholarship and studied speech therapy at the University of Sydney in Australia. After four years of study, Brian joined Singapore General Hospital (SGH), an institution under the SingHealth Group, in 2007. Brian had to adjust to the local context in the initial period after returning to Singapore. “During my clinical attachments in Australia, the patients I saw communicated mainly in English,” said Brian. “When I came back to practise in SGH, I had to manage many Chinese and dialectspeaking patients, which meant relearning my Chinese language and dialects all over again.”

In his day to day work, Brian helps children with speech and language problems, cleft palate and developmental disorders, like autism. “Working with children is very interesting and challenging at the same time,” said Brian. “I once had an 18-month-old child who was diagnosed with a delayed speech and language problem. I used the Hanen programme, a wellknown model of family focused early language intervention for young children with receptive and/or expressive language delays.” Having supportive and committed caregivers and family members also helps. Brian shared that the mother of the 18-month-old child was very committed to the programme and continued to work with her child at home, on what was taught at the hospital. After a few sessions the child started using a few simple words and seeing the child improve was very satisfying for Brian.

Another group of patients that Brian works with are adults with swallowing and/or communication disorders post-stroke, or brought on by conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or dementia. Adults with a voice problem also visit speech therapists for help in restoring the quality of their voice.

However, Brian does have patients who do not follow through with what was recommended and yet expect quick results. Shared Brian, “There was once a patient who felt she was not getting sufficient therapy time and would kick up a fuss during each of my sessions with her. I patiently continued to work with her on the speech programme. After a while she realised that she was being unreasonable and apologised. We always try our best to empathise with the patients as we know the emotional strain and stress a communication disability can cause them and their families.”

Despite this, Brian enjoys what he does and feels the profession is quite misunderstood at times by the public. “We are not ‘speech and drama’ teachers. Speech therapists are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of speech, voice and language disorders. We are also trained to manage older patients suffering from swallowing problems as well as very young children who are unable to feed properly.” He adds, “It is a profession that demands a great deal of patience as results may be apparent only after a long period of time but the satisfaction derived when you successfully achieve the desired results is tremendous.”

Brian So
Senior Speech Therapist
Singapore General Hospital

University - “The best time of your life”

Having completed my A levels in Singapore, I found myself stuck once again. The question of ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’, a classic composition topic, has been avoided since primary school. Back then, I merely gave my teachers the answer they wanted, so that I would do well. 10 years later, I was forced to answer the same question, only that this time, it was not hypothetical. I continued to dwell on that throughout the first few months during my national service, until I experienced knee problems first-hand and undergone physiotherapy. Interest soon set in and it is the focus of my academic career at the moment.

Physiotherapy involves rehabilitation of individuals with impaired mobility to the level of health before their accident/ illness. Although therapeutic massage may be the first words that people tend to think of when they hear ‘physiotherapy’, there are other treatment options including exercises, neuromuscular techniques. It is not restricted to geriatrics, but can also apply to young people in sporting teams and paediatrics as well. In addition, physiotherapists also work closely with people who have had fractures and joint replacements. Exercises are prescribed later on in the rehabilitation stage to improve both strength and endurance.

Granted, it was not one of those courses that my friends were taking- it was not even available in a university in Singapore then, which was where my friends and I envisioned us studying in. Having to go Down Under to pursue my course of study meant leaving the comforts of my family and friends and having to re-establish new relationships with people whose culture I may not fully understand. Yet, I look upon this as an opportunity to explore another country, culture, language, and most importantly, to discover more about myself as a person.

As a student, studies do take the main bulk of my time and once a while, content covered in the semester can be less than manageable. As frustrations began to accumulate, I often questioned myself as to whether the hard work was worthwhile. I understood that that was an inevitable question that people face whether studying or working. Hence, it became very important to constantly remind myself of why I chose the course that I am undertaking. Even as assignments pile up and with exams nearing, it is critical to keep those reasons close by. Nonetheless, I trust that my course mates would agree with me if I said material covered every semester remains very practical and interesting.

With this in mind, I have found my experience in studying in Australia a meaningful one. My struggles to come to face with the fact that I had poor time-management, over-reliance on my family and negativity meant that I had to become a more well- organised, independent, and optimistic person. Change does not come easily for me, and the road to changing a habit is not always a straight forward one. Nevertheless, looking back to when I left my comfort zone to where I am today, the struggles were well worth it. Indeed, positive experiences need not always be pleasant ones.

Studies aside, I strongly encourage everyone to constantly re-examine your progress. Whatever the goal may be, we have to make sure that we are one step ahead than you were before yesterday. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, it becomes crucial to always remind ourselves as to why we made the decision to study the course that we are in now. If things are not going wrong, it means we are not trying new things. Whether we are studying in Singapore or another country, don’t be afraid to step away from your close-knitted clique for a while and mingle with someone from another culture and be amazed at how similar you and that person can be. Go ahead and explore, and be sure to have fun while keeping up with studies at the same time. I have been told from earlier generations that college is the ‘best time of your life’- I couldn’t agree more.

  
 

Written by:
Dominic Ng
Curtin University
Physiotherapy Year 2 (WA)