Role Description
Head of Department (Speech and Language Therapy)
Core Responsibilities 1. Departmental Leadership and Strategy
- Provide visionary leadership to the Speech and Language Therapy department in alignment with IAC s clinical and research objectives.
- Establish and maintain standardized frameworks for assessment, diagnosis, and intervention in accordance with
RCI
, NICE
, and APA
guidelines. - Develop annual departmental plans, budgets, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for service delivery, quality assurance, and staff growth.
- Supervise, mentor, and evaluate therapists, interns, and junior clinicians to maintain excellence in clinical outcomes and documentation.
- Collaborate with the Clinical Governance Committee to uphold best practices, ethical standards, and regulatory compliance.
2. Clinical Governance and Quality Assurance
- Design, review, and approve standardized protocols for speech, language, voice, fluency, and swallowing assessments.
- Ensure quality control and accuracy of reports, therapy documentation, and treatment records.
- Conduct periodic audits, peer reviews, and clinical case conferences to monitor departmental performance.
- Facilitate continuous improvement initiatives, including updating therapeutic tools and integrating digital or AAC technologies.
- Ensure confidentiality, ethical adherence, and compliance with organizational and statutory norms.
3. Clinical Supervision and Case Oversight
- Oversee assessment and intervention planning for:
- Receptive and expressive language development
- Pragmatic/social communication skills
- Articulation and phonological disorders
- Fluency (stuttering/cluttering) and voice disorders
- Oro-motor and feeding/swallowing challenges
- Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems
- Provide expert clinical supervision in complex or co-morbid neurodevelopmental cases.
- Guide team members in designing individualized therapy plans, progress tracking, and outcome measurement.
4. Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Physiotherapists, Special Educators, and Behaviour Therapists to design integrated care plans.
- Participate in multidisciplinary case discussions, IPP (Individualized Program Plan) reviews, and care conferences.
- Contribute to development of campus-wide communication frameworks, AAC protocols, and cross-departmental training.
- Serve as the SLT representative in interdepartmental research, policy formulation, and clinical innovation.
5. Family and Caregiver Engagement
- Develop structured caregiver education programs for home-based communication support.
- Conduct family counseling sessions to enhance carryover of therapy goals in daily routines.
- Promote neurodiversity-affirming and inclusive communication practices across all interactions.
- Guide caregivers in the use of assistive communication tools and adaptive technology.
6. Training, Research, and Professional Development
- Organize internal workshops, seminars, and training programs for clinical staff and allied professionals.
- Promote research initiatives on speech-language development, neurodiversity, and communication sciences.
- Publish and present departmental findings in national and international conferences and journals.
- Support the development of academic partnerships and internship programs for student clinicians.
Requirements Key Qualities
- Advanced understanding of speech, language, voice, and communication sciences.
- Experience in AAC systems, neurodevelopmental rehabilitation, and communication-based behavioral support.
- Strong leadership, mentoring, and administrative management capabilities.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills.
- Commitment to inclusive, ethical, and person-centered practice.
Qualifications
- Master s or Doctoral degree in
Speech-Language Pathology / Audiology & Speech Sciences
from a recognized institution. - Valid registration with the
Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)
.
Professional Experience
- Minimum
10-15 years
of progressive experience in clinical and managerial roles within a core Speech and Language Therapy or Communication Disorders department
. - Proven expertise in leadership, supervision, and clinical service delivery for neurodivergent populations.
- Familiarity with
RCI
, NICE
, and APA
assessment and intervention frameworks.
Benefits
Careers are made to last at the India Autism Center. We make you an incomprehensible promise: With benefits created to support you at all stages of life, our employees grow professionally and personally while making a difference in society.
Our benefits are built on core categories of health, financial security, learning, personal & professional development.
