A speech language pathologist (SLP) is a healthcare professional who specializes in diagnosing and treating communication disorders and swallowing difficulties. SLPs work with people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, who have impairments related to speech, language, cognition, voice, swallowing, and fluency. Their role is to assess clients for communication and swallowing disorders, develop individualized treatment plans, provide therapy to help clients improve or regain their communication abilities, and educate and counsel clients and their families.
What are the main duties of a speech language pathologist?
The core responsibilities of an SLP include:
- Assessing speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, fluency, and swallowing disorders through interviews, case history reviews, and specialized tests.
- Developing individualized treatment plans tailored to clients’ needs and goals.
- Providing therapy to improve communication disorders related to articulation, phonology, language, cognition, voice, fluency, and swallowing.
- Selecting and teaching augmentative and alternative communication methods such as sign language or picture symbols.
- Counseling clients and family members and educating them on communication disorders.
- Referring clients to other professionals like audiologists or occupational therapists when appropriate.
- Maintaining accurate client records and documenting progress.
- Collaborating with teachers, parents, caregivers, and other professionals as part of a rehabilitation team.
On a day-to-day basis, an SLP may work directly with clients delivering speech and language therapy, perform assessments and screenings to diagnose disorders, develop treatment plans, consult with other healthcare workers, complete administrative tasks, and attend continuing education. Their schedule is often a mix of assessment, planning, therapy delivery, documentation, and collaboration.
What conditions do speech language pathologists treat?
SLPs can treat a wide variety of communication and swallowing disorders including:
- Speech sound disorders: Difficulties producing sounds correctly, such as lisping.
- Language disorders: Impaired ability to understand and use language due to developmental delay or conditions like aphasia, autism, or dementia.
- Cognitive communication disorders: Difficulty with communication skills due to brain injury, stroke, or developmental disorder.
- Voice disorders: Problems with vocal quality, pitch, loudness, or resonance.
- Fluency disorders: Impairments in the flow or rhythm of speech, such as stuttering.
- Motor speech disorders: Difficulties with speech due to neurological conditions like cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s disease.
- Swallowing disorders: Trouble swallowing food or liquid safely due to stroke, brain injury, cancer treatment, developmental issues, etc.
- Hearing loss: Helping people with hearing impairments develop communication skills.
- Augmentative and alternative communication needs: Assisting people who can’t communicate verbally, such as using sign language or speech-generating devices.
How do speech therapists treat communication disorders?
Speech language pathologists use a variety of therapeutic techniques and strategies to treat communication disorders. Common SLP interventions include:
- Articulation therapy: Targets proper pronunciation through listening, repeating, and practicing speech sounds.
- Language intervention: Focuses on improving understanding and use of vocabulary, grammar, and pragmatics.
- Cognitive rehabilitation: Restores or compensates for impaired cognitive-communication skills.
- Voice therapy: Works to eliminate vocal strain or misuse and improve vocal quality.
- Fluency shaping: Modifies speech to improve fluency, control stuttering, and reduce anxiety.
- Motor speech treatment: Uses exercises to improve muscle control needed for speech production.
- Swallowing therapy: Teaches exercises and strategies to improve the swallowing mechanism and function.
- Augmentative communication: Introduces aids and systems to supplement or replace speech.
- Counseling: Provides guidance to clients and families to cope with and manage communication disorders.
Treatment techniques include direct one-on-one therapy, group therapy, use of technology/apps, role playing, speech drills and exercises, modeling, and compensatory strategies. SLPs continuously monitor and modify therapy plans to ensure clients are making progress toward goals.
What are the education requirements to become a speech language pathologist?
Becoming a licensed speech language pathologist requires:
- Earning a master’s degree in speech-language pathology or communication sciences and disorders from an accredited program.
- Completing a clinical fellowship year (CFY) under the supervision of a licensed SLP.
- Passing the Praxis national certification exam administered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
- Applying for and maintaining state licensure.
In their master’s program, students take courses on communication development, disorders, assessment, and intervention. Extensive supervised clinical practicum hours working directly with clients are also required. Common prerequisite bachelor’s degrees include communication sciences, linguistics, psychology, or education.
Where do speech language pathologists work?
Speech therapists can work in a wide variety of settings such as:
- Schools (pre-K, elementary, secondary)
- Hospitals and medical centers
- Rehabilitation facilities
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Private practice clinics
- Early intervention programs
- Universities and research labs
- Home health services
- State and local government agencies
Schools employ the largest number of SLPs, providing assessment and therapy services for children with speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers hire SLPs to work with adults impacted by conditions like strokes, brain injury, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and head/neck cancer.
What is the job outlook for speech language pathologists?
Employment for speech-language pathologists is projected to grow 25% from 2020 to 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This high growth is expected due to:
- Increasing awareness and detection of communication disorders.
- Earlier identification and treatment of conditions like autism and hearing loss.
- Baby boomer population needing more speech therapy services as they age.
- Advances in medical technology improving survival rates after strokes/head injuries.
Job prospects for qualified SLPs are very good nationwide. Those willing to relocate may have the best job opportunities, especially in rural areas and inner cities where there are shortages of speech therapists.
What is the salary range for speech language pathologists?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average national salary for speech-language pathologists as of May 2021 was:
| Setting | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Schools (K-12); State, Local and Private | $73,070 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $79,120 |
| Hospitals; State, Local and Private | $85,570 |
The top-paying industries were:
- Offices of Physicians – $98,470
- Government – $86,260
- Home Health Care Services – $85,080
Those working in certain metropolitan areas and with more experience earned salaries in the 6 figures.
What are the pros and cons of being a speech language pathologist?
Pros:
- Rewarding career helping people improve communication abilities
- Variety of work settings and client populations
- Use knowledge of linguistics, anatomy, psychology, and science
- Collaborate as part of an interprofessional team
- Opportunities to specialize in setting or disorder type
- Satisfaction from seeing therapy make a real difference in quality of life
- Stable, in-demand career with good job prospects
Cons:
- Graduate school is required (time and cost for degree)
- Supervised clinical experience necessary for licensure
- Caseloads and paperwork can be demanding
- Scheduling requires flexibility for seeing clients
- Work may be emotionally and physically taxing
- School settings may require meeting federal and state standards
- May spend significant time consulting with parents and other team members
Conclusion
Speech language pathologists play a critical role in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating children and adults with a wide range of communication, speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Their expertise helps clients regain lost abilities or develop new communication skills, ultimately improving quality of life. SLPs get to interact with and help people of all ages while putting their knowledge into clinical practice. With high job growth projected and good salaries, being an SLP offers diverse and rewarding career opportunities.
