Speech Language Pathology is the study of speech, language and swallowing disorders.

What Does a Speech-Language Pathologist Do?

A speech-language pathologist provides many services, including:

• Preventing, screening, consulting, assessing, diagnosing, treating and providing follow-up services for disorders of:
  • Speech (example: fluency, articulation, voice)
  • Language (ex. morphology, phonology, pragmatics, semantics)
  • Swallowing
  • Aspects of communication involving cognitive aspects (ex. memory and attention)
• Alternative or augmentative communication strategies and use of special communication devices
• Servicing people with hearing disorders and those in their lives (ex. speechreading, auditory training)
• The use of instrumentation, such as video fluoroscopy and stroboscopy, to observe and measure limits of communication and swallowing
• The education and counseling of the community regarding accepting, accommodating and making decisions regarding communication and swallowing disorders
• Working with educators and other professionals when necessary

A speech-language pathologist may choose to specialize in certain areas as well. Areas of specialization may include:

• Prepare future professionals in colleges and universities
• Manage agencies, clinics, organizations, or private practices
• Engage in research to enhance knowledge about human communication processes
• Develop new methods and equipment to test and evaluate problems
• Establish more effective treatment
• Investigate behavioral patterns associated with communication disorders

Carreer Information

Speech-language pathologists can work with all age groups and can choose to work in many different facilities such as hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities, centers for people with developmental disabilities, research laboratories. Some speech-language pathologists may choose to work with corporations and the employees in an effort to improve communication with customers. In most facilities, speech-language pathologists work with a team of other medical specialists, such as audiologists, physicians, teachers, and psychologists.

Earning a Degree

In order to become a speech-language pathologist, it is necessary to earn a master's degree, but a Ph.D may also be persued. ASHA also requires all speech-language pathologists to obtain the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) which involves the completion of a master's degree, a supervised Clinical Fellowship (CF), and a passing score on a national examination . To learn more about these requirements, visit http://asha.org/students/professions/overview/slp.htm

Useful Links

For listings of universities that offer a master's degree in speech-language pathology: http://asha.org/gradguide/
Note: The University of Rhode Island offers this degree.

To learn more about the profession of speech-language pathology, visit the following sites:
ASHA: http://www.asha.org.

Fact Sheet: Speech-Language Pathologists: http://www.asha.org/students/professions/overview/slp.htm

Speech-Language disorders and the Speech-Language Pathologist:
http://www.asha.org/students/professions/overview/sld.htm

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