Speech language pathology is all about communication and, to a lesser extent, swallowing rehabilitation.
Many people with speech disorders suffer not only from the physical barrier of self-expression but also from social anxiety, feelings of isolation, and even depression.
Fortunately, thanks to speech-language pathologists, many speech problems are highly treatable.
Almost 10% of children will experience some form of these problems at certain stages in their lives. Thanks to the growing field of speech-language pathology, they have a path towards self-confidence and easy communication.
In this article, we take a look at what speech language pathologists do, why it matters, and how you can become one.
What Do SLPs Do?
First, it’s important to understand that the granular responsibilities of an SLP will vary both day to day and based on their specific placement. Broadly speaking, however, there are common responsibilities. These include:
- Assessing disorders
- Diagnosing the problem
- Treating the issue
This will include 1-on-1 work, group therapy plans, and even coaching scenarios with family members—teaching parents how to work on treating barriers to speech at home. SLPs will often also serve as advocates, particularly in the school setting, where they will often play an important role in ensuring students with barriers to speech are given all of the resources they need to succeed.
What Do Speech Language Pathologists Treat?
There are far too many variations of speech disorders to be fully comprehensive in the two hundred or so words we can dedicate to this heading. There are some pretty common barriers that speech-language pathologists will encounter frequently. This will include things like vocal strain, stuttering, and cluttering.
It might also involve social communication barriers, particularly those caused by conditions like autism. In these cases, the patient is not experiencing physical speech limitations, but they are still struggling to adequately communicate themselves.
Speech language pathologists might also work with people who have recently experienced physical trauma that keeps them from clearly expressing themselves. This could involve people who are recovering from surgery or who have just experienced a stroke.
Where Do Speech Language Pathologists Work?
There are a lot of options. Speech language pathologists can work at schools, hospitals, and clinics. They can also open their own private practice, in which case they’re functioning as both a language professional and a small business owner. They’ll also often work in nursing homes or long-term inpatient care centers.
More recently, SLPs have begun to participate in the growing trend of telehealth. Telehealth work arrangements are basically virtual, remote health care appointments in which the SLP may communicate with their patients through video conferencing technology.
How to Become an SLP
Speech language pathology jobs generally require a master’s degree in speech language pathology. At the undergraduate level, there actually are not any widely circulated speech-language pathology-specific majors.
That said, most SLPs will begin with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences, linguistics, psychology, or even education.
However, you’ll be generally eligible for most graduate programs with any undergraduate degree, particularly if you are willing to retroactively complete additional prerequisite classes.
In this case, you would simply need to maybe put in another semester of undergraduate studies, taking the classes required by your program to continue into the graduate program.
To become an SLP, you’ll need to complete coursework and clinical experience and then pass the Praxis.
What Is It Like to Be a Speech Language Pathologist?
Speech-language pathology is a dynamic profession. Even when you’re locked into a singular setting like a school or a rehabilitation center, you’re still going to be constantly modifying your processes to suit the needs of individuals. A question many people ask: What do SLPs do?
Because there is such a broad subjective aspect to this treatment, the work will always feel fresh and exciting.
Speech-language pathologists need to be passionate about helping people get better. The good news is that many people receiving the treatment of an SLP are genuinely able to make considerable improvements. On the flip side of that, it requires a lot of time, effort, and patience.
SLPs need to be ready for a journey that is not always linear. Lots of people improve, only to backslide. Despite this, the work is both personally rewarding and financially lucrative. SLPs can make up to six figures.
Why are SLP careers on the rise?
There are a few reasons that demand has increased for SLP work in recent years. One reason? A simple increase in awareness.
It’s now more widely understood than ever that speech disorders are very treatable, and that receiving said treatment can make a big difference in a person’s quality of life.
The other reason? Advancements in medical science have made it so that premature infants have a much higher survival rate than they did in previous generations.
Often, these children will speech therapy.
Autism is also more widely diagnosed than it has been in the past. As mentioned earlier, children with this diagnosis will often receive the services of an SLP as a way of helping them overcome social barriers to communication.
These factors have combined to create an environment in which the need for speech-language pathologists has never been higher.
Why This Work Matters
Well, at this point, that should be self-evident. Speech language pathologists make an enormous difference in the lives of the people they work with. They do good things every day. Most careers don’t give you that opportunity.
If you’re interested in a fast-paced and highly rewarding career, speech-language pathology is an excellent option to consider. Not only is it enormously influential, but it is also fast-growing. There is an increasingly high demand for SLPs. Now is a great time to consider this career path.
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