Speech Pathologist
What is that??

What is speech pathology? What is a speech pathologist? First things first!

Speech pathologists are called many names including:

speech pathologist
speech-language pathologist
speech therapist
language therapist
voice therapist
feeding and swallowing therapist
miracle worker - haha!

They call speech-language pathologists many names since they work with individuals with different communication/feeding/swallowing needs.

Education and Credentials

In the United States, a speech therapist must have a Master's from an accredited institution in Communicative Disorders or Speech and Hearing Science.

After graduation, the speech therapist must complete a clinical fellowship year (CFY) to get a state license and a certification of clinical competency (CCC) from the American Speech Hearing Language Association (ASHA.) This fellowship year takes about 9 months and a license speech-language pathologist will supervise the clinical fellow.

To renew a licence and ASHA membership, a speech pathologist must complete a certain number of continuing education courses per year.

When finding a speech therapist for your child, make sure their title is followed by the following acronym "CCC-SLP."

What does a speech pathologist do?

A speech pathologist helps others improve their communication and swallowing abilities.

Communication skills are the ability to speak, understand, listen, pronounce words, express ideas, write, use voice appropriately, read, grammar, narrative structure, social language skills….and the list goes on....

First, a speech pathologist completes an initial assessment. The assessment may include patient/parent interview, testing (standardized or non-standardized), and/or observations. The assessment last for 1-3 hours.

After the initial assessment, the speech pathologist will write a report about the client's strengths and areas of need. If needed, the speech pathologist creates individualized goals. Goals are based on the results of the assessment as well as the needs and desires of the patient.

At the assessment, therapy can begin! Therapy will Depend on the client's unique needs. For more information on therapy, click here: What Is Speech Therapy?

Who goes to see a speech pathologist?

People may seek a speech pathologist if they have one or more of the following disorders:

Speech disorder
Language learning disorder
Hearing impairment
Speech language Impairment
Autism
Developmental delay
Voice disorder
Apraxia
Aphasia
Stuttering
Brain injury
Dysphagia
Neurological disorders (.e., Parkinson's, ALS)
Head and neck or brain cancer

Or, people may have no known disorders, but difficulties with:

Speaking
Articulation
Following directions
Reading
Writing
Formulating ideas
Finding the right words
Grammar: oral or written
Answering questions
Clear voice
Swallowing

YOU DON'T NEED A DIAGNOSIS TO SEEK OUT A SPEECH THERAPIST! YOU ONLY NEED THE DESIRE TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION!

Place of Work

Speech pathologists work in different settings including:

Schools
Pre-schools
Daycare
Private Practice
Hospitals
Clinics
Nursing Homes
Rehabilitation Facilities

Bridget is an ASHA certified, practicing speech-language pathologist. She is passionate about providing parents with information on child speech and language development as well as provide functional, easy activities to do at home! Parents have the power to make a real difference. Follow Bridget at Facebook and Pinterest for more fun!