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As a speech-language pathologist, often referred to as a speech therapist, you'll evaluate and treat children and adults with speech, language and swallowing problems. You'll help children and adolescents with language disorders to understand and give directions, convey ideas and improve language skills that lead to better academic performance. You'll also evaluate and treat persons with swallowing disorders that may result from illness, surgery, stroke or injury. Speech Therapist Job Description Your typical duties as a speech-language pathologist may include: - Working with children to improve their language skills and academic performance
- Treating people who have experienced a stroke or brain trauma to help them regain language, speech and swallowing ability
- Assisting individuals in developing proper control of the vocal and respiratory systems for correct voice production
- Counseling individuals and families to better cope with speech and language disorders
- Helping those who stutter to increase fluency
- Assisting with accent modification for non-native speakers of English
 Speech Therapist Salary According to Salary.com, the median speech-language pathologist salary is $61,111 per year, with the top 25 percent earning an annual salary of $69,769 or more. The American Medical Association reports the average salary for speech-language pathologists at $65,000, with the certain speech therapists earning over $79,000 in 2007. Speech Therapist Work Environment Employment of speech-language pathologists is expected to grow 11 percent from 2006 to 2016. As baby boomers get older, the possibility of neurological disorders and associated speech disorders increases. Employment for speech therapists in educational services will increase with the growth in elementary and secondary school enrollments, especially with increased enrollment of special education students. Federal legislation mandates the presence of speech, language and hearing professionals in public schools. Also, a steady rise in the number of older adults with language, speech and hearing problems is increasing the demand for the services of speech-language pathologists and audiologists. As an experienced speech-language pathologist, you'll be able to work in a variety of settings, including the following: - Hospitals and rehabilitation centers
- Private practice
- Elementary and secondary schools
- Colleges and universities
- State and local health departments
- Home health agencies
- Long-term facilities
- Private industry nonprofit clinics
Speech Therapist Education & Training To become a speech-language pathologist, you can earn a bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders or a related discipline and then enter a graduate program in speech-language pathology. If you didn't take general communication sciences and disorders coursework during your undergraduate years, you can enter a 1- to 2-year post-baccalaureate program to complete the required prerequisites for graduate school. To practice as a speech-language pathologist, you must complete a 2-year master's or a 4-year doctoral (SLP.D.) program in speech-language pathology. The PhD in speech-language pathology is typically acquired for in-depth research into a particular area of interest. Speech Therapist Licensure Speech-language pathologists can acquire the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) offered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). To earn a CCC-SLP, a person must have a graduate degree and 375 hours of supervised clinical experience, complete a 36-week postgraduate clinical fellowship, and pass a written examination. Thirty-six states have continuing education requirements for licensure renewal. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Medical Association |
