Speech-Language
Pathologist 
Work Tasks, Settings, Tools, and Materials
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS identify, assess, treat, and help to prevent
speech, language, cognitive, communication, voice, swallowing, fluency, and
other related disorders. Speech and language problems can result from hearing
loss, brain injury or deterioration, cerebral palsy, stroke, cleft palate,
voice pathology, mental retardation, learning disabilities, emotional problems,
or foreign dialect. Problems can be congenital, developmental, or acquired.
Speech-language pathologists work with people who cannot make speech sounds,
or cannot make them clearly. They work with persons who have speech rhythm
and fluency problems, such as stuttering. Speech-language pathologists help
people with voice quality problems, such as inappropriate pitch or harsh voice.
They also help those with problems understanding and producing language, and
those with cognitive communication impairments, such as attention, memory,
and problem-solving disorders. Speech-language pathologists may also work
with people who have oral motor problems causing eating and swallowing difficulties.
Speech-language pathologists use special instruments, as well as written and
oral tests, to determine the nature and extent of impairment, and to record
and analyze speech, language, or swallowing irregularities. They develop plans
for individuals tailored to each patient's needs. For individuals with little
or no speech capability, speech-language pathologists select alternative communication
systems, including automated devices and sign language, and teach their use.
They teach individuals how to make sounds, improve their voices, or increase
their language skills to communicate better, and can fulfill their education,
vocational, and social roles.
Speech-language pathologists keep records on the initial evaluation, progress,
and discharge of clients. This helps pinpoint problems and tracks client progress.
They counsel individuals and their families about communication disorders
and how to cope with the stress and misunderstandings that often accompany
them. Some speech-language pathologists conduct research on how people communicate.
Others design and develop equipment or techniques for diagnosing and treating
problems.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS work for: 
• preschool, elementary and secondary schools
• colleges and universities
• speech, language, and hearing centers
• hospitals and nursing homes
• offices of other health practitioners
• outpatient-care facilities
• individual and family services
• home healthcare agencies
• child day care services
• private practice
• industry (as consultants)
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS work with: 
• audiovisual equipment
• computers
• tape recorders
• spectrographs
• automated devices to aid in communication
• communication boards
• electronic automated systems
• sign language and gesture systems
• clients and client records
Speech-Language Pathologist
Related Civilian and Military Occupations
Voice Pathologists diagnose and treat voice disorders, such as those associated
with the professional use of the voice. They collect diagnostic data on individuals,
such as output pressures, airflow, and chest wall movements. They then analyze
and interpret the diagnostic data and consult with other professionals to
determine the method of treatment.
Other Related Occupations:
• Audiologist
Military occupational clusters related to Speech-Language Pathologist:
• Speech Therapist
The military specific occupations related to Speech-Language Pathologist:
NAVY
• Audiologist
AIR FORCE
• Audiology/Speech Pathologist, Audiologist
• Audiology/Speech Pathologist, Speech
Speech-Language Pathologist
Related Civilian and Military Occupations
Voice Pathologists diagnose and treat voice disorders, such as those associated
with the professional use of the voice. They collect diagnostic data on individuals,
such as output pressures, airflow, and chest wall movements. They then analyze
and interpret the diagnostic data and consult with other professionals to
determine the method of treatment.
Other Related Occupations:
• Audiologist
Military occupational clusters related to Speech-Language Pathologist:
• Speech Therapist
The military specific occupations related to Speech-Language Pathologist:
NAVY
• Audiologist
AIR FORCE
• Audiology/Speech Pathologist, Audiologist
• Audiology/Speech Pathologist, Speech
Speech-Language Pathologist
Most states require SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS to be licensed, and almost
all require a master's degree or equivalent. A passing score on a national
examination on speech-language pathology offered through the Praxis Series
of the Educational Testing Service is needed as well. Other requirements are
300 to 375 hours of supervised clinical experience and 9 months of postgraduate
professional clinical experience. Most states have continuing education requirements
for licensure renewal. Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurers generally
require a practitioner to be licensed to qualify for reimbursement.
College and university courses cover anatomy and physiology of the areas of
the body involved in speech, language, swallowing, and hearing, and their
normal development. Other courses include the nature of disorders, and the
psychological aspects of communication. Graduate students also learn to evaluate
and treat speech, language, swallowing, and hearing disorders and receive
supervised clinical training in communication disorders.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers a Certificate of Clinical
Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). Applicants must have a
graduate degree, 375 hours of supervised clinical experience, complete a 36-week
postgraduate clinical fellowship, and pass the Praxis Series examination in
speech-language pathology administered by the Educational Testing Service
(ETS).
The following majors could help you prepare for this occupation:
• Communication Disorders Sci/Svcs
• Special Education & Teaching
Some SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS move into private practice; others become
directors or administrators of services in schools, hospitals, health departments,
and clinics. Some speech-language pathologists conduct research on how people
communicate. Others design and develop equipment or techniques for diagnosing
and treating speech problems.
Desirable Personal Qualities
Helpful qualities for SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS include:
• an ability to communicate test results, diagnoses, and treatments
so clients can understand
• a sincere desire to help others
• good listening skills
• sensitivity and warmth to be able to interact with those who have
communication problems
• an ability to approach problems objectively
• an ability to provide support to clients and their families
• patience and compassion
• scientific aptitude
Many skills that are useful to a successful Speech-Language Pathologist can be learned in school, such as:
ENGLISH SKILLS
• Explain complex activities or ideas to others, using sophisticated
language to provide concise, well-organized, and focused thoughts.
• Arrange complex concepts in a logical order so the logic and arguments
are clear and easy to follow.
• Use sophisticated vocabulary correctly.
• Write substantial reports, documents, or manuals that explain complex
ideas clearly and effectively.
MATHEMATICS SKILLS
• Use statistical formulas for summarizing data and understand the meaning
of the results.
• Determine the probability of occurrence for several events.
• Compute the slope of a line graph.
• Convert multiple units of measurement (i.e. feet per second to miles
per hour).
• Solve multi-step numerical problems.
• Use scientific notation in writing numbers.
READING SKILLS
• Learn new concepts through reading highly technical or sophisticated
literature.
• Locate answers to questions by reading multiple complex articles or
books.
• Identify the implied relationships in complex written information,
even if the relationships are not clearly stated.
• Draw conclusions about people, ideas, things, or tasks by synthesizing
complex written information.
• Read and interpret sophisticated or technical reports, articles, and
books.
SCIENCE SKILLS
• Estimate a value for an event that falls outside of the values provided
on a graph or in a table.
• Understand and use scientific terminology related to an area of expertise.
• Find an alternate way to test a theory or hypothesis.
• When using a model or theory, explain why new data fits the model
or indicates a problem.
• Compare or combine data from different sources, such as different
graphs or tables.
• Compare complex theories or models and decide which one best explains
observed events.
The average WorkKeys skill levels needed for a Speech-Language Pathologist
are:
• READING FOR INFORMATION (level
5)
Read moderately long descriptions with jargon, technical terms, and conditionals,
and apply to similar but not identical situations.
• APPLIED MATHEMATICS
(level 5)
Set up and perform multiple-step calculations on a mixture of whole numbers,
fractions, decimals, or percentages.
• LISTENING (level 4)
Correctly record all important information and relationships among details
from a message.
• WRITING (level 4)
Write clear messages that contain few minor mechanical errors.
• LOCATING INFORMATION
(level 5)
Use complex graphics such as detailed forms, instrument gauges, multivariable
graphs, and diagrams to find trends or summarize information from more than
one source.
• TEAMWORK (level 4)
Recognize organizational skills and behaviors needed to achieve a somewhat
ambiguous team goal while respecting diverse team needs.
• OBSERVATION (level 6)
Ignoring distractions, notice and remember relevant details of complex tasks
to make comparisons, predictions, interpretations, and evaluations.
Salary & Outlook
Estimated Salary:
• Economic Research Institute (survey of salaries in 2007):
National |
Kansas |
|||
Per year |
Per hour | Per year |
Per hour | |
| Starting salary | $47,000 | $22.50 | $44,500 | $21.25 |
| Average salary | $60,500 | $29.00 | $57,500 | $27.75 |
| Salary with experience | $71,000 | $34.25 | $68,500 | $33.00 |
*National average for all occupations included in this survey: $36,500/year or $17.50/hour
National |
Kansas |
|||
| Per year | Per hour | Per year | Per hour | |
| Average Salary | $54,000 | $26.00 | $49500 | $23.75 |
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, average salaries
offered beginning SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS with a bachelor's degree were
$40,000 per year ($19.25/hour) in 2006-07. Those who worked in the offices
of other health practitioners generally had higher earnings.
Estimated Outlook (from the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics):
• Number of Workers (surveyed in 2006)
National Kansas
Number in this category 93,200 880
Average size of occupational categories 50,000 2,000
• Employment Outlook (economic projections made in 2004)*
Projected growth per year 1.45%
Average growth for all occupations 1.3%
Number of new jobs per year 1,400
This category is:
• Medium (25,000 to 149,999)
• Expected to Grow Moderately (1.2% to 2.4% growth)
Employment growth will result from the increased demand for health services
as the population ages and as medical advances allow more people to survive
strokes and other ailments.
What Workers Say They Like and Dislike
Some SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS may like:
• helping people
• the satisfaction of seeing patients improve
• working with people
• working independently
• the challenge of the constant need to keep up with developments in
their field
Some SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS may dislike:
• the attention to detail and intense concentration needed
• the need for considerable patience and compassion
• the frustration involved when a patient's progress is slow
• the demanding emotional needs of clients
• limited budgets or budget cuts
Information taken from DISCOVER
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