Speech-language pathology (SLP), often referred to as “speech therapy”, is a rewarding education and healthcare profession that helps children and adults with cognitive, language, speech, and swallowing disorders improve their quality of life.
How do I become a speech therapist?
Becoming a speech therapist, or speech-language pathologist (SLP), requires a master’s degree from an accredited college or university and typically takes 2 years to complete. To become accepted into a SLP program, undergraduate coursework often includes human development, psychology, English, biology, medical terminology, and anatomy. A bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology-Hearing Science specifically prepares you to be accepted into a graduate level program. Once in the program of your choice, graduate level courses often include: speech and language development, evaluation and treatment of speech disorders, understanding swallowing disorders, and patient care for those with cognitive and language deficits. In addition, passing the national exam for SLP’s is required to be licensed.
After that, many SLP’s complete a 36 week fellowship under the supervision of a SLP. Then they receive their Certificate of Clinical Competency in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). This often meets the requirements to become licensed in your state as a speech therapist.
What does a speech therapist do?
Speech therapists or speech-language pathologists (SLP’s) diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. For example, a SLP works with children in schools to communicate effectively with teachers and classmates. Additionally, they may help a child with autism express themselves better during social situations.
SLP’s work with people who stutter or have voice issues. An SLP might help a singer who has inflamed vocal cords recover. Or, they would treat a patient after a stroke when understanding and expressing language is hard. They help patients with brain injuries gain cognitive skills to function in the real world or patients with Parkinson’s Disease swallow better. Some SLP’s treat newborns with cleft-plates be able to eat. SLP’s work in hospitals, nursing facilities, rehab centers, school districts, outpatient clinics, home health care, and early intervention.
Speech therapists often coordinate care with a rehab or education team to achieve the best outcomes for students and patients. In the school setting these teams often include parents, educators, school psychologists, social workers, and administrators. In a hospital or clinic setting the rehab team usually includes physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physicians.
In conclusion, people who make great SLP’s enjoy working with people and show compassion for their students or patients. They have good analytical skills and are good listeners. In addition, they communicate well with patients and other professionals and pay attention to details. They find it rewarding to see people with speech, language, and cognitive problems improve their abilities and quality of life.
What is a speech therapist’s salary?
Due to the high demand for speech therapists in the United States the annual income for a SLP is $79,120. Salaries for SLP’s vary based on work setting, location, and experience. Often getting a specialty in speech-language pathology leads to higher pay. Some speech therapy specialities include child language, fluency, and swallowing.
Salaries vary significantly based on work setting. A SLP that works in a nursing facility averages $95,250 a year compared to a hospital-based SLP who earns around $85,420 a year. SLP’s that work in school districts earn $70,290 a year. This varies greatly from the top 10% of SLP’s who are earning more than $121,260 annually.
Even the geographical location where a SLP works impacts pay. For example, SLP’s working in the states of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, California, and the District of Columbia earn between $92,740-$101,410 annually. There are many states where SLP’s are making more than $83,850 a year including: Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
What is the job outlook for speech therapists?
The job outlook for SLP’s is excellent! Over the next 10 years speech therapy is in a league all its own with a 25% growth rate. That’s the addition of almost 41,000 jobs in 10 years! Aging baby-boomers, higher survival rates for newborns with developmental delays, improved programs to address learning needs in schools, and better medical care create this growth.