What will I do in this job?

If you choose pursue a career in Speech/Language Pathology, you will assess, treat, and help to prevent speech, language, cognitive, communication, voice, swallowing, fluency, and other related disorders. You will work with people who cannot make speech sounds, or cannot make them clearly; such as stuttering. You may also work with people who have attention, memory, or problem solving disorders and who have problems eating and swallowing.

Most Speech/Language Pathologists provide direct clinical services to individuals with communication problems. They work with physicians, social workers, psychologists, and other therapists to develop and execute treatment plans. In schools they develop individual or group programs, counsel parents, and they may assist teachers with classroom activities.

Some of the tasks of a Speech/Language pathologist include:

• counseling individuals and their families about the disorder
• working with family members to recognize and change behavior patterns that impede communication
• conducting research on how people communicate
• designing and developing equipment or techniques for treating speech problems

Will I need a special license?

If you want to be a Speech/Language Pathologist you must have a State License.

What type of education will I need?

Of the 46 States that regulate licensing, almost all require a master’s degree or equivalent. Courses cover anatomy and physiology of the areas of the body involved in speech, language, swallowing, and hearing; the development of normal speech, language, swallowing, and hearing; the nature of disorders; acoustics; and psychological aspects of communication.

Will I find a job?

Employment of speech-language pathologists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012.

How much will I make?

Median Salary: $49,450 (Ranges from $32,500- $74,000)
(2003-2004)