Speech Pathology, now known as Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), is the scientific study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various communication problems such as difficulties in reading, writing, swallowing, speaking, listening, usage of voice, understanding the language, stammering, and the use of social skills. Qualified and eligible people who help the clients in solving these issues are called Speech Pathologists. Here, let’s know ‘Is Speech Pathology a Good Career?’
Some reasons for the issues in communication include hearing loss, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, brain injury, intellectual disability, stroke, dementia, learning disability, and many other reasons with negative impacts on listening and speaking. People belonging to any age group can face these issues.
Disorders Under Speech Pathology
Following are some of the disorders identified, analyzed, and treated by Speech Pathologists for their clients belonging to all age groups.
- Voice
Some may talk through the nose, some may speak too loudly or too softly, some may sound hoarse, or some may not be able to make sounds.
- Pauses
Many people often use sounds such as um, uh, and h-h-h-hello while talking. It is also called stammering or stuttering. Some may stammer every time, while some may stammer only due to nervousness. Some people can conquer stammering with time and experience, while some cannot.
- Aphasia
Damage to the left side of the brain causes a language disorder named Aphasia. Such people struggle a lot to understand whatever they hear and to use appropriate sounds in response. They might not be capable of framing the sentences properly to join them.
- Dysarthria
Brain damage leads to muscle weakness and results in Dysarthria. Its effect varies among different people. Some people may speak too fast while some may talk too slow, and some might be unable to move their tongues properly.
- Swallowing
It is related to the ability to swallow, chew, or suck liquid and food. Problems in swallowing can be caused by malnutrition, weight loss, and much more.
- Voice Disorders
Spasmodic dysphonia, cough, and issues in the vocal fold cause voice disorders.
- Selective Silence
People can choose to be selectively silent due to embarrassment, shyness, trauma, anxiety, or a wish to be alone. Many children talk openly at home but not in public places.
Responsibilities Of A Speech Pathologist
Generally, speech pathologists help their clients to cure their linguistic problems through continuous exercises and techniques through continual speech therapy sessions.
Some more responsibilities include:
- Continue with the education courses for personal as well as professional development in this field.
- Develop the goals for every client, identify the key areas of progress, and work on them.
- Counsel and consult new clients.
- Understand every client clearly before beginning with the therapy by studying the client’s file thoroughly.
- Make the pathology room ready for every new therapy by setting up the equipment, sterilizing them, and following proper safety measures.
- Supervise the assistants and make them capable of handling the office.
- Arrange and request the clients for written authorization for carrying out the mentioned exercises for the therapy.
- Treat clients of all ages (kids, teenagers, adults, and the old ones).
- Treat a wide range of speech and language disorders.
- Keep detailed records of the clients, their issues, their treatments, and their progress.
- Boost the students achieve progress in academics and prevent academic failure.
- Educate the clients and their family members about the client’s issues, associated treatment, ongoing progress, and fees for the therapy.
Qualifications To Be A Speech Pathologist
Speech pathology is a health field, and the pathologist has to be a certified clinician for practicing. These pathologists have to undergo specialized and advanced training and work privately or in a medical setting.
- A candidate must first have a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). The candidate can also undergo the CSD undergraduate programs where he/she can learn about linguistics, phonology, a study of speech and hearing processes, and general language development.
- Master’s degrees such as MS, MEd, and MA are attributed by Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).
- Then, the candidate will have to apply for a post-graduate internship in Speech Pathology after applying for a temporary intern license offered by the related state board.
- To earn a state license, a candidate must pass an Educational Testing Service (ETS) examination.
- The candidate can also directly apply for state licensure. According to the state, the candidate will have to finish a program on HIV/AIDS and get through a state jurisprudence examination.
- Finally, the candidate can gain a professional certification called CCC-SLP provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (AHSA). Before applying for this certification, the candidate must get a master’s degree or doctoral degree from an institution approved by the CAA. The candidate should also finish a clinical internship of a minimum of 9 months under the guidance of a professional Speech Pathologist certified by ASHA.
- He/she must complete the Praxis II examination in Speech-Language Pathology.
Career Opportunities For A Speech Pathologist
After completing the required courses, training, and exams, the candidates will come across multiple career opportunities in the same field.
Here are some of the opportunities:
- They may work in private, local, and state educational services, hospitals, disability, health centers, government agencies, non-profit organizations, private practices, and public services.
- They may work as consultants, voice coaches, researchers, audiologists, educators, respite workers, translators, policy advisors, professors, interpreters, or managers.
- Some speech pathologists work at public places and provide private services too.
A Typical Speech Pathology Session
The therapies in the speech pathology sessions may vary according to the pathologist. However, the following are the typical procedures followed during the speech pathology session:
- Appointment
The client or the guardian has to contact the speech pathologist and provide the details necessary for the session. Related medical reports should also be given if the pathologist asks so. The client can also be kept on a waiting list. When the client’s turn comes, he/she or the guardian will receive an appointment generally at a hospital or a clinic.
- Evaluation
The pathologist will first evaluate the issues. For that, the pathologist may talk to the guardian, or the client, and conduct different exercises to identify the potential source of the problem and required treatment.
Some exercises are solving puzzles, riddles, articulation, pronouncing the words, reading comprehension, and framing sentences depending on the client’s age.
- Diagnosis
Based on the evaluation, the pathologist will try to work on the areas that affect the speech and language of the client.
The speech pathologist will also try to eliminate the other issues introduced due to the current disorders by working in line with other professionals. The pathologist may also recommend further evaluations.
- Suggestions
According to the diagnosis, suggestions will be provided by the speech pathologist to support the client. Support can be provided directly by the pathologist, by a group of professionals, or through a series of activities.
Finally, the pathologist is expected to provide clear feedback and suggestions after every session.
Length Of The Speech Pathology Sessions
The length of every therapy depends on the client’s age, medical condition, medical treatment, severity and the type of disorder, number of sessions, and progress after every session.
Some disorders are caused due to underlying medical conditions such as stroke or a chronic lung disorder. Thus, the disorders get vanished if the underlying medical conditions improve.
Some clients may have had speech disorders since their childhood. Some disorders get cured till they reach adulthood while some take more time.
Benefits Of Being A Speech Pathologist
Speech pathology provides external benefits and internal satisfaction to the pathologist. This profession can change the lives of the clients and the professionals themselves.
Here are some of the Benefits:
- Usage Of Creativity
Usage of creativity goes in line with patience and time. The pathologists don’t have to follow a strict schedule. Thus, they can utilize the time in introducing creative methods to treat various disorders. The methods have to be designed according to the client’s needs.
- Working With Various Clients
The pathologists have an opportunity to learn about the issues and behaviors of the clients. Their clients range from kids to adults. They learn to deal with all of them with the passing time as new clients bring new challenges. So, learning never ends for a speech pathologist.
- Working In Various Environments
They can choose to work with kids, adults, or the old ones. They can work privately, at rehabilitation centers, businesses, schools, and many other organizations.
- Self-Employment
They can work privately full time or may establish private clinics or work for the organizations, on one side, and privately on the other side.
- Specialization
Some speech pathologists choose to specialize in different related fields whereas, some consider specialization as staying updated in their fields.
- Self-Satisfaction
They know that they will be changing the lives of their clients forever. Every achievement means a lot to them. It motivates them to achieve more.
- Flexible Schedule
They can set their appointments and create their schedule if they are working privately. They can decide how many clients should be treated in a day to have enough personal time. So, this career is better for individuals who want to spend more time for themselves and their families.
- Nationwide Opportunities
The speech pathologists are free to relocate or practice at a specific location.
Challenges Of Being A Speech Pathologist
- Expensive Courses
A candidate must have a master’s degree in this field, clearing the PRAXIS exam, training, internship, and other requirements. These courses with the graduation course are too costly. These programs introduce stress, anxiety, and competition among the candidates. The scores have to be maintained during the 6 years of graduation.
- Extreme Pressure
They have to maintain productivity. If they are working for an organization, they will be expected to handle multiple clients. It is too tedious. Even if they work privately, they will lose potential clients if they don’t provide positive outcomes in every case.
- No Holidays For Healthcare Speech Pathologists
Speech pathologists working for healthcare organizations have to work around the year, even on special occasions and holidays.
- Limited Increase In Wages
This job doesn’t contain a hierarchy. So, promotions cannot be expected. Also, the salary rise is limited. The newly graduated pathologists and the experienced ones can be found working in the same salary range.
- Less Funding
Most schools and organizations don’t spend much on providing speech pathologists with the material needed for conducting the sessions. Thus, many of the pathologists end up arranging materials through their own money. Similarly, the organizations hire newly graduated bachelors that are not professional enough to conduct the therapies. The main objective here is to save money. But this can be harmful to the client’s improvement. After that, the professional speech pathologists have to work too hard to recover the loss done by the non-professionals.
- Inflexible Schedule
The schedule is flexible for the pathologists working privately. But the pathologists working for an organization cannot focus on every individual separately. They have to work only in the allocated period.
- Meetings and Documentation
They don’t just have to handle their clients, but they also have to make related reports, maintain documentation, and attend meetings if they work for an organization. It introduces interference in their therapies. Thus, many pathologists decide to work privately in line with the organization.
Salary
Speech Pathologists get paid as follows:
$30 to $50 per hour
$5,000 to $6,000 per month
$60,000 to $99,000 per annum
Speech Pathology As A Career
It is a career with many benefits. The speech pathologists are trained, educated, and experienced enough to treat various clients with different disorders. So, it is a good career option for the patient and dedicated individuals ready for spending much time and money on proper education.
However, patience is a must here. Getting into this is not bad, but it introduces many challenges. Workload, interference, and stress are some of the challenges in this profession. So, it is not a good career option for those who cannot handle the challenges.
Conclusion
Nowadays, speech and language disorders are not considered negative. Instead, they are considered as challenges especially, by the professionals called Speech Pathologists. It goes in line with high-quality research and education. These factors strengthen the need for research and the establishment of different curative measures for speech and language disorders.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Is The Difference Between Speech Pathology And Speech Therapy?
Answer:
There is no difference between both of them. Speech Pathologists were known as Speech Therapists earlier. Then, they were called Speech Pathologists, and now they are widely called Speech-Language Pathologists. Sometimes, they are also called Speech teachers or Speech Corrections.
- What Is The Future Of Speech-Language Pathology?
Answer:
Job opportunities in this field are expected to grow in a decade starting from 2019 by 25%, faster than an average of all other fields. The availability of these jobs will be approximately 40,500 within a decade.
