The field of speech therapy is huge and varied, and that’s reflected in the many options for work settings

What will I be doing all day?

A speech therapist, also known as a speech-language pathologist, or SLP for short, treats language, communication, swallowing and other muscular disorders in people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. This encompasses a broad range of issues, including:

1) Articulation — training a person to produce the sounds we need for speech, and to put those sounds together into words.

2) Language — helping someone build up his ability to understand and use language (both oral and written). This includes vocabulary, syntax, storytelling, and more. Language therapy can also encompass phonological work for pre-reading and reading skills.

3) Social Communication — also known as the pragmatics of language, this involves helping someone learn the social aspect of how we communicate with others, such as turn-taking rules, how to pick up on social cues, how to appropriately modify conversation for the listener, and more.

4) Fluency - more commonly known as stuttering, a speech therapist will help improve a person’s flow of speech.

5) Voice – for people with voice disorders, such as perpetual hoarseness, an SLP can train how to properly use the voice in order to produce clear and healthy speech.

6) Cognitive Communication — an SLP can help a person improve cognitive skills such as memory, attention, problem-solving and organization.

7) Feeding/Swallowing — an SLP can help with these disorders that include poor sucking, chewing or swallowing, or sensory issues relating to food.

What kinds of settings can I work in?

As is clear from the above list, the field of speech therapy is huge and varied, and that’s reflected in the many options for work settings. Some of these include:

• Schools
• Child Development Centers
• Hospitals
• Early Intervention home treatment
• Rehab centers, long-term and residential health care facilities
• Private practice

What kind of schooling do I need?

In order to become licensed as a speech-language pathologist, one must graduate from an accredited Master’s program, which generally involves two years of studies plus clinical practicu. Each state has its own licensure requirements, and, in addition, many jobs in the field require ASHA (the American Speech-language and Hearing Association) and Certification of Clinical Competence (CCC), which involves, among other requirements, working a certain number of hours under supervision (the equivalent of about one full year).

Do I have the personality for it?

A good speech therapist is someone who is patient, empathetic, flexible, good at working with different types of people, willing to learn new things, has excellent communication skills, and is good at gathering clinical information and using it to problem solve.

What can I expect to earn?

Salary is variable depending on work setting, location and years of experience. Some averages for full-time jobs:

Early Intervention: $90,000 (In New York, a half-hour session earns $50 to $64 an hour)

Health Care Setting: $73,500 - $95,000

Elementary and Secondary Schools: $72,000