Speech pathology is the process of diagnosing, treating, and consulting anyone with disorders related to speech, communication, or swallowing. While the workplace for a speech-language pathologist (SLP) can vary somewhat, they are typically found in hospitals, schools, and clinics. It is the duty of SLPs to come up with new ways of treatment and therapy for people dealing with these issues, in the hopes that their speech will become closer aligned with the public standard by helping them with sound formation and alternate forms of communication.
The requirements for becoming a certified SLP are decided by each state individually, but the basic gist is as follows:
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Receive an undergraduate degree, normally with a major in speech and hearing
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Attain a graduate degree (at least a master’s) in speech pathology from a university that is accredited by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).
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Pass a licensing exam (For most states, this is the Praxis II in Speech Pathology).
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Secure an ASHA provisional license to undergo a clinical fellowship year with the supervision of an SLP who is already licensed and ASHA certified.
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Apply for ASHA Certification of Clinical Competence and complete any licensing requirements for your state.
While there is a lot of work involved in becoming a speech pathologist, it can be a rewarding career, emotionally and sometimes financially (the average annual salary for SLPs is $73,970, with more seasoned workers in the field making upwards of $115,000).
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