Speech Language Pathologist, Speech Language Pathology Schools, Education, Employment, Career, and Jobs

What is Speech Language Pathologist?
Another name for a speech-language pathologist is a speech therapist. They have the job of evaluating and treating children and adults with swallowing, language and speech disorders. They also help children as well as adolescents who have language disorders to understand, convey ideas, give directions and improve language skills that should hopefully lead to better academic performance.

People who have swallowing disorders may be evaluated for problems that have arisen after an injury, surgery, stroke or illness. These are some of their other duties:

• Treat people who have had either a stroke or brain trauma and help them regain the use of their swallowing, language and speech ability

• Assist people to try to develop proper control of the respiratory and vocal systems for a more understandable voice production

• To counsel individuals and their families to better cope with language and speech disorders

• Help those with stuttering problems to increase fluency

• Assist non-native speakers of the English language with accent modification

How to Become a Speech Language Pathologist:
There is a rather long road to travel down the educational pathway in order to fulfill your dream of becoming a speech-language pathologist. Yet, with your stamina and determination, you will make your dream a reality!

The first thing you must do is graduate from an accredited high school. During the end of your junior or the beginning of your senior year, you must take either the ACT or SAT in order to enter an accredited college or university.

Once enrolled in college, you should earn your bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or some related discipline. After achieving your degree, you will then gain entrance to a graduate program majoring in speech-language pathology.

If you failed to take coursework in general communication sciences and disorders while you were still going for your bachelor's degree, it is possible to gain entrance to a 1-to 2- year post baccalaureate program in order to finish any required prerequisites that you may need to get into a graduate school.

In order to be able to practice, you are going to have to complete either a 2-year master's degree or a 4-year doctoral degree (SLP.D.) program specializing in speech-language pathology. One must get the PhD in speech-language pathology if she wants to go into in-depth research into a specific area of interest.

Speech Therapy Licensure:
A speech-language pathologist is able to get the "Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) offered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)". In order to achieve this certification, you will have to possess a graduate degree along with 375 hours of clinical experience with supervision, complete a post-graduate clinical fellowship lasting for thirty-six weeks and must achieve a passing grade on a written examination.

There are now thirty-six states that require the speech-language pathologist to take continuing education courses in order to be able to renew their license.

Speech Therapy Work Environment:
Now that you are an experienced speech-language pathologist, you should be able to find work in a number of setting which will include some of the following:

a. Elementary and Secondary Schools
b. Hospitals and Rehabilitation Centers
c. Colleges and Universities
d. Private Practice
e. State and Local Health Departments
f. Long-term Facilities
g. Home Health Agencies

Speech Language Pathologist Salary:
Speech therapists make excellent money. The national average salary is $92,000 per year. You can expect your pay to keep going up as you gain more experience and years of service.

Speech Language Pathology School:
If you’re looking to study speech language pathology, you need to attend the right school. Visit the Embanet website to find the right school for you. While visiting, you can request for free no obligation information through this link.

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