What is a Speech Language Pathologist?

What is a Speech Language Pathologist?

Formal Definition:
A Speech Language Pathologist (SLP), also known as a Speech Therapist is a person who assesses and treats disorders of communication.  This may include treating fluency, language, speech, voice, swallowing, social communication, and cognitive communication disorders.

Further Explanation:
A certified Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) is a highly educated professional who has attended university to obtain at least a Masters level education which includes clinical training, taken and passed a national certification test, and completed their formal training with a Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) under supervision. Additionally, in order to maintain their certification status, they are required to complete at least 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years, keeping them abreast of changes and new research in the field.

All of that education and clinical training is focused on communication and, more specifically, disorders of communication. Each Speech Language Pathologist is initially trained in assessing and treating disorders such as:

• Language- disorders of language can affect both children and adults. Many children have difficulty developing language (some are non-verbal and require alternative communication devices, others are very verbal but struggle with grammatical rules or reading and writing). Adults typically lose the language they have through some sort of medical occurrence including stroke, traumatic brain injury, etc.
• Fluency- also known as stuttering can affect both children as young as two and adults.
• Speech- including articulation disorders such as lisping or difficulty pronouncing /r/. Stuttering is also included under the umbrella of speech disorders.
• Voice- difficulties may include vocal nodules or polyps, or other conditions such as spasmodic dysphonia
• Swallowing- also known as dysphagia can affect both children and adults. It is often diagnosed through a specialized live x-ray called a Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS) or through a bedside exam. 
• Aural (Re)Habilitation- children and adults with hearing impairment require specialized  training in order to improve their speech, listening, and other communication skills
• Social Communication- especially for those suffering from difficulties such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, the social aspect of speech and language is especially difficult and may require therapy in order to treat.
• Cognition- Some children and adults may require therapy in order to maintain or improve their cognitive skills such as memory and other executive function skills including organization, time management, etc.

SLPs are also trained in other important topics such as:

• Speech Science- this includes the nitty-gritty scientific details of speech such as frequency, formants, measurements of aspiration, etc.
• Professional Ethics- as part of the Allied Health community, it is important for SLPs to understand professional ethics as they relate to speech language pathology
• Multicultural Issues- bilingual children and adults and children and adults from other cultures are growing rapidly in American society. As SLPs treat these clients they need to understand the differences and accurately assess these differences to determine if a disorder does in fact exist and how to go about treating it in a culturally sensitive fashion.
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices (AACs)- some children and adults are unable to use verbal communication and may require alternative devices to communicate such as an iPad, pictures, a communication boards, or other specialized devices.

SLPs work in conjunction with a multitude of people and professions including parents, loved ones, physicians, allied health professionals, teachers, etc. in order to help as many clients as they can achieve the greatest speech and language growth they can. It is truly a blessing to be a part of people's lives in this way.