Speech- Language Pathologist

Elizabeth Cox

What is a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)?

Someone who prevents, evaluates, diagnoses, and treats speech, language, social & cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in individuals of all ages. Ranging from children to elderly

Someone who not only diagnoses patients, but then determines the severity of the problem and the best future treatment.

Someone who educates and trains families or caregivers as well as other medical professionals regarding patients.

History 1925: Speech Pathology became a profession 1926: American Academy of Speech Correction established Originally focused on effective communication and then grew into

focusing on communication disabilities and rehabilitation. Colleges eventually created programs to educate students on diagnosing and treating communication disorders

Early SLPs only had an undergraduate degree in speech-correction First schools to teach speech correction were Wayne State University and the

University of Michigan 1950’s: Soldiers returned from war with brain disabilities that resulted in

speech problems. SLPs began to focus more on brain processing abilities in relation to speech

1970’s: Language disorders were now treated separately from speech disorders

Speech Language Pathology: Areas of Importance

Most commonly work with individuals who have 1 or more of the following disorders… Speech Disorders: Difficulty making certain speech sounds correctly or

vocal problems. Ex: Stuttering, Dysarthria, Apraxia, Speech Sound Disorders (Articulation)

Language Disorders: Difficulty sharing thoughts or expressing feelings or difficulty understanding others. Ex: Aphasia (most common in adults and caused by a stroke)

Child-Related Disorders Language Based Learning Disabilities Preschool Language Disorders Selective Mutism

Social Communication Disorders: Difficulty communicating verbally or nonverbally especially in social settings

Cognitive Communication Disorders: Difficulty paying attention, organizing and remembering things, or problem solving.

Swallowing Disorders: Difficulty with feeding or swallowing.

Employment Settings Education (Pre K-12 (53%)) College (3%))

Screenings, evaluations, diagnostic tests Work with children with a range of disabilities Small-group, classroom based, or individual settings Train teachers, parents, others to aid student in all aspects of their life.

Health Care (39% of SLPs) Diagnose, evaluate, treat communication and language disorders as well as

swallowing disorders Educate and counsel patients, families, and other staff members Health Care Settings

16% Non-Residential 10% Residential 13% Hospitals

Private Practice (19%)

Corporate Provide services to a company

Government Public Health Depts., Air Force, Army, Navy, US Public Health Services

Employment by State States with Highest Paid SLPs

Massachusetts Mississippi New YorkCaliforniaAlabamaConnecticut Georgia Illinois

SalaryAnnual Salary

Average: $71,550Below: $44,000-$56,000Above: $90,000-$111,000

Annual Salary by Employment1. Home Health Care Services (~$95,000)2. Nursing Care Facilities (~$89,000)3. Offices of Other Health Practitioners (~$80,000)4. Specialty Hospitals (~$80,000)5. General Medical/Surgical Hospitals (~$79,000)6. Elementary/Secondary Schools (~$67,000)

Growth PotentialGrowth Rate (2014-2024): 21%

Average Growth Rate for all Occupations: 7%Employment Change Rate (2014-2024):

+28,900 jobs Average Salary: Increased from $66,920 to

$73,970 (2010-2013)

ASLHA Standards for an SLP (American Speech Language Hearing Association)

Undergraduate Degree in CSD (not required)

Graduate Degree in Speech-Language Pathology

Post-Graduate Clinical Fellowship

Pass the PRAXIS exam Used for ASHA Certification,

State Professional Licensure, State Teacher Credential

Graduate Programs University of South Carolina (USC)- Columbia, SC

Pre-requisites: Human Biological Science Social/Behavioral Science Physics/Chemistry Statistics *Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech & Hearing Mechanism *Phonetics *Language Development *Articulation Disorders 25 hours of supervised observation

Average GPA: 3.70 Average GRE score: 153 (verbal) 148 (quantitative) Costs:

In-State Tuition: $22,896 More than 80% of students in this program have financial aid Scholarships are available

*May be completed in the summer before starting the program in the fall. *Since I did not take these courses as a part of my undergraduate degree I will have to take these courses during the summer program before beginning my master’s degree at USC

Graduate Programs University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, NC

Prerequisites Biological Sciences (2 credit hours) Physics/Chemistry (2 credit hours) Social/Behavioral Sciences (2 credit hours) Statistics (2 credit hours) *Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech and Hearting Mechanism *Speech Science *Intro to Audiology *Normal Language Acquisition *Phonetics

Average GPA: 3.74 Average GRE score: >50th percentile 100% Praxis passing rate 100% employment rate post-graduation

*Priority given to students who have completed these courses prior to admission.

Qualities of Speech Language Pathologist

O* NETDependability Concern for Others Integrity Cooperation Flexibility Attention to Detail Value of Relationships, Achievement, IndependenceCommunication skills

Why is it for me? O-Net Profile Results

Social, Artistic, Enterprising Speech Language Pathologist: SIA

Social: Involve working, communicating, and teaching with people and providing help or service to others. Through babysitting and working at a restaurant I have maintained social

skills in the work setting in past experiences. Investigative: Involve working with ideas and figuring out problems. Artistic: Involve working with forms, designs, and patterns but work

allows for self-expression and does not have to be completed with a clear set of rules. Speech pathology provides a lot of room for being creative when coming up

with activities, plans, and goals for each patient. My artistic skills will be beneficial as my career in SLP will not follow a clear set of rules.

*My O*Net Profile Results match the characteristics of a speech pathologist. My love for working with others, teaching, and being creative will promote success in this career path.

My Ideal SLP Career Master’s Degree in Speech

Language Pathology from USC or UNC

Pass the Praxis ExamCertification from ASHALocation: Georgia, South

Carolina, New York, Mississippi, North Carolina

Setting: Pediatric Hospital or Pediatric Private Practice

References "Degree Programs: Communication Sciences and Disorders." USC: Communication

Sciences and Disorders. University of South Carolina. Web. 18 Jan. 2016."Employment Settings for SLPs." American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.Lubinski R. 2010. Speech Therapy or Speech-Language Pathology. In: JH Stone, M

Blouin, editors. International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation. "Speech-Language Pathologists." American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.Speech and Hearing Sciences." MS in Speech-Language Pathology. University of

North Carolina. Web. 18 Jan. 2016."Speech-Language Pathologists." O*Net Online. American Job Center Network,

2014. Web. 18 Jan.2016."Speech-Language Pathologist Salary by State - Salary By State." Salary By State.

24 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Jan. 2016."Speech-Language Pathologists." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of

Labor Statistics, 2014. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.