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What Is Speech Therapy?

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Speech therapy is a form of healthcare that helps improve communication and speech. It can also help improve swallowing function and other behaviors related to feeding.

About one in 12 children in the United States has a speech or swallowing disorder. Disorders are most common in young children, but many adults have a related condition. For example, about one million adults in the United States have aphasia (difficulty expressing or comprehending written and verbal language).

Speech therapists (STs) or speech-language pathologists (SLPs) assess and treat people of all ages. They use various techniques to help people with challenges related to speech production, language comprehension, hearing, voice quality, fluency, and swallowing. 

What Does Speech Therapy Treat?

Speech therapy treats various disorders involving hearing, speech, language, literacy, social communication, voice quality, executive functioning (for example, memory and problem-solving), feeding, and swallowing.

Specific speech disorders include:

• Articulation disorders: Difficulty pronouncing words or sounds such as the “s” sound (for example, saying “thun” rather than “sun”). This can occur during childhood language development or with structural problems like tongue-tie. A tongue tie is when a small band of skin connects the tip of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. It is congenital, meaning it's present at birth.
• Dysarthria: Slow, slurred, or unclear speech. This occurs with oral (mouth) muscle control decline due to neurological conditions (related to the brain or nervous system), such as multiple sclerosis (MS) —a condition that occurs when the immune system attacks myelin, the covering wrapped around nerve cells.
• Apraxia: Knowing what you want to say but having difficulty producing the correct sounds or words. Apraxia can cause slow, error-prone speech or the need to intentionally move your tongue and lips in order to produce sounds and words. Apraxia can be present at birth, but it can also occur as a result of brain injuries, brain tumors , or a stroke .
• Fluency disorders: Speech flow disruptions like stuttering. Stuttering is experiencing interruptions in speech and repeating sounds, syllables, or words. Researchers are still exploring possible causes of dysfluency, but they seem to include genetics, developmental components, neurological factors (how the brain processes), and brain injury. Many children outgrow fluency disorders, but they can persist into adulthood.
• Voice disorders: Vocal cord spasming (choppy voice), hoarseness, pitch problems, or voice fatigue are examples of voice disorders. This can result from infection, overusing the vocal cords, or neurological disorders. 

Language or communication disorders include:

• Aphasia : Aphasia is a language disorder in which you have difficulty expressing or comprehending written and verbal language. Receptive aphasia is difficulty understanding written or verbal words. Expressive aphasia is difficulty communicating thoughts and ideas with language components like vocabulary, grammar, and sentence formation. Aphasia can occur with childhood development, language impairment, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), brain injury, or neurological disorders.
• Pragmatic language disorder: This relates to social communication. Signs include misunderstanding social cues like eye contact, body language, and personal space. It can occur during childhood development or with underlying neurodivergence (brain variation), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) , a brain development condition that affects how a person perceives and socializes with other people.
• Accent or tone: While this is not a disorder, speech therapists can also work with people who wish to modify their accent or an unusual speech rhythm, pitch, or tone. For example, a high-pitched, sing-song, or robotic tone can occur with ASD.
• Executive functioning: Executive functioning challenges include difficulty with memory, planning, organization, problem-solving, and attention. This can occur due to brain injuries or conditions like ASD and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) , a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention (being distracted), hyperactivity (feeling restless), and impulsivity (making hasty decisions).
• Auditory processing disorder: This is a neurological condition that makes it difficult to make sense of sounds. 

Feeding and swallowing disorders affect how you suck, chew, and swallow food and drinks. Difficulty swallowing is also known as dysphagia , which can result in choking during meals—and lung infections if food or liquid enters the airways.  It can occur with structural abnormalities, muscular weakness, or neurological conditions like a stroke.  

How Does Speech Therapy Work?

Speech therapy involves techniques like language practice, pronunciation exercises, voice therapy, and swallowing exercises. It begins with a thorough assessment, including observation of communication strategies, challenges, and frustrations.

Speech therapy for infants, toddlers, and children involves fun and engaging activities like play, language exercises, reading, picture cards, and modeling correct sounds. This helps make learning more enjoyable.  

Parents or caregivers often attend sessions and learn ways to support children at home. The ST or SLP will tailor the treatment plan to the child’s developmental stage. Early recognition and intervention (treatment) can help improve outcomes.

With adults, the ST or SLP will begin with an assessment to identify specific challenges. They will then create a specific care plan that addresses underlying concerns such as:

• Medical conditions
• Accent modification
• Voice challenges
• Pronunciation
• Conversational language
• Problem-solving
• Memory exercises

What To Expect During Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can occur in a class, small group, online, or one-on-one. Speech therapists typically assign exercises to practice at home in order to reinforce what you learn. Activities might include:

• Vocal warm-ups like humming 
• Tongue twisters to improve articulation
• Breaking words into syllables to improve clarity
• Contrasting word exercises—for example, "ship" versus "sheep"
• “Pausing” practice (for stuttering)
• Repetition after listening to a native speaker 
• Repetition exercises for sounds like “s” 
• Speech rate control—for example, by tapping hands to a beat
• Pitch exercises
• Breathing and posture exercises

Receptive language exercises include:

• Memory or problem-solving exercises
• Reading comprehension (similar to a book report)
• Speech supplementation (written, gestural, voice amplifier, speech-generating devices)
• Word association
• Communication partner exercises, such as practicing eye contact and active listening

Exercises for swallowing and feeding include:

• Diet modification (pureed to solid foods)
• Oral muscle strengthening (like tongue “push-ups”)
• Swallowing exercises

Benefits of Speech Therapy

One of the main goals of speech therapy is to enhance a person’s ability to express thoughts, ideas, and emotions effectively. This can lead to a greater sense of self-expression, meaningful interactions with others, and less frustration. Other benefits include:

• Greater self-confidence: Gaining more control over language and communication can increase confidence and boost self-esteem. As a result, you might be more willing and excited to engage in social activities. 
• Improved academic or professional performance: Clear speech and language can lead to enhanced skills in comprehension, reading, and writing. This can support academic success. Better articulation, language, and presentation abilities can help with career development.
• Greater independence: Speech therapy can lead to greater self-reliance, especially if you have severe communication challenges. For example, augmented and alternative communication (AAC) methods , such as speech-generating devices (SGDs), can allow you to express yourself more independently.

How Successful Is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy's “success” depends on your goals. The meaning of success can vary based on your underlying communication or medical condition and its severity, as well as your motivation and commitment to therapy, the therapist's expertise, and your support systems. The time it takes to reach your goals also varies based on underlying factors like these.

For example, you may define success as improved pronunciation, or you may work towards more effective communication, more skilled accent modification, or swallowing without choking. If you stutter, your goal might be improved fluency or feeling more comfortable communicating openly with a stutter. For most people, what’s most important is to set realistic expectations and recognize that any improvement in communication is a success.

How To Find a Speech Therapist

A qualified speech therapist or speech-language pathologist holds a master's degree in speech-language pathology and state licensure to practice in your area. You can find speech therapists in settings like:

• Home health agencies
• Rehabilitation centers
• Private practice
• Telehealth (online)

You can also ask for recommendations from healthcare providers or school personnel who may know local speech therapists. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) also offers an online directory of certified speech therapies to help you locate someone in your area.

Check with your health insurance provider to see if they cover speech therapy. They can provide you with information about your co-payments and deductibles. If your insurance doesn't cover the cost, the clinic or speech therapist may offer payment plans . Some children may also qualify for:

• Individualized education programs (IEPs) that cover speech therapy costs as a service from the school district
• Early intervention (EI) or Preschool on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) programs for infants and toddlers for little or no cost to families
• State and federal programs, like Medicaid
• Financial assistance programs from non-profit and advocate organizations

A Quick Review

Speech therapy is a specialized healthcare field in which trained professionals help improve speech, language, hearing, swallowing, and feeding for people of all ages. Speech therapists (STs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) thoroughly assess and develop specific treatment plans for a wide range of conditions including difficulty communicating or processing language, stuttering, and voice disorders.

Speech therapy takes place in locations like schools, hospitals, and private practice. It can be one-on-one or in a group setting. Success depends on underlying factors such as the severity of the condition. It also depends on personal goals and your definition of success—which can vary widely from person to person.

Many people who have speech therapy experience powerful benefits that affect them in nearly every aspect of life, including greater self-confidence and self-reliance.

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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Who are speech-language pathologists, and what do they do? .

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Stuttering .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Stuttering .

Law J, Dennis JA, Charlton JJ. Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and/or language disorders . The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 2017 (1). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012490

Krekeler BN, Weycker JM, Connor NP. Effects of tongue exercise frequency on tongue muscle biology and swallowing physiology in a rat Model . Dysphagia . 2020; 35 (6):918. doi:10.1007/s00455-020-10105-2

National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Speech and language developmental milestones .

National Institute of Health Clinical Center. Speech and language pathology .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dysarthria in adult

Brady MC, Kelly H, Godwin J, Enderby P, Campbell P. Speech and language therapy for aphasia following stroke . The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 2016 (6). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000425.pub4

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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Help finding a professional .

Related Articles

Speech therapy: What it is and how it helps with language challenges

Speech therapy can help with communication skills, including spoken and written language. It can even help with reading. Learn more about this treatment, and how to request it for your child.

By Gail Belsky

Expert reviewed by Kelli Johnson, MA

Speech therapy is a treatment that can help improve communication skills. It’s sometimes called speech-language therapy.

Many people think that speech therapy is only for kids with speech disorders that affect pronunciation. But it can also target problems with:

Receptive language (understanding language)

Expressive language (using language)

Social communication (using language in socially appropriate ways)

Reading and spelling (including dyslexia )

Here’s more about speech therapy and how it can help kids with language challenges.

Dive deeper

How speech-language therapy works.

The specialists who do this type of therapy are speech-language pathologists (SLPs). They first identify what kind of speech or language problem a child has. Then they find the underlying causes and the best treatment. 

Therapy can happen one-on-one or in small groups. It may last from a few months to a few years. The earlier therapy begins, the more helpful it is. Language difficulties are usually lifelong, but skills can improve with the right support. 

Kids may get therapy in school for free as part of special education. It would be part of an IEP . Or they might start even earlier. One way is through their state’s early intervention system. Therapy can also happen in private settings.

Speech-language therapy is tailored to a child’s specific needs. Here are some common skills SLPs work on:

Phonological awareness. An early reading skill. To improve it, SLPs might focus on rhyming and identifying sounds in words. 

Expressing more complex ideas. SLPs might teach “joining words” like and , but , or because to help kids combine their ideas in sentences.

Building vocabulary. SLPs might help kids remember words by acting them out or using them to tell a story.

Conversation skills. SLPs might role-play conversation and help kids pick up on social cues.

Parents and caregivers can help kids practice these exercises at home. This can make speech therapy even more effective.

Learn more about how speech-language pathologists work with kids .

Speech-language therapy and reading challenges

Phonological awareness is one of the first reading skills. It’s the ability to recognize and use sounds in spoken language. Kids rely on this skill to sound out (decode) words. 

Kids with reading challenges like dyslexia often have trouble with this skill. Speech-language therapy can help them hear that the word bat breaks down into b , a , and t sounds. This can improve reading comprehension skills.

Challenges with language can also cause problems with reading comprehension. SLPs work on those skills, too.

Learn more about phonological awareness .

How to request speech therapy

To get speech therapy at school, kids need to be evaluated by the SLP. This tends to be part of a full school evaluation for special education services. For some kids, speech therapy is the only service they need. Find out how to request a free evaluation for:

Early intervention (kids under age 3)

Preschoolers (kids ages 3–5)

Kids in kindergarten and up

Explore related topics

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August 12, 2022

What is Speech Therapy?

Many individuals will have experience with speech therapy at some point in their life. But what is speech therapy, exactly? Speech therapy is a specialized treatment performed by a speech-language pathologist that helps individuals of all ages improve their speech and communication.

Speech therapy prevents, assesses, and treats communication problems, delays, and disorders. It is performed by a communication specialist called a speech-language pathologist (also referred to as a speech pathologist, speech therapist, or SLP).

Speech therapy aims to improve an individual’s speech and/or language skills and treat developmental delays, swallowing disorders, fluency disorders, voice and resonance disorders, and more.

Who Needs Speech Therapy?

Speech therapists help a wide variety of clients from birth to old age. Individuals who might benefit from speech therapy include the following.

• Infants. Speech therapy helps infants and babies with feeding, speech development, and early communication skills.
• Toddlers and Preschoolers. Toddlers and preschoolers receive speech therapy to treat speech delays and disorders and enhance language development (identifying body parts, following simple directions, etc.).
• Children and Adolescents. Speech therapy can help children with a variety of disorders, including speech sound disorders, language delays, stuttering, voice disorders, auditory processing, verbal expression, and much more.
• Adults. Adults can be treated in therapy for the same delays and disorders as those seen in adolescents, as well as for aphasia, dysarthria, memory, cognition, accent reduction, swallowing, and gender-affirming voice therapy.
• Elderly. Speech therapy can be very beneficial for seniors. Therapy may work on improving functional communication skills, safe swallowing techniques, and memory and problem-solving skills.

What Does Speech Therapy Do?

A speech-language pathologist treats a wide range of communication delays and disorders. They provide therapy in the areas of articulation, language, fluency, resonance, cognition, voice, swallowing, dysarthria, auditory rehab, and more.

1. Articulation

A speech sound disorder (also known as an articulation disorder) is the inability to correctly produce speech sounds (called phonemes). These disorders are most common in children and may include an omission, substitution, distortion, or addition of sounds when speaking, often making the child difficult to understand.

• Omissions. Leaving out a sound in a word. (Example: Saying “unny” for “bunny” or “ar” for “car.”) .
• Substitutions. When a sound is said in place of another. (Example: A child has a “lisp” and says “thun” for “sun” or when a child substitutes a W for an R and says “wabbit” for “rabbit.”)
• Distortions. A non-typical sound is said in place of the correct sound in a word. (Example: A child has a lateral lisp where the air escapes out the side of the teeth when saying the “S” sound, making it sound “slushy” and hard to understand.)
• Additions. A sound is added to a word, like extra vowels or an extra consonant. (Example: Saying “puhlay” for “play.”)

2. Language

A language disorder is when a person has difficulty understanding written or spoken language or expressing their wants and needs to others. People with a language disorder may have an expressive language disorder, receptive language disorder, or both.

• Expressive Language. Individuals with an expressive language disorder have difficulty communicating their wants and needs to others through speech, writing, or gestures. Individuals with an expressive language disorder may not produce grammatically correct sentences, have a limited vocabulary, and may speak in short phrases instead of full sentences.
• Receptive Language. A receptive language disorder causes difficulty understanding or processing language. Individuals with a receptive language disorder may have difficulty following directions, and answering questions.

Fluency disorders interrupt the normal rate, rhythm, and speed of speech. Rather than speaking in a smooth, consistent rate of speech, individuals with a fluency disorder will have repetitions, prolongations, and blocks when they speak. They may also experience tension when they speak and have secondary behaviors (like eye blinking or nodding their head) when communicating.

Fluency disorders are divided into two categories: stuttering and cluttering.

• Stuttering. Stuttering is the most common type of disfluency. It is characterized by repetitions of sounds, syllables, words, and phrases, blocks in the flow of speech, and sound prolongations.
• Cluttering. Unlike stuttering, cluttering is a fluency disorder where the individual talks at a fast rate and often combines words or phrases together, making the speech difficult to understand. Cluttered speech is often filled with abnormal pauses, deletion of syllables, abrupt topic changes, and omission of word endings.

4. Resonance

Resonance disorders occur when there is too much or too little sound energy through the nasal and/or oral cavities. This is often caused by neurological disorders, cleft palate, and other structural conditions like enlarged tonsils. Resonance disorders can be broken down into the following four categories.

• Hypernasality . Hypernasality occurs when there is too much sound energy in the nasal cavity (nose) when speaking. A person with hypernasality may sound like they are talking through their nose.
• Hyponasality. Hyponasalaity occurs when there is not enough sound energy resonating in the nasal cavity (nose) when speaking. A person with hyponasality will sound like they are speaking with a severely stuffed nose.
• Cul-de-sac resonance. A person with cul-de-sac resonance has speech that resonates in their throat, nose, or mouth but it is unable to escape due to an obstruction. They may sound like they are mumbling when speaking or like the sound is muffled in their throat or nose.
• Mixed resonance. This type of resonance disorder occurs when one or more of the previous types of disorders are present at the same time during speech.

Voice therapy is used to improve the quality of a person’s voice and provide treatment for conditions such as vocal fold nodules, polyps, or cysts. It can also be used to improve the speech of someone with spasmodic dysphonia, tremor, and vocal fold paralysis.

Voice therapy aims to improve phonation quality, pitch, and loudness, and helps decrease harmful vocal behavior.

6. Cognition

Speech therapy can assist individuals with acquired cognition deficits. These often occur following a stroke, brain damage, tumor, or neurological damage. Damage to the brain can greatly affect a person’s ability to communicate, and speech therapy provides help in the following areas.

• Problem solving.
• Executive functioning.

7. Feeding and Swallowing

Speech therapists are swallowing specialists and provide therapy for a number of feeding and swallowing conditions and disorders. They work with infants, children, adults, and the elderly to ensure the safe transition of food through all four stages of swallowing.

9. Auditory Habilitation/Rehabilitation

Auditory habilitation/rehabilitation helps individuals with hearing loss improve their ability to communicate with others. It can also assist children and adolescents with dyslexia, autism, and other auditory processing disorders and deficits.

A speech therapist works with a team of specialists to improve speech, language, and hearing skills through a variety of devices and materials.

10. Other Services

In addition to these areas of expertise, speech therapy can also provide elective services including, but not limited to the following.

• Accent modification. Whether a person wants to decrease the severity of their accent or master an accent for acting or other purposes, speech therapy can help train a client on the characteristics of specific accents and dialects.
• Gender-affirming therapy. Speech therapy can help an individual train their voice and nonverbal communication to best match their authentic self.
• Professional communication skills. Speech therapists are experts in communication, and they can help improve public speaking skills and help manage anxiety when speaking to large groups.

Where Does Speech Therapy Take Place?

Speech therapy can be done in many locations based on a client’s needs.

• Private and public schools.
• Private practice.
• Skilled nursing facilities.
• Inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
• Long-term care facilities.
• Telepractice.

Speech therapy can also be provided within a client’s home for infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services or for the elderly with limited mobility.

How Long Does Speech Therapy Take?

There is no set time limit for speech therapy as therapy duration will be different for each person. While some children in therapy working on fixing their lisp (correctly saying the S sound) will take 1-2 years, other children with a severe form of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) will need therapy for many, many years.

Prognosis and how long someone will be receiving speech therapy services is dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to:

• Patient age.
• Type of disorder.
• Severity of the disorder.
• Frequency and duration of speech therapy.
• Family support and assistance with at-home therapy “homework.”
• Prognosis of any medical conditions contributing to the speech or language disorder.

Does Speech Therapy Work?

Speech therapy is proven to be very successful at improving speech and communication in a variety of individuals.

Keep in mind that the progress and success of speech therapy vary from person to person. The more consistent the therapy, the higher likelihood of success.

In addition to consistency, the earlier therapy is started (especially in children with delays), the better the prognosis.

Please reach out to a speech therapist if you are concerned about your or your loved one’s speech or communication. You can also email general questions to [email protected].

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One Comment

It made sense to me when you pointed out that there will be a higher likelihood of success when speech therapy is done consistently. My four-year-old son seems to have speech problems because he cannot say words clearly, and he stutters a lot. I do not want his speech problems to become a bigger problem when he starts studying, so I will find a reliable speech pathologist who can help him in the best possible way.

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What is a Speech Pathologist, and What Do They Do?

© Copyright 2022

What is a Speech Therapist?

A speech therapist, also called a speech-language pathologist, helps people with communication and swallowing disorders. They work with individuals of all ages, from infants to older adults. Additionally, speech therapists aim to improve speech, language, and communication skills. Their goal is to help patients express themselves effectively and understand others better.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP’s)

Speech therapists have a wide range of roles and responsibilities. They assess, diagnose, and treat various communication and swallowing disorders. Moreover, they develop personalized treatment plans for each patient based on their specific needs. Speech therapists also collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as physicians and psychologists, to provide comprehensive care. They may work in various settings, including hospitals, schools, and private practices.

Therapy Techniques used by Speech Therapists

SLP’s use various techniques, such as:

Articulation Therapy

Articulation therapy teaches patients to produce speech sounds correctly. This may involve practicing specific sounds, words, and sentences. Additionally, therapists may use mirrors, diagrams, or other visual aids to help patients understand proper mouth and tongue positioning.

Language Intervention Activities

Language intervention activities help improve vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. These may include picture naming, storytelling, and role-playing. Moreover, therapists may use books, games, or computer programs to make therapy engaging and interactive.

Other Techniques

Other techniques may be used depending on the specific disorder being treated. For example, swallowing therapy may involve exercises to strengthen mouth and throat muscles. Voice therapy may focus on breathing techniques and vocal hygiene.

The Process of Speech Therapy

The speech therapy process involves several steps:

The therapist assesses the patient’s communication and swallowing abilities to determine the disorder’s extent. This may involve formal tests, observations, and interviews with the patient and family members.

Treatment Plan Development

Based on the assessment, the speech therapist creates a personalized treatment plan. This plan outlines specific goals, strategies, and activities to address the patient’s needs. Moreover, the plan may include recommendations for home practice and family involvement.

Ongoing Therapy

The patient attends regular therapy sessions to improve their skills. Sessions may be individual or group-based, depending on the patient’s needs. The therapist adjusts the plan as needed based on the patient’s progress. Additionally, the therapist may provide resources and support for the patient and family to continue practicing at home

In Conclusion

Speech therapists play a vital role in helping people with communication and swallowing disorders. By providing personalized treatment plans and using various techniques, they help patients overcome challenges and improve their quality of life. If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties with speech, language, or swallowing, consult a speech therapist. With the right support and guidance, individuals can make significant progress and achieve their communication goals.

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In brief: what is speech therapy.

Created: August 12, 2020 ; Next update: 2024.

Speech therapy can help people who have difficulty speaking to communicate better and to break down the barriers that result from speech impediments. The goals of speech therapy include improving pronunciation, strengthening the muscles used in speech, and learning to speak correctly.

Speech therapy can be used for a lot of different speech problems and disorders, from smaller problems like a hoarse voice up to partial loss of speech due to brain damage. Depending on the type of disorder, other medical or psychological treatments may be used as well.

• What kinds of disorders can speech therapy treat?

Speech therapy can be used to treat language disorders, speech disorders and swallowing problems.

Language disorders

A childhood language disorder can affect the child’s ability to learn to speak, to name objects and build complete sentences. Although the causes of these disorders are often not clear, the main known risk factors include hearing problems , general developmental problems and disorders affecting the development of the brain.

Language disorders in adults are almost always the result of brain injury or disease. People who have had a stroke , for example, often have trouble forming sentences or remembering words. That type of disorder is called aphasia.

Speech disorders

People with speech disorders have difficulty producing the sounds of speech, saying words clearly or talking fluently.

Children often have trouble with pronunciation, and may have a lisp or swap certain sounds for others. Speech disorders may be the result of developmental disorders, but psychological factors might also play a role. Adults with neurological diseases sometimes have speech disorders too, often making it hard to understand them.

Another group of speech disorders, known as fluency disorders, involve problems with the flow or evenness of speech. People with this sort of disorder may stutter or “clutter,” for example. When people stutter, there are often silent pauses in their speech, or they repeat or lengthen certain sounds or syllables. Cluttering is abnormally fast speech that makes the pronunciation imprecise or leaves out sounds or parts of words.

Voice disorders (dysphonia)

A voice disorder is a persistent change in someone’s voice. They might sound hoarse, strained, raspy or nearly silent. Often the voice is somewhat weak – in other words, it cracks easily or the person is not able to speak loudly. Voice disorders may arise from speaking too much or too loudly, from using the wrong breathing technique, or from problems with the voice box (larynx) like vocal nodules . Psychological causes like depression or a reaction to a distressing event can change a person’s voice too.

Trouble swallowing

In people with swallowing problems, the movements of the muscles involved in swallowing are affected. This leads to problems transporting food through the mouth and throat. The cause is often a disease or disorder of the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s disease , multiple sclerosis, dementia , an infection like Lyme disease or tetanus, or a head injury. If food gets into the lungs because of a swallowing disorder, it can lead to life-threatening complications.

What treatments are used in speech therapy?

There are various speech therapy techniques for each of the areas described above – the ones that are considered depend on the particular disorder. A long series of treatment sessions is typically needed, with each lasting 30 to 60 minutes. They may take place in a group or one-on-one.

The treatment approaches used in speech therapy include:

• Perception exercises, for example to differentiate between individual sounds and syllables
• Exercises to produce certain sounds and improve the fluency of speech
• Exercises to improve breathing, swallowing and the voice
• Help with communication using things like sign language, communication boards and computer-assisted speech
• Advice for people who need speech therapy, their parents and other loved ones
• Support in implementing these measures in everyday life

For the treatment to help over the long term, it’s often important to also regularly practice the techniques at home.

• Where is speech therapy offered?

Speech therapy is offered at the following facilities:

• Speech therapy practices
• Rehabilitative care centers
• Special needs schools
• Children's day care facilities specializing in speech therapy

Besides speech therapists, there are a number of other specialists who also use similar methods. These include breathing, speech and voice coaches.

• Do statutory health insurers cover the costs of speech therapy?

Note: The procedures and requirements for applying for and receiving speech therapy may vary according to your country. This information describes the current situation in Germany.

To have outpatient treatment at a speech therapy practice, you need a prescription from a doctor. An initial prescription will generally include up to 10 treatments, each typically lasting 30 to 60 minutes. Appointments are usually offered one to three times per week.

For the medical conditions listed above, prescribed speech therapy is often covered by statutory health insurers (apart from a fixed amount that you have to pay yourself, known as a copayment). The copayment does not have to be paid when getting a treatment that has been prescribed for children. If speech therapy is given as a part of rehabilitative care, an accident insurer or pension fund will cover the costs.

The copayment that you have to pay for yourself is 10 euros per prescription plus 10% of the treatment costs. If each treatment costs 55 euros, for example, for ten treatments you would have to pay 65 euros (the basic fee of 10 euros per prescription plus 10 x 5.50 euros).

Some speech therapists may offer certain treatments without a prescription. You then have to pay for all of the costs yourself. In Germany, these are known as individual health care services (individuelle Gesundheitsleistungen, or IGeL for short).

The German Federal Association of Speech Therapists (DBL) has a search function for speech therapists on their website (in German).

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• Deutscher Bundesverband für akademische Sprachtherapie und Logopädie (dbs). Der Verband [ dbs homepage ]. 2020.
• Deutscher Bundesverband für Logopädie (dbl). Logopädie . 2020.
• Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA). Richtlinie über die Verordnung von Heilmitteln in der vertragsärztlichen Versorgung (Heilmittel-Richtlinie/HeilM-RL) . July 1, 2020.
• Verband der Ersatzkassen (vdek). Rahmenvertrag zwischen LOGO Deutschland und den Ersatzkassen über die Versorgung mit Leistungen der Stimm-, Sprech- und Sprachtherapie. Anlage 1: Leistungsbeschreibung . June 1, 2017.

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Types of Speech Therapy

Different speech therapy approaches and techniques are used for various issues

• List of Types
• For Late Talkers
• For Apraxia
• For Stuttering
• For Aphasia
• For Swallowing

Frequently Asked Questions

Speech therapy is not one thing. There are different types of speech therapy, each of which involves approaches and techniques that are specific to the issue that needs addressing. That could be related to speech itself—e.g., therapy for people who stutter—or it could relate to problems with memory swallowing, and more.

A speech-language pathologist (SLP), often just called a speech therapist, will perform assessments to determine which type(s) of speech therapy is right for you.

This article reviews the different types of speech therapy and the various disorders each one can be used to treat.

Types of Speech Therapy Used by Speech Therapists

A speech-language pathologist can use different types of speech therapy to help people with problems related to:

• Fluency (e.g., stuttering, and cluttering)
• Speech (e.g., articulation)
• Language (e.g., ability; comprehension of spoken and written language)
• Cognition (e.g., attention, memory, ability to solve problems)
• Voice (e.g., characteristics of vocal tone)
• Swallowing (e.g., stroke, congenital disorders)

In addition to different speech therapy techniques, SLPs may also provide auditory habilitation & auditory rehabilitation for people with hearing problems or disorders.

Some SLPs specialize in other services including professional voice development, accent or dialect modification, transgender voice therapy , business communication modification, and voice hygiene.

Speech Therapy for Late Talkers

A common speech therapy method is used to help children who have reached the expected age for speech development but have not started talking .

If your infant or toddler should be talking by now but isn't, they may be referred to a speech therapist. The therapist will likely try different things to encourage your child to talk, including playing with him. Sometimes, withholding a favorite toy until a child asks for it motivates small children to talk, but this depends on the circumstance.

For some children, other types of communication, such as sign language or picture cards, might be introduced. Speech therapists may also refer your child for further evaluation, such as hearing tests if necessary.

Speech Therapy for Kids With Apraxia

Certain speech therapy techniques are helpful for kids with apraxia.

Children with apraxia of speech have difficulty saying certain syllables or making certain sounds. Your child knows what they want to say, but it doesn't seem to come out right. Speech therapists are qualified to evaluate children for apraxia by using several tests, including:

• Oral-motor assessment to check for muscle weakness in the jaw, lips, or tongue
• Melody of speech assessment during which the therapist listens to see if they can appropriately stress certain syllables and use pitch and pauses at the appropriate place in a sentence
• Speech sound assessment further determines how well the child can pronounce sounds, including vowels, consonants, and sound combinations. This includes determining how well others are able to understand the child's conversational speech

If your child is diagnosed with apraxia , they will probably need speech therapy on a one-on-one basis several times per week. This therapy will likely consist of intensively practicing their speech. The therapist will try to help your child understand auditory feedback as well as visual or tactile cues.

One way a therapist might do this is to have your child look at themselves in a mirror while speaking, or record them speaking and then playing it back. Many children enjoy this.

Since successful treatment for apraxia involves a lot of time and commitment, your therapist may give you assignments to practice with your child at home.

Speech Therapy for Stuttering

Speech therapy techniques can be applied to help treat stuttering.

Stuttering is a problem that typically develops during childhood but can develop during adulthood as well. Stuttering is usually considered a type of behavioral problem. Speech therapists will try to teach your child who stutters behavioral modification techniques that in turn may help control their stuttering.

A common method that may be used on your child is to teach them to control the rate of speech since speaking too quickly can make stuttering worse for some people. Practicing speech in a slower, more fluent manner can be helpful. It can also be helpful to monitor breathing.

Even after treatment, people who stutter may require follow-up sessions with their speech therapist to keep the problem from recurring.

Speech Therapy for Aphasia

Some speech therapy methods help people with aphasia . Speech therapy assessments can also help determine if someone has the condition.

Aphasia is a condition that causes difficulty speaking as a result of some sort of damage to the brain. The condition can also consist of difficulty listening, reading, and writing. Aphasia happens to many adults after they have experienced a stroke .

Speech therapists play a crucial role in diagnosing aphasia by evaluating an individual's ability to understand others, express themselves, and even swallow. There are many different things a speech therapist might do to help a person with aphasia, including:

• Drills to improve specific language skills
• Group therapy to improve conversational skills
• Gestures and writing to augment their communication skills

Speech Therapy for Swallowing Difficulty

Speech therapy techniques can also be used to help people who are not able to swallow when they eat or drink.

Your child may experience difficulty swallowing for a variety of reasons. A speech therapist may help your child with swallowing difficulty by assisting them with exercises to make her mouth strong, increase tongue movement, and improve chewing.

A speech therapist may also make recommendations about the consistency of food. For infants, a speech therapist may assist in coordinating her suck-swallow-breath pattern. As previously mentioned these are only some of the things that a speech therapist might do. There are many other conditions and methods used to evaluate those in need.

There are different types of speech therapy that can be used to treat various disorders affecting speech, hearing, and swallowing. Children and adults with speech delays, apraxia, swallowing problems, and certain medical conditions may benefit from working with a speech therapist.

A speech therapist evaluates, diagnoses, and treats speech issues and communication problems, as well as swallowing disorders. They provide various services, from teaching articulation and clear speaking to helping strengthen muscles used to talk and swallow.

The four types of articulation disorders are substitution, omission, distortion, and addition. Speech-language pathologists use the acronym SODA to remember them.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Treatment . Asha.org.

Chang S, Synnestvedt A, Ostuni J, Ludlow C. Similarities in speech and white matter characteristics in idiopathic developmental stuttering and adult-onset stuttering .  J Neurolinguistics . 2010;23(5):455-469. doi:10.1016/j.jneuroling.2008.11.004

Stuttering . Asha.org.

American Psychological Association. APA Dictionary of Psychology - Definition of Articulation Disorder .

Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology . American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech . American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) in Children . American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

By Kristin Hayes, RN Kristin Hayes, RN, is a registered nurse specializing in ear, nose, and throat disorders for both adults and children.

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What Does a Speech Pathologist Do?

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Speech@Emerson / Resources

August 20, 2020 

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide care to people with speech, language, cognition or swallowing impairments, from infants to older adults and everyone in between. If you are interested in a health care career that offers an array of specialties, practice settings or clientele, speech-language pathology may be the field for you. This resource will outline what a career in speech-language pathology entails, highlight the differences between a speech-language pathologist and speech therapist, and describe the different settings where SLPs offer their services.

What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

A speech-language pathologist is responsible for assessing, diagnosing, treating and developing plans of care to help improve, maintain and restore certain skills and functions in their clients. Such functions include:

• Articulation or phonological disorders, such as dysarthria or apraxia of speech.
• Language processing challenges.
• Language fluency, including stuttering.
• Feeding and swallowing difficulties due to dysphagia.
• Social communication pragmatics.

Licensing requirements to practice as an SLP vary by state, but most require supervised clinical experience and at least a  Master of Sciences in Communication Disorders (M.S.).  The  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)  offers certification once individuals have passed the  Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology.

So, why become an SLP? The path to becoming a speech-language pathologist requires hard work. But the career comes with the opportunity to improve an individual’s overall quality of life, and that can be rewarding.

Working in a high-growth field is another reason some people might consider a career as an SLP.  Speech-language pathologists held about 153,700 jobs in 2018,  according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). By 2028, the BLS projects that the number of speech-language pathology jobs will reach 195,600.

Speech Pathologist vs. Speech Therapist

What’s the difference between a speech pathologist and a speech therapist? Actually, there isn’t one. Speech-language pathology is the official profession of an individual who is commonly known as a speech therapist or a speech teacher. The terms are used interchangeably to refer to someone who evaluates clients’ unique communication impairments or disorders and determines a specialized course of treatment to help them improve over time.

Job Description of a Speech Pathologist

The day-to-day duties of a speech-language pathologist may vary based on the work setting and area of specialization. However, some key responsibilities SLPs share are as follows:

• Conduct screenings to assess a client’s speech and swallowing challenges.
• Evaluate and diagnose speech, language and communication disorders.
• Develop an appropriate treatment plan.
• Provide rehabilitation or communication strategies for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Train, communicate and educate family and caregivers of those with communication or swallowing disorders.
• Offer augmentative and alternative communication systems for clients who experience challenges with severe social expression or language comprehension disorders, such as those on the autism spectrum.
• Use an interdisciplinary approach to address a client’s communication and swallowing needs.
• Complete administrative tasks, including the recording of a client’s progress during and after treatment and the maintenance of client records.

There are a variety of work settings that a speech-language pathologist can choose from. SLPs can work in nursing and residential care facilities, offices of audiologists and physical therapists or have offices of their own.

Some SLPs choose to specialize in treating and supporting clients of a specific age group, such as young children or older adults.  Our Master of Sciences in Communication Disorders (M.S.) program includes applied courses,  such as CD642-Autism: Social Communication Development and Disorder, which introduces students to the development of social communication skills in children. By the time students graduate and become licensed, they will be prepared to work with children with autism and help them to build communication and social skills outside of the typical classroom setting. The knowledge and skills acquired during applied courses may also enable students to support adults with autism who may be joining the workforce. In those cases, the SLP provides direction when it comes to writing cover letters and preparing for job interviews.

Our program also includes  clinical placements . During in-person placements, our students have the opportunity to grow their practical understanding of the communication disorders that they study in the virtual classroom. They also gain exposure to clinical settings and can decide whether they’d like to work in such an environment once they become licensed.

Speech-Language Pathologists in Hospitals vs. in Schools

Hospitals and schools are two of the  most common work settings for speech-language pathologists,  according to ASHA. Both settings come with unique challenges and opportunities.

What Does an SLP Do in a Hospital?

Medical speech-language pathologists work in health care facilities such as hospitals. They belong to an interdisciplinary treatment team that designs and implements a client’s acute or rehabilitation care plan. They may collaborate with physicians, psychologists, social workers, audiologists, or physical and occupational therapists to get the job done. The BLS indicates that  hospital-based SLPs make up 14% of all practicing SLPs.

A hospital-based or medical SLP’s main job functions may include the following:

• Diagnosing and treating cognitive, language, communication and swallowing disorders.
• Working with a range of clients who suffer from chronic diseases or have been affected by neurological events causing trauma to the brain, such as stroke, seizure, cancer or physical trauma.
• Prescribing modified diet plans for clients experiencing difficulty swallowing and symptoms of dysphagia.
• Conducting periodic screenings.
• Providing guidance, support and education to clients and their primary caregivers.
• Informing clinical staff about communication disorders to provide clients with a holistic health treatment plan.
• Conducting research on treatment methods for communication and swallowing disorders.

What Does an SLP Do in a School?

Speech-language pathologists working in education settings constitute 38% of all SLPs,  according to the BLS. Education settings include pre-kindergarten, K–12 public and private schools, and colleges and universities.

SLPs who work in early childhood education settings employ intervention strategies and support students throughout their learning cycles. It is also important for school-based SLPs to advise and work with educators and administrators. This ensures that students’ communication challenges are addressed holistically, so as not to disrupt their learning.

A school-based SLP or speech teacher’s key responsibilities may include the following:

• Conducting diagnostic evaluations and assessing students’ communication skills.
• Working with school-age children or college students with a range of learning, physical and auditory disabilities or disorders that adversely affect their educational performance.
• Identifying students who may be at risk for future communication and swallowing disorders or challenges.
• Consulting with and informing teachers, administrators and families about the prevention of and treatment for communication disorders.
• Performing classroom-based services as well as facilitating small-group and individual speech sessions.
• Working collaboratively to develop a treatment plan tailored to an individual student’s communication and swallowing challenges.
• Developing and implementing Individualized Family Service Plans and Individualized Education Programs.
• Documenting as required by federal, state and local agencies.
• Supervising clinical practicums for students working toward their SLP certification.
• Participating in schoolwide curriculum and literacy teams.

The first step to  becoming an SLP  and achieving your career goals is earning a Master of Sciences in Communication Disorders (M.S.). To learn more about the Speech@Emerson program, including its length, a look into our online campus and what to expect of immersion experiences, visit our  Speech@Emerson program page , contact the admissions team by phone at 855-997-0407 or send an email to  [email protected] .

Citation for this content:  Speech@Emerson, Emerson College’s online Master of Sciences in Communication Disorders (M.S.)

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Speech-Language Pathology SLP

| 7 July 2022

Speech-Language Pathologist vs. Speech Therapist

Are you curious about the difference between job descriptions for speech therapists and speech-language pathologists? Whether you’re considering speech-related careers or researching what kind of rehabilitation practitioner could help you or a loved one with a communications disorder, you’re not alone.

Speech therapists and speech-language pathologists are the same—there are no educational or qualification differences between a speech-language pathologist vs. a speech therapist. The terms are interchangeable. 1

Providers may say they perform speech therapy vs. speech pathology based on how they envision treatment styles or job roles. But the choice to refer to themselves as a “speech-language pathologist” or “speech therapist” does not reflect their educational level, qualifications or specialties. 

What Do Speech-Language Pathologists and Therapists Do?

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are licensed communication experts. 2 They identify and treat a variety of speech, hearing and feeding difficulties across a the lifespan. 

Some of their common treatment areas include:

• Speech sounds – SLPs can help patients improve one (or more) specific sounds in their speech patterns, correcting issues like lisps.
• Fluency – Not to be confused with literacy, fluency describes how smoothly people can speak without stumbling or stuttering. 
• Social communication – SLPs can help people who don’t readily understand social cues and other communication behaviors learn how to better engage and connect with others.
• Language – Language describes the extent to which we understand what we hear and speak. Aphasia is one example of a language disorder that SLPs can assist with.
• Voice and vocal hygiene – SLPs can help people who quickly grow hoarse or lose their voices improve their speaking techniques to prevent future injuries.
• Feeding and swallowing – SLPs treat dysphagia, which includes problems with chewing, swallowing and sucking that can lead to malnutrition and other illnesses. 
• Literacy – SLPs often diagnose disorders among people who are having trouble speaking, reading or writing in their native language. 

Communication disorders can overlap, which makes diagnosis and treatment complex. The SLP brings their knowledge of anatomy, diagnostic skills and clinical knowledge to working with the patient and their care team. 

Learn More About Our SLP Programs

Whom Do Speech-Language Pathologists and Therapists Treat?

Speech-language pathologists treat patients of all ages across a variety of settings. 3 Let’s explore some scenarios in which SLPs can improve a patient’s quality of life.

Seniors often experience speech- or feeding-related conditions as comorbidities with other disorders. For instance, aphasia—a disorder where patients have trouble interpreting their thoughts into speech or processing others’ speech—can be caused by stroke, head trauma, brain tumors or dementia. 

Elderly aphasia patients often present with both speech-related symptoms and memory loss. 4 Those who have experienced stroke may develop related swallowing disorders. 

A speech-language pathologist can provide seniors and their caretakers with tools, exercises and treatments to improve their speech, hearing, feeding, cognitive function and practical communication.

Adults may experience a variety of communication difficulties related to:

• Social cues – Adults with special needs may not understand social cues, acceptable topics or proper physical distance from conversation partners. Through exercises and role-plays, SLPs can work with them to develop social communication skills. 
• Vocal damage – Adults in professions that require shouting or singing may experience vocal damage. SLPs can offer tips for vocal hygiene (such as warming up the voice, drinking more water and less coffee, and modulating volume) to help them prevent future injuries.
• Brain injury – Adults with traumatic brain injuries may need advanced speech therapies to regain their abilities to speak, swallow, understand, read and write. 

Children and Infants

SLPs often undertake early interventions to assess and treat communication and feeding disorders in young children and infants. Specifically, SLPs may:

• Assist nursing mothers with their child’s latching and sucking
• Help children with autism spectrum disorder learn to identify social cues and use appropriate language
• Address fluency disorders such as stuttering or issues with speech sounds

However, anyone at any age could experience the speech difficulties described above. Therefore, SLPs treat patients of all ages in a variety of settings, such as: 5

• Private practice
• Colleges and universities
• Rehabilitation centers

What Qualifications Do Speech-Language Pathologists and Therapists Need?

How do you become an SLP ? Future SLPs must: 6

• Earn a master’s degree in speech-language pathology
• Perform clinical practica under the supervision of preceptors
• Pass the Praxis exam
• Secure your Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) and become licensed in your state

Some SLPs go all the way and earn their PhD so they can: 

• Teach at the college/university level
• Create SLP curricula for public school systems
• Lead SLP research projects

Become a Speech-Language Pathologist: Earn your MS in Speech-Language Pathology

Speech-language pathologists and speech therapists are the same—they hold a Master of Science or higher in speech-language pathology and are licensed to treat a variety of communication disorders among people of all ages. 

If you’re considering a speech-language pathology career, explore the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Prepare for your interview with sample SLP interview questions to get you started in your career journey.

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program. Designed for working students, the MS-SLP is an online program with four required on-campus residencies on either the USAHS Austin or Dallas campus. The program offers two intakes per year, in January and September. Join a collaborative cohort of peers who learn under the mentorship of expert faculty-practitioners. Prepare to make a difference in the lives of clients across the lifespan with a meaningful career in speech therapy!

For students with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than communications sciences and disorders (CSD) or SLP and for students with a CSD or SLP degree whose undergraduate program did not include the required leveling coursework, we offer SLP leveling courses for completing the necessary prerequisites to enter the graduate program.

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in Speech-Language Pathology {distance education} at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is a Candidate for Accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. Candidacy is a “pre-accreditation” status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum period of 5 years.

• Adrienne Santos-Longhurst, “What Is Speech Therapy?,” Healthline, 2019: https://www.healthline.com/health/speech-therapy
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), “Who Are Speech-Language Pathologists, and What Do They Do?,” n.d.: https://www.asha.org/public/who-are-speech-language-pathologists/
• ASHA, “Speech-Language Pathologists,” n.d.: https://www.asha.org/students/speech-language-pathologists/
• Mayo Clinic, “Primary Progressive Aphasia,” Dec. 27, 2018: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/primary-progressive-aphasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20350499

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What is Speech Therapy and What Does a Speech Therapist Do?

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For the uninitiated, “speech therapist” might conjure up images of a clinician patiently trying to correct a stutter or a lisp. And indeed, speech therapists do treat these issues with a variety of tools – from exercises with Speech Buddies to audio feedback with a tape recorder. But speech therapy is a very broad field, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can help your child with everything from pitch regulation to complete sentence formation. So today, in our fourth and final installment of our introductory guide to speech therapy, we’ll answer a common question, “Just what the heck does a speech therapist do all day?”

Evaluation & Diagnosis

Before a speech therapist can treat your child, she must evaluate him. During an evaluation , the speech therapist will ask you some questions about your child and his speech and language issues. It would also be helpful for her to see some of your child’s schoolwork, if available. She may also ask about your child’s medical history, including the results from his hearing screening when he was an infant and whether he has a history of ear infections. (Even after the initial evaluation, it’s important for parents to collaborate closely with the SLP to ensure the child’s success.)

The speech therapist will also evaluate your child’s communication abilities in various situations by asking him to complete simple tasks and play games. She will use her observations to determine an accurate diagnosis for your child. Speech therapists also write their findings in a formal report following the evaluation. The report will include recommendations for speech therapy (such as how often the child should participate in speech therapy sessions). She will discuss speech therapy goals with you, which might include objectives such as, “Jonas will begin using simple, complete sentences.”

Of course, in addition to evaluating new patients and meeting with parents, speech therapists spend much of their time in treatment sessions. These treatment sessions might take place in the SLP’s private clinic, a hospital, a school, or even the patient’s own home.

A speech therapist will tailor the treatment session to the child’s unique needs. She might work on vocabulary development with one child, and on making eye contact with another child. Many children need help with a range of issues.

A speech therapist will also use a variety of tools during a treatment session, depending on the child’s needs and interests. Children with articulation disorders can benefit from working with Speech Buddies. These tools teach proper tongue placement within the mouth to produce the desired sound. Speech therapists also often use the child’s own favorite toys or games to keep the youngster engaged in the lesson. For example, if Nikki loves animals, the speech therapist might engage her with zoo toys and encourage Nikki to make the sounds that the animals make.

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Other Considerations

When speech therapists aren’t evaluating, diagnosing, and treating speech disorders, they must often handle other aspects of the field. They might participate on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, collaborate with teachers on best practices in classrooms, counsel family members on at-home speech therapy techniques, and advise the child’s parents about his progress. And of course, there’s always paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork, as anyone who has dealt with the special education system can attest to.

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How to Become a Speech Pathologist

Speech pathology is a growing field for people who want to help others speak and communicate more effectively. Speech pathologists are experts in the physical and cognitive elements of spoken language. They work with people of all ages who need assistance speaking more clearly. They can help children with speech delays, adults recovering from illness or injury, or individuals with special needs. 

Learn more about what a speech pathologist does and how to become a speech pathologist. 

What Is a Speech Pathologist?

A speech pathologist, or speech-language pathologist, is a trained professional who diagnoses and treats people who have difficulty with speech, language, social communication, and cognitive communication. Speech pathologists can also assess and treat swallowing disorders in children and adults.

Speech pathologists are trained in multiple areas of speech and communication, including:

• Speech sounds: How people make sounds and put sounds together into words. Conditions that cause difficulty with making speech sounds include articulation or phonological disorders, apraxia of speech, or dysarthria.
• Language: How people comprehend written and spoken language, as well as using spoken language for communication. Difficulty finding words while speaking is called aphasia.
• Literacy: using language to read and write. Speech and language disorders may be combined with challenges in reading, spelling, and writing.
• Voice: The sound of your voice. Some people may have conditions that lead to a hoarse voice, losing their voice easily, talking too loudly, or having a nasal voice. Some people are unable to make some or all kinds of sounds.
• Fluency: How well spoken language flows. Stuttering is a common fluency disorder. 
• Cognitive communication: How well your mind manages language, speech, and communication. This may include problems with memory, attention, problem-solving, organization, and other thinking skills.
• Feeding and swallowing : The same physical structures of the mouth that allow speech also affect how you suck, chew, and swallow food and liquid. A swallowing disorder such as dysphagia may co-occur with speech disorders. 

Some speech pathologists also have some training in audiology. Audiology is a separate but related field that addresses hearing and balance issues.  Audiology is particularly helpful for speech pathologists who assist people with hearing loss.

What Does a Speech Pathologist Do?

You may think of speech pathologists as people who work with children who have speech impairments , speech delays, or difficulty pronouncing words. That is one role speech pathologists play, but there are a variety of other therapies they provide. Speech pathologists perform comprehensive assessments to diagnose the reason for communication difficulties. They may work with clients who have speech delays and pronunciation problems. Speech pathologists assist clients with hearing loss who are trying to improve verbal communication. Some speech pathologists work with clients who have speech difficulties due to medical conditions such as stroke or injuries to the face and neck. Once they assess the cause of communication problems, they create a treatment plan that addresses the challenges an individual has.

Some of the services speech pathologists offer include: 

• Helping clients form sounds
• Teaching clients strategies to speak clearly and easily
• Prescribing exercises to strengthen muscles used to speak or swallow
• Helping clients say and understand new words
• Helping clients improve their ability to speak in sentences
• Training clients in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems 
• Working with clients' families to address daily challenges from communication or swallowing problems
• Providing aural rehabilitation for people with hearing loss

What Training Do Speech Pathologists Need?

Becoming a speech pathologist takes years of training. There are multiple levels of education involved in learning the field of speech and language, followed by clinical training. The training to become a certified speech pathologist includes: 

• Earn a bachelor's degree in a relevant field: Speech pathologists can start training by majoring in a subject like speech-language pathology, education, psychology, or linguistics.
• Earn a master's degree at an accredited program: You must attend a post-graduate program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) to complete your education.  
• Pass the Praxis examination: Many states require you to pass the Praxis 2 Examination in Speech-Language Pathology to become licensed. The test includes speech-language pathology, screening and assessment of patients, etiology, planning, and implementation of treatment.
• Oversight and mentoring from a speech pathologist who is currently certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
• 1,260 hours of clinical work, typically accrued over 36 weeks
• 80% percent of your clinical experience involving direct patient care
• Obtain licensure and certification: Once you have completed training, you can apply for a license to practice. Each state sets its speech pathologist license requirements. Many states' requirements are similar to the certification standards for ASHA. You may also apply for certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which is a professional organization for speech pathologists.

What Is the Speech Pathology Career Path?

Once you are fully licensed, there are a variety of career options for a practicing speech pathologist, including: 

• Private practice: Seeing clients in your own office or visiting them in their homes.
• Local government: Many counties and cities provide speech therapy services for children . 
• Schools: School systems either hire speech pathologists or contract with speech pathologists in private practice to provide services to students. 
• Hospitals and rehabilitation facilities: Healthcare facilities may provide speech therapy as part of comprehensive rehabilitation services for people recovering from illness or injury.
• College and universities: Speech pathologists may work in higher education, training future professionals in the field. 
• Research: Some speech pathologists engage in research to deepen the understanding of speech and language or innovate new therapies for people in need. 

The median speech pathologist salary was $79,060 per year in 2021. The field is expected to grow by 21% in the next few years, making it one of the fastest-growing careers in the United States. There are no geographic limitations to where speech pathologists can live and practice.

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Role of the Speech & Language Therapist

The information below about the role of a speech and language therapist (SLT) has been adapted from information provided by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) ,  Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP)  and NHS Careers .

What does a speech and language therapist (SLT) do?

The  Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) describe speech and language therapy as helping manage disorders of speech, language, communication and swallowing in children and adults.

Speech and language therapists assess and treat a person with specific speech, language and communication problems to enable them to communicate to the best of their ability. They work directly with people of all ages. As allied health professionals they also work closely with parents, carers and other professionals, including teachers, nurses and occupational therapists.

There are around 13,000 practising SLTs in the UK and around 2.5 million people in the UK have a speech or language difficulty:

• 5% of children enter school with difficulties in speech and language
• 30% of people who have had a stroke have a persisting speech and language disorder

In the  US  the term used is  speech and language pathologist  (SLP).

Examples of when an SLT can help

• early play and communication skills
• feeding and swallowing difficulties
• mild, moderate or severe learning difficulties
• physical disabilities
• language delay
• specific language impairment
• specific difficulties in producing sounds
• hearing impairment
• cleft palate
• autism/social interaction difficulties
• voice disorders
• selective mutism
• swallowing difficulties
• communication and swallowing problems following acquired neurological impairments and degenerative conditions, including stroke, head injury, Parkinson’s disease and dementia
• head and neck cancer
• voice problems
• mental health issues
• learning difficulties

Where do speech and language therapists work?

• community health centres
• hospital wards
• outpatient departments
• children’s centres
• day centres
• clients’ homes
• young offenders’ institutions
• independent/private practice

Speech and language therapy also has support roles such as assistant practitioner, assistant speech and language therapist, support worker and bilingual co-worker.

How can I find a speech and language therapist?

You can refer yourself to your local NHS speech and language therapy service. Or ask your GP, district nurse, health visitor, nursery staff or teacher to make a referral. Contact your local primary care trust (PCT) or GP surgery for the phone number of your local NHS speech and language therapy service. For more information visit: RCSLT online directory .

NHS therapists are members of The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (Cert. MRCSLT) and must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) .

You can find a private SLT at the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) .

ASLTIP members are certified members of The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (Cert. MRCSLT) and must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) .

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists 2 White Hart Yard London SE1 1NX Tel: 020 7378 1200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.rcslt.org.uk

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) 184-186 Kennington Park Road London SE11 4BU Tel: +44 (0)20 7582 5460 Website: https://www.hcpc-uk.org

• Careers Leaflet available to download from NHS Careers

Although we believe this information to be accurate, we strongly advise you to make your own independent enquiries.

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• Factsheet – Dysarthria and Dysphasia
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CDC speech therapy guidelines have changed, but early intervention is still the goal

When the CDC updated the developmental milestones for its “ Learn the Signs. Act Early ” initiative for the first time since 2004, a controversy erupted, confusing pediatricians, speech therapists and parents.

The initiative details when children from birth to 5 years should reach milestones on how they play, learn, speak, act and move. The updated developmental tracker, published in 2022, pushed some speech milestones previously set at 24 months back to 30 months.

In this article, we’ll talk about how developmental milestones are meant to be used, what the updates mean for parents and caregivers, and what you should do if you’re worried your child might have a speech delay.

Developmental milestones and early intervention

The CDC launched “Learn the Signs. Act Early” in 2004 because they recognized that people didn’t always have the information they needed to catch developmental delays – such as speech disorders or speech delays – at the earliest stages. The earlier you can identify a developmental problem and start treating it, the better the outcomes for patients.

“We always want to intervene as early as possible, whether it’s strategies to help with communication, or help with a delay or disorder,” says Alison Barclift , a speech-language pathologist at Sentara Therapy Center - Pediatrics Newtown . “The sooner we’re in there the better.”

In addition to assisting parents, the developmental milestones checklist in “Learn the Signs. Act Early” is primarily used by pediatricians to identify children who might have a developmental issue so they can be referred to a specialist for a more thorough screening.

“Pediatricians are generalists for ages 0-18; they know a little bit about a whole lot of things,” Barclift says. “This checklist helps guide them, to give them a basis for saying ‘you know what, let me refer them.’”

New guidelines stir up controversy

The CDC’s developmental milestones are one of the primary tools that providers and parents use to determine if a child might need help. So the changes in speech milestones from 24 months to 30 months perplexed parents and providers.

According to the CDC, the new guidelines shift the expectation to the age when most children reach a specific milestone rather than when the average child has reached a specific milestone. For instance, the previous guidelines said children should be able to say 50 words at 24 months. That was based on research that showed that about 50 percent of children could do that by age 2. The new guidelines have moved this milestone to 30 months. Experts have determined that’s when 75 percent, or the majority, of children can say 50 words.

While this shift does seem to have the potential to delay the start of treatment for children with speech disabilities, the CDC’s checklist is not the only tool that pediatricians use to make referrals. For example, the communication milestones checklist created by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) places children speaking at least 50 words in the 19-24 month range.

“I have not noticed a change in the referrals that we’re seeing, and I don’t think that I’m that surprised by that,” says Barclift.

Normal is a spectrum

Ultimately, the CDC’s checklist and similar tools are just the starting point. Once a child has been referred to a speech therapist, more in-depth testing is done to determine the exact nature of the delay, disability or needed support.

This data is then used to decide whether the child qualifies for services through state early intervention programs and/or in the outpatient setting. A simple checklist can only really serve as a starting point because ‘normal’ is a spectrum – all children develop differently.

“There’s a large range of normal,” says Barclift. “A 4-year-old who can speak in complete sentences and a 4-year-old who’s putting only three words together to make only simple sentences are both within that normal range.”

According to Barclift, the testing that professional speech therapists conduct is meant to get a more thorough picture of where the patient is having problems.

“For early intervention evaluations, we spend up to two hours with the child and most of the time in the home,” says Barclift. “That helps because the pediatrician's office is not always where your child is going to act the way they normally act. In the clinic setting, therapists may have less time to complete evaluations and take detailed histories from parents and caregivers to make sure they are capturing the whole child and any concerns.”

Parents know their children best

Parents know their children better than anyone and are well positioned to spot developmental issues before anyone else does. But that’s only if they know what to look for. Fortunately, the CDC has resources targeted specifically to parents that can help you screen your child while going about your daily lives.

“The CDC has children's books and parent resource guides that parents can get for free that help the checklist become more natural and understandable,” says Barclift. “These resources help parents bring this conversation into their daily lives, instead of making it this scary thing that only happens when they go to the pediatrician.”

If you think your child might have a speech delay or other developmental disability, speak to your child’s pediatrician as soon as possible. The earlier a problem is identified, the better, but even if a problem isn’t spotted until later, therapy can still help.

“There’s also no such thing as too late either,” says Barclift. “Any time a parent is concerned we want them to come in.”

Reach out to your pediatrician today to get your child screened for developmental delays.

By: Andrew Perkinson