Speech Pathology Jobs: An Overview
Speech pathology jobs offer an exciting opportunity to individuals looking for a career in patient-centered health care. This is a career in which one can choose to practice by patient population and/or by work environment. Speech pathology jobs require one to have patience, a commitment to helping people, an interest in how language is acquired, good interpersonal skills, a positive outlook, an excellent grasp of the English language, compassion, and excellent verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills.
In order to obtain a speech pathology job, one must have completed an undergraduate degree, graduated from a master's degree program in speech-language pathology, and, in many cases, have obtained a Certificate of Clinical Competence. Following this certification, speech pathologists are required to continue their education to promote career development. While not required, a PhD in speech pathology is available for those who choose to continue their education beyond the master's level.
Speech pathologists can be found in schools, hospitals, clinics, research institutions, rehabilitation centers, physician offices, long-term care facilities, and health departments. This field involves working not only with individuals with speech and language deficits, but also with those with dysfunctional swallowing and upper-airway problems. For those who prefer a research setting, speech pathologists can work in a laboratory working on disorders that affect both communication and swallowing.
Aside from traditional adult-centered speech pathology jobs, speech pathologists can see children as early as the newborn period if a baby has a swallowing or feeding problem identified at birth. As infants and toddlers begin to develop, identification of speech and language delays are often first handled by a speech pathologist.
Some speech pathology jobs that relate to older children and adults include working with those who have experienced a traumatic brain injury, individuals with a stutter, persons with hearing impairments, and those whose speech has been affected by medical procedures (e.g., laryngectomy).
Speech pathology jobs that center on working with older individuals are typically focused on speech and language issues that arise from strokes and neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
Speech pathology jobs encompass a wide variety of work settings and patient populations. Speech pathologists may work with many different types of patients or choose to specialize in a single area.