A Speech and Language Pathologist can transform lives, helping people communicate and even teaching them how to eat correctly. Those interested in a career in this rewarding field can now train online.
For some people, communicating is extremely hard. They may have the words and thoughts in their mind, but be unable to verbalise them or speak them coherently. These issues can be more severe for others depending on the individual. This is where a Speech Language Pathologist comes in, helping people to use the muscles in their mouth, lips, and throat.
What Is a Speech and Language Pathologist?
A speech and language pathologist is an expert who treats a range of issues, commonly centred on the use of the mouth. This can involve communication issues, such as talking and the formation of sounds. Yet it can also involve chewing and swallowing. They may work with infants and young people developing these traits, or they can help rehabilitate those who are suffering as a result of injury or illness.
SLPs enter a career that is extremely rewarding. They can transform the lives of children, young adults, and others who need assistance communicating with the outside world. Not only this, but the career benefits from strong remuneration, with the median salary sitting at $79,000. This can be even higher for those working in residential care. Over the next ten years, job growth in the United States is expected to rise by 21%, outpacing other jobs and many in the healthcare profession.
Online Master's in Speech Language Pathology
The path to becoming a Speech Language Pathologist is more flexible than it was in the past, and you can even study online. This allows you to connect with people across the nation, taking part in the same course and sharing experiences. It provides you with the first step to a license from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).
A Master of Speech Language Pathology online can be provided by top educational establishments like Marymount University. Courses are constructed of 400 hours in total, which divides time between 375 practicum hours and 25 observation hours. This allows you to graduate within five semesters, where you can go on to a fruitful career providing value to your local community.
What Are the Tasks of a Speech and Language Pathologist?
The main task of an SLP is to help formulate the sounds we use in speech. This is how we say words and put them together. It may include helping with disorders such as apraxia of speech, in which the brain has trouble planning the movements of the jaw, lips, and tongue.
Language and literacy also fall under the remit and can involve how we read, write, and spell, and then understand what we hear and read. This also needs to be processed and conveyed as responses to articulate our thoughts. All of this touches on social communication, such as where we should stand when talking to people, known as pragmatics.
All of this then needs to come out as coherent sounds, and that is what SLPs also work on. It could be how our voice sounds if it is too low or high-pitched. Some people may just be unable to make certain phonetic noises. The flow of the speech, covering areas like stammering, would also fall under their remit.
Lastly, they will help anyone who has problems eating. It could involve the actual act of chewing and swallowing. This is obviously a huge problem, as it can lead to tiredness, weight loss, and a deficiency of nutrients.
The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology
Occupational therapists are tasked with helping people of all ages perform everyday tasks. It can be educational, such as issues at school, or everyday, like putting the garbage out or doing dishes. They help you live your life, doing the tasks it requires and getting your physical and emotional fitness for that purpose.
This means occupational therapists tend to focus on fine motor skills, or sensory information that needs to be internalised and acted upon. They work on both physical and mental impairment, bringing the whole body together while helping with decision-making and emotional intelligence.
While both professionals focus on chronic treatment, the Speech Language Pathologist has a very different task. While not always a given, around half of SLPs tend to work in educational establishments, meaning a lot of their work is with younger people and in schools. They also don’t treat the whole body like an occupational therapist does. Instead, they focus on speech, communication, swallowing, and eating.
Becoming an SLP is not an easy task. This is because each case is individual, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Yet it is an extremely rewarding career, both financially and personally. You free people, allowing them to communicate with the outside world and form relationships that will last a lifetime.
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