The Essential Role of Speech-Language Pathologists: More Than Just Words

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about communication disorders and the professionals who address them. I love what I do, and National Speech-Language-Hearing Month is a great excuse to share that passion with others! I'll go over the basics and share about what a day in the life of a high school SLP looks like.

Who are Speech-Language Pathologists?

Speech-Language Pathologists are professionals specializing in assessing, diagnosing, and treating speech, language, and swallowing disorders. It's important to note that our official title uses 'pathologist', not 'therapist'. Why? Because of our expert training in diagnosing and managing communication and swallowing disorders. In order to practice, SLPs must earn a master's degree in speech-language pathology, complete a supervised clinical fellowship of at least 1260 hours, pass the national PRAXIS exam, and obtain certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Our rigorous training equips us to address a wide array of disorders, ensuring we can provide the best care possible.

Speech refers to how someone sounds when they speak. This includes Speech Sounds, Fluency, Voice, and Resonance Disorders. Speech Sound Disorders is the umbrella term for articulation, phonological disorders, dysarthria, and apraxia. Fluency refers to stuttering and cluttering. Resonance looks at hypernasality, hyponasality, and cul-de-sac resonance. And don't even get me started on voice disorders!

Language refers to how someone understands and uses words and sentences to communicate ideas and gain information. Language is comprised of 5 domains: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics. A patient could have difficulty understanding or using language in 1 or multiple domains, which we refer to as a Receptive and/or Expressive Language Disorder. Or, a patient could have difficulty appropriately interpreting and using language within social contexts (think nonliteral language -- sarcasm, indirect statements, etc.), which would be a Pragmatic Language Disorder. Cognitive Communication also falls under this 'language' umbrella term. Cognition plays a crucial role in communication, but many people don't even realize it's part of an SLP's scope of practice. And it's my favorite part of being an SLP!

Pathology refers to our expertise and training in diagnostics and treatment of communication disorders.

Where SLPs Work

SLPs work in a variety of settings, each presenting unique challenges and opportunities. Many are found in educational settings, helping students from preschool through high school. Others practice in healthcare settings like hospitals and rehabilitation centers, assisting patients recovering from injuries, such as Traumatic Brain Injury or stroke, or medical conditions, like Parkinson's Disease or dementia. Some SLPs offer their services through private practice, home health, or even remotely via telepractice, expanding access to those in underserved or rural areas. There are even job opportunities for SLPs in the corporate world to help leaders improve interpersonal connection when communicating, for example.

What SLPs Do: Beyond Speech

While many associate SLPs primarily with speech disorders, our scope of work is much broader. We help individuals with:

• Language Disorders: Helping people understand and produce language.

• Speech Disorders: Assisting with articulation, fluency, and voice disorders.

• Communication Disorders: Including those caused by hearing loss or cognitive issues.

• Swallowing Disorders: Helping patients improve swallowing through exercises and safe eating practices.
  

SLPs employ a range of therapies tailored to each individual's needs, from traditional exercises to innovative technology-based interventions like speech-generating devices.

A Day in the Life of a High School SLP

My day-to-day can change on a dime. Between observations, consultations, nonscheduled therapy time, and all of the evaluations, reports, and IEPs, my days never look the same. And I absolutely love that about being a speech-language pathologist! This is a sample day from earlier this week:

7:45 am - 8:05 am - Drive to work.

8:10 am - 8:30 am - Check emails, respond to emails, review therapy schedule of the day, review weekly schedule for upcoming IEPs and transition meetings.

8:30 am - 9:30 am - Review upcoming IEP, write new goals, and update communication present level. Review other IEPs for the week and ensure progress on goals is updated.

9:30 am - 10:15 am - Language therapy session. We are working on listening comprehension for retelling the main idea, drawing conclusions, and making predictions. I really like using ChatGPT for her sessions! I usually have ChatGPT write 2-3 paragraph stories about what she wants to talk about, and it will generate comprehension and inferencing questions for me! Such a time saver.

10:15 am - 10:45 am - Review hand cueing techniques for apraxia for another IEP the following day. Update his communication present levels and write new goals.

11:00 am - 11:30 am - Hop on a virtual IEP call. It was a super short meeting because the student had a major incident at school, and he was placed on administrative leave until further notice...

11:30 am - 12:10 pm - Push-in group therapy in the SDC-I classroom. I worked with 3 students during their class morning meeting. This is a great time to target functional language skills and AAC use! A few of my students in this classroom have never used an AAC device, so it's a lot of modeling without expectation. Recently, one of my newer AAC users saw me walk into the classroom, grabbed my attention, and pulled his device closer to initiate communication! We had some fun with some of his gestalt phrases and got some good spontaneous AAC use. This is why we do what we do!

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm - The student who I normally see at this time is at DisneyWorld! So instead, I ate lunch and wrote billing notes. I'm that person that cannot just sit and eat. I have to multitask in some fashion -- notes, reports, CEUs, research literature...

12:45 pm - 1:15 pm - This was supposed to be therapy time with a student who stutters, but he didn't show up. Instead, I finished a speech and language report and researched AAC resources to give to parents at an IEP amendment meeting. Then, I reviewed the evaluation results for another student and wrote a second speech and language report.

1:15 pm - 1:45 pm - Complete The Communication Matrix for another student's evaluation. I have wanted this student to use a high-tech AAC device since she transferred to our District, but parents weren't on board due to concerns about her increased seizure activity. They recently agreed to trial it, so I was getting updated evaluation results. I finished writing this 3rd speech and language report. This was the day of the reports, I guess!

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Coffee break while prepping social communication group lesson plans and getting ready for my last session of the day.

2:30 pm - 3:20 pm - Language therapy session. I really cherish my time with this student. He's scheduled for 30 minutes, but he enjoys talking with me and sharing about his life, so I let him stay as long as he wants. This student transferred last year and was only communicating with me using shrugs, nods, and the occasional 1-word response. Now, he's initiating conversation, asking questions, and holding conversations for 30 minutes. It's amazing to see how much he's opened up and grown over 2 years!

3:20 pm - 3:45 pm - Finish the day with billing notes.

3:50 pm - Head home.

The Impact of SLPs on Individuals' Lives

The work of SLPs can be life-changing. For a child who struggles to articulate words, speech therapy can lead to improved academic performance and better social interactions. Adults recovering from strokes or injuries can regain their ability to communicate, significantly improving their quality of life. The positive impacts of these interventions extend beyond the individuals treated, affecting families and communities as a whole.

Conclusion

The role of a Speech-Language Pathologist is diverse and essential. We do much more than teach correct pronunciation; we unlock the world of communication for those who struggle with it. This National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, let’s recognize and celebrate the profound impact these professionals have on so many lives.

Call to Action

If you're interested in learning more about speech and language disorders or how you can support the speech-language pathology community, check out ASHA's official website for resources and information. Feel free to share your experiences or ask questions about speech-language pathology in the comments below!

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