Pursuing your dream career in speech-language pathology

Communication plays a crucial role in how we navigate and perceive the world. For millennia, we have relied on increasingly complex modes of communication to help us feel connected and safe. While digital communication is increasingly important these days, there is still no substitute for old-fashioned verbal interactions. 

Thankfully, there's hope for people with communication disorders — and those they love. Many look to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) for guidance. These professionals play a vital role in the lives of their patients, clients, and students. They work in schools, specialty clinics, and home health settings. 

If you're interested in making a difference as a speech-language pathologist, it's crucial that you first understand what this field encompasses — and what it takes to prepare for a successful career. 

Speech-language pathology is a broad field that addresses individual challenges with speech, hearing, and swallowing. This clinical practice is often referred to as an allied health profession. A broad-based area of expertise, it encompasses everything from cognitive challenges to physical disorders and even family or community support. 

No two days look exactly alike for hardworking speech-language pathologists. These professionals draw on their communication expertise to assist a wide variety of clients. Their work is not limited to articulation concerns, as some people mistakenly believe. Instead, they address a broader scope of communication struggles, ranging from the mechanics of speech to language, cognitive, and even literary impairments. 

In general, however, the bulk of an SLPs' work falls into one of two main categories, as detailed below: 

Before patients can receive targeted treatments or recommendations, they must be evaluated and diagnosed. SLPs conduct in-depth assessments to better understand chief symptoms and communication challenges. 

Comprehensive assessments typically include the following components identified by the  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association:

Diagnosis by SLPs is limited to oral and communication disorders. SLPs often do not have the authority to diagnose contributing conditions. They can, however, refer patients and help them take advantage of available services or treatments from other providers. 

Another important caveat: the term assessment should not be confused with evaluation, which, while similar in many respects, is conducted for a separate purpose: determining the patient's initial eligibility for SLP services. 

Meanwhile, assessment focuses on the various procedures that reveal the patient's "unique strengths and needs," as well as the interventions capable of meeting those needs. 

Following the successful completion of evaluations and assessments, SLPs can deliver the most capable treatments to improve patients' communication skills and general well-being. These will vary dramatically from one situation to the next but often include: 

Treatment may also encompass family counseling. This allows parents and other family members to contribute to the patient or student's long-term progress. 

A variety of disorders can prevent patients or students from communicating effectively, while others cause issues with swallowing or eating. Some of the most common concerns addressed by SLPs include: 

Communication and swallowing disorders can also occur as a result of these illnesses or conditions: 

Early intervention is crucial for promoting desired results on a long-term basis. While the disorders highlighted above can see improvements at any age, these boosts tend to be more significant when treatments occur early on. The reasoning is simple: the pace of language absorption is far faster in the first few years of life. 

Most major brain structures reach maturity at a shockingly young age — typically, by the time a child reaches three years old. While interventions after that time can still be effective, their impact won't come close to matching that of services targeted at toddlers. As such, SLPs, physicians, and many other professionals strongly recommend early diagnosis and intervention, even when parents are uncertain whether a problem exists. 

Not only does the "wait it out" method limit long-term results, but this can also amplify immediate frustration. Communication delays often lead to behavioral issues because children find it difficult to express their needs. The almost immediate improvements made possible through early intervention could limit acting out from frustrated children. This has a ripple effect both at home and in school. 

While nothing replaces an official assessment with a highly trained SLP, parents of children with communication disorders can benefit from today's wealth of resources. These provide much-needed insight into symptoms, available interventions, and plenty of support for parents who feel alone. Feel free to check out these helpful resources. 

Do you envision a future in speech-language pathology? This can be a rewarding career path, but it requires a lot of training and even more passion. 

The first step? Earning your Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. We are pleased to provide this targeted program at Central Michigan University. 

​​Our approach combines high-level classroom instruction with practicum opportunities that allow you to apply your recently gained SLP skills in various clinical settings, like our very own Speech-Language and Hearing Clinics. As an SLP student, you'll enjoy state-of-the-art facilities and insight from the industry's most respected professionals. 

Take the next step toward your dream career: contact us today to learn more about our graduate SLP program.