Q. What is a certified Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP)?

A. SLPs are professionals who identify, evaluate, and treat a wide range of speech, language and swallowing disorders throughout the lifespan.

An SLP has a master's or doctoral degree based on specified coursework and supervised clinical practice, has passed a national standardized examination, and has completed an additional nine months of closely supervised clinical work.

Q. What do Speech and Language Pathologists do?

A. Evaluate speech, language, swallowing, and cognitive-communicative problems.

Assess the nature and severity of an individual's swallowing or communicative problems.

Develop and implement a treatment program in collaboration with the patient, family and team.

Assist patients, when appropriate, with alternative and augmentative means of communication ranging from simple hand movements or alphabet boards to more complex and high-tech electronic devices.

Collaborate with team members to facilitate the individual's functioning and independence.

Counsel and educate patients and caregivers on evaluation results, recommendations and resources.

Plan discharge according to what is needed for continued recovery at the next level of care.

Advocate for patients and families with health insurance providers, employers, and services.

Participate in research in various settings to discover new and more effective ways to serve our patients.

Q. How is a speech, language, cognitive, or swallowing problem acquired?

A. People with communication disorders are young, old, and in-between. Their problems may have existed from birth or resulted from an illness, accident or disease.

Q. What are typical disorders related to Speech and Language Pathology?

A.

• Aphasia
• Articulation Disorders*
• Cognitive-Communication Disorders
• Dysarthria/Apraxia
• Dysphasia/Swallowing Disorders
• Early Literacy and Communication Delays*
• Language Learning Disabilities*
• Pragmatic Difficulties*
• Stuttering*
• Voice Disorders
  
  * Pediatric Services (Age 18 and under)

Q. Will SLP services help me?

A. Yes. Data collected by ASHA indicates that people who receive SLP services make improvements in all settings (hospital, outpatient, and long-term care,) including:

93% of people with a motor speech disorder
91-94% of patients with language problems
82% of outpatient voice clients

Over HALF of patients in an acute care or rehabilitation hospital had feeding tubes
removed by their time of discharge after receiving SLP services for dysphasia.

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