What Speech Pathologists do
“You just teach kids how to talk correctly, right?” As Jim Carrey as The Grinch stated, “wrong-o!”
Now to be fair, some Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) work with children on their communication and speech. We’ll get to that. However, the world of Speech Pathology is broad and diverse with so much more to it than just “speech therapy.”
By the way, reader, if you’re reading this, I’m glad! Educating the public on what SLPs do is a great passion of mine as I feel it is so misunderstood and underutilized across the board in communities. Let’s get into it.
By definition, “Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.”
That could be any of the following:
an NICU SLP working on a premature or newborn baby to learn how to eat and breathe safely
a pediatric outpatient SLP working with a 2 year old with play-based therapy to build language and comprehension
a school-based SLP treating speech and language deficits with a 7 year-old
Home Health pediatric SLPs training a child to use an AAC (Augmentative/Alternative Communication) device to communicate
school-based SLPs working with adolescents on social and pragmatic skills
Acute Care or Inpatient Rehab SLP assessing someone’s swallowing, speech, and/or cognition and acute symptoms following a sudden stroke or brain injury
Outpatient adult-neuro based SLPs working with patients on cognition, speech, voice, swallowing, and communication issues effecting their daily living
SLPs in the skilled nursing facilities addressing ongoing memory and swallowing problems in patient who cannot return home
Home Health SLPs working with patients on swallowing, voice, cognition, or speech needs in their own home environment
a mobile SLP who specializes in completing FEES for adults with dysphagia and orofacial myofunctional therapy for kids and adults…wink wink!
All of the things SLPs work on cannot fit in a name! Told ya. ;)
The role of an SLP is often misunderstood. I cannot tell you how many patients ended up in front of me, in the outpatient setting, saying they presented their problems to their medical provider and they were basically told “There’s nothing that can be done about that” and sent on their way.
Ladies and gentleman, “no, thanks” to all of that! Here in Texarkana, specifically, there are MANY skilled SLPs treating patients from “birth to earth.” SLPs can anyone from a premature infant to a patient on hospice and receiving end of life care.
And let me say, it is the privilege of a lifetime.
MyLisa Thiels, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist, Endoscopist, and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Joy Speech and Myofunctional Therapy
