What does a speech language pathologist do?
A speech-language pathologist specializes in diagnosing disorders in speech, language, and communication among children and adults. They are also responsible for devising and providing suitable treatments and therapeutic solutions that would improve a patient's condition. With each case varying from the rest, a speech-language pathologist must conduct an extensive assessment, research, analysis, and observation. Aside from providing treatments, a speech-language pathologist can also supervise other personnel in the same field, engage in various programs to share expertise, and provide consultations.
Speech language pathologist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real speech language pathologist resumes:
- Plan and provide speech therapy services to preschool and elementary school children with autism, communication disorders and developmental disabilities.
- Offer speech therapy services in schools k-12 grade.
- Perform tasks prescribe, direct, and supervise by ASHA certify speech language pathologist.
- Diagnose, assess and provide treatment in private practice for kids of all ages presenting a language delays.
- Act as primary liaison between administrative staff, rehabilitation managers, multidisciplinary team members and SLP staff.
- Provide formal evaluation of communication, cognitive-linguistic, and swallowing deficits for both short term rehabilitation patients and long term residents.
- Execute necessary documentation and implement appropriate care plans, as indicated in compliance with medicare, medicaid, private insurance companies.
- Leverage experience and expertise in speech pathology to design individualize educational plans for communication disorders in students on a self-pace curriculum.
- Diagnose and treat communication issues of k-12 students.
- Assist families with videofluorographic (MBS) swallow examinations.
- Work with clients who are hearing impair using ASL.
- Represent organization in community, to parents, with compassion and empathy.
- Create personal schedule and regulate time management to maintain compliance with IEPs.
- Prepare evaluation reports, treatment plans and therapy documentation for patients and determine need for referral to specialist using electronic documentation.
- Administer screening, evaluations and examinations to diagnose and develop treatment plans to maximize functional independence of adult and geriatric patients.
Speech language pathologist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Speech Language Pathologists are proficient in Patients, SLP, and Speech-Language Pathology. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Compassion.
We break down the percentage of Speech Language Pathologists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 19%
Administered screening, evaluations and examinations to diagnose and develop treatment plans to maximize functional independence of adult and geriatric patients.
- SLP, 17%
Identified need to improve interdepartmental communications and implemented use of SLP Microsoft SharePoint site with administrator level privileges for co-workers.
- Speech-Language Pathology, 13%
Participated in Continuous Quality Improvement Program, organization of utilization review studies, and budget request for speech-language pathology services.
- Rehabilitation, 10%
Completed 6 months of clinical fellowship in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, and skilled nursing facility settings.
- Home Health, 8%
Completed extensive daily documentation and billing for services provided for inpatient/ outpatient and home health therapy.
- Patient Care, 6%
Participated in Interdisciplinary Team Meetings, patient care conferences, in-services for facility staff as warranted, and utilization review meetings.
"patients," "slp," and "speech-language pathology" are among the most common skills that speech language pathologists use at work. You can find even more speech language pathologist responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a speech language pathologist to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "speech-language pathologists must select appropriate diagnostic tools and evaluate results to identify goals and develop a treatment plan." Speech language pathologists often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "interpreted evaluation results to decide if early intervention services were warranted and immediately presented assessment data to parents/ guardians. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform speech language pathologist duties is communication skills. Speech language pathologists responsibilities require that "speech-language pathologists need to explain test results, diagnoses, and proposed treatments in a way that individuals and their families can understand." Speech language pathologists also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide alternative/augmentative communication evaluations and develop aac programs for individuals as well as training for staff and family of aac users. "
Compassion. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of speech language pathologists is compassion. This skill is critical to many everyday speech language pathologist duties, as "speech-language pathologists may work with people who are frustrated by their communication difficulties." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "demonstrate the values of integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence during all interactions. "
Detail oriented. For certain speech language pathologist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "detail oriented." The day-to-day duties of a speech language pathologist rely on this skill, as "speech-language pathologists must comprehensive notes on clients' progress to ensure that they continue receiving proper treatment." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what speech language pathologists do: "completed daily logs detailing objectives targeted, outcomes, and plans for future therapy sessions. "
Listening skills. A commonly-found skill in speech language pathologist job descriptions, "listening skills" is essential to what speech language pathologists do. Speech language pathologist responsibilities rely on this skill because "speech-language pathologists must pay attention to hear the clients' communication difficulties and determine a course of action." You can also see how speech language pathologist duties rely on listening skills in this resume example: "communicated with non-verbal clients' using basic sign language and augmentative alternative communication (aac). "
The three companies that hire the most speech language pathologists are:
- HealthPRO1,131 speech language pathologists jobs
- AlphaVista Services1,038 speech language pathologists jobs
- Reliant Rehabilitation556 speech language pathologists jobs
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Compare different speech language pathologists
Speech language pathologist vs. Graduate student clinician
Graduate student clinicians can be a nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or doctor whose primary job is to work with patients and assist patients in managing their medical condition or illness. They perform varied duties and responsibilities that include maintaining a good relationship with patients, discussing the treatment progress to patients, and documenting patients' medical history. Additionally, they are also responsible for assisting physicians on non-surgical procedures, updating the medical information of patients on charts, and giving diagnostic tests.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, speech language pathologist responsibilities require skills like "slp," "speech-language pathology," "rehabilitation," and "home health." Meanwhile a typical graduate student clinician has skills in areas such as "motor speech disorders," "group therapy sessions," "treatment sessions," and "individual therapy sessions." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Graduate student clinicians tend to reach lower levels of education than speech language pathologists. In fact, graduate student clinicians are 27.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Speech language pathologist vs. Student clinician
A Student Clinician is a healthcare practitioner who works as caregiver of a patient in a hospital or clinic. They integrate knowledge obtained in courses into the clinical practicum assignments.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, speech language pathologist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "slp," "speech-language pathology," "rehabilitation," and "home health." Meanwhile, a student clinician has duties that require skills in areas such as "group therapy sessions," "individual therapy sessions," "treatment sessions," and "speech-language pathologist." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, student clinicians achieve lower levels of education than speech language pathologists. They're 31.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for speech language pathologists in the next 3-5 years?
Monica Sampson Ph.D.
Director of Health Care Services in Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA
- Telehealth platforms to enable access to patients who otherwise have limited access to timely and reliable SLP services
- Electronic documentation systems, especially ones that seamlessly integrate across providers in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and outpatient clinics. This minimizes gaps in communication among clinicians with easy transfer of records.
- Assistive technology to enhance to either provide or augment access to communication for children and adults who cannot communicate or have difficulty communicating verbally, including SGDs.
- Apps and digital material as assessment and treatment tools: With an increased focus on digital access to SLP services, the profession has a critical need for digital material for assessment and treatment of communication, cognition, and swallowing impairments across the lifespan.
- Use of artificial intelligence to bolster learning and enhance creativity in pedagogy.
The lack of access to technology by underrepresented populations will continue to be a pressing need post-COVID-19.
Speech language pathologist vs. Graduate student internship
Graduate interns work in different industries, and their job responsibilities may vary. As a graduate student intern, you may be expected to offer your services free of charge to the company you find placement in exchange for the experience you'll be getting. In other cases, you may be offered compensation of some sort. Most often than not, you will be assigned to a department to work under the supervision of the head of that unit.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, speech language pathologists are more likely to have skills like "slp," "speech-language pathology," "rehabilitation," and "home health." But a graduate student internship is more likely to have skills like "speech-language pathologist," "data collection," "mental health," and "group therapy sessions."
Most graduate student interns achieve a lower degree level compared to speech language pathologists. For example, they're 22.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Speech language pathologist vs. Speech correction consultant
Types of speech language pathologist
Updated January 8, 2025
