Speech Pathologist Job Description

There are many people who suffer from speech related disorders and to help them overcome these disorders we require speech pathologists. Speech pathologists are also known as speech therapists and speech-language pathologists. To know more about this profession, read the speech pathologist job description.

Speech related problems amongst the public are increasing by the day. Some have trouble speaking clearly while some have trouble pronouncing certain sounds. All these problems are solved by the speech pathologists. They mostly help the patients by working with them and helping them practice. Very rarely do they take the help of medications.

Speech problems could occur because of many reasons; some problems could be by birth while other could be caused by injuries or illnesses. The speech pathologists monitor the root cause of the problem and then treat it. Patients that suffer from a problem like stuttering are made to practice talking and the pathologists give them certain speech exercises. Curing the problems through exercises is the main duty in a speech pathologist job description.

They have to monitor the improvements that take place in the patient and keep working accordingly. They also have to look for any other defects in the speech the patient might be suffering. Sometimes, they can even recommend surgery if they feel the patients need it.

This profession has gained a lot of importance over the years and many of them are employed in schools. It is better if speech problems are sorted out in the childhood itself, as children have better grasping power and it saves a lot harassment they might face in school from other children. They have to coordinate with the parents of the child and get them involved in helping the child.

There are also speech therapists who have their own private practices. They treat the patients that come to them and have to maintain reports on the progress they make. This profession is important as they help patients improve their life and their ability to communicate. If still not sure about this profession, read the speech pathologist job description given in a detailed format.

Duties and responsibilities of a speech pathologist

They treat the patients that suffer from various speech problems like stammering, accents, pitch, etc.
Speech pathologists working in schools can analyze the students and find out if they have any problems and inform their parents about it
They have to make reports on the progress of the patients
They have to treat patients mostly through therapy and exercises as they are not allowed to prescribe medications
They also have to work with the family of the patient and get them to help the patient at home
They have treat each patiently differently; though problems may be the same the treatment required can be different
They have to recommend patients for surgery if they diagnose that reason behind the speech problem is a physical defect

Education required for the profession of speech pathology

A master's degree in speech pathology is required
A license to practice from the state is also mandatory
A teaching degree is needed if they are working with schools

Career Advancement

Speech pathologists with experience move up in the hierarchy of their workplace. They become supervisors or work in research. The ones working in schools are eligible for tenure.

The speech pathologist job description is to help out patients that have speech problems and help make life better for them. Speech pathologists also help in getting rid of unwanted accents.