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Medical Speech-Language Pathologist

What does a medical speech-language pathologist do.

A medical speech-language pathologist works in health care and diagnoses and treats a wide range of speech, language, cognitive, and swallowing disorders. They work with patients affected by a variety of neurological events, such as brain damage, stroke, seizure, or cancer. They may also work with patients who suffer from chronic diseases or who have experienced trauma.

Speech pathologists examine patients and create treatment plans tailored to their needs. These patients may have speech articulation issues, voice quality problems, or language disorders. Treatment could be modifying a patient’s diet or prescribing a speech-generating device.

Scope of practice

Medical speech-language pathologists work with doctors and audiologists to treat patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly. This role holds a wide range of responsibilities and can do a variety of tasks each day, including:

• Diagnosing and treating speech, language, cognitive, communication, and swallowing disorders
• Evaluating swallowing ability and prescribing an appropriate diet (foods may need to be pureed or liquids may need to be thickened)
• Helping patients with aphasia find ways to communicate
• Training family members or caregivers, as well as other professionals
• Collaborating with other members of the care team
• Conducting research to develop new treatment methods

Work environment

Medical speech-language pathologists typically work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and rehabilitation facilities. They typically work 40 hours per week during normal business hours. The work they do may differ slightly depending on where they work.

Speech-language pathologists who work in a hospital may do more diagnosis, counseling, and education. Whereas medical speech-language pathologists who work in a rehabilitation facility typically work on improving skills to function more independently.

Speech-language pathologists that do not work in health care, may work in education providing services to school-age children with a wide range of disabilities. They may also work in government, or even in the corporate world.  

Becoming a medical speech-language pathologist

Compassionate, detail-oriented people with good communication skills and a passion for science might be interested in a career as a medical speech-language pathologist. This role will keep you on your toes and allow you to do something different every day. Speech-language pathologists spend a lot of time with patients evaluating and treating their conditions, as well as time with caretakers and other members of the healthcare team to explain diet changes and other care instructions.

Higher education requirements

To become a medical speech-language pathologist, you must complete:

• A bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders (or a related field with certain prerequisites completed for graduate school admission)
• A graduate degree in speech-language pathology
• A postgraduate fellowship
• A national licensing exam

Certification process

You can get certified by the  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Council for Clinical Certification once you’ve completed a speech-language pathology graduate degree and fellowship and passed the Praxis exam.

Career opportunities and outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the employment of speech-language pathologists to grow much faster than average. This is due to the large baby-boom population ages, there will be more instances of health conditions that cause speech or language impairments, such as strokes and hearing loss. Secondly, medical advances are improving the survival rate of premature infants and trauma victims, who may benefit from speech therapy.

With further education, some speech-language pathologists can become educators or researchers. Others can advance into management or administrative positions with greater responsibilities.

Medical speech-language pathologist programs at Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic offers several internships and a fellowship to prepare students for a career as a medical speech-language pathologist, including:

• Speech Language Pathology Clinical Fellowship (Arizona)
• Speech Pathology Internship (Arizona)
• Speech Pathology Internship (Florida)
• Speech Language Pathology Internship (Minnesota)

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Medical Speech-Language Pathology: The SLP’s Role in Healthcare

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If you have a shared interest in both science and communication, medical speech-language pathology may be the career for you. 

While many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) choose to work in an  educational setting , there is a need and an opportunity to use a degree in speech-language pathology within various healthcare settings. In fact,  39 percent  of SLPs work in a hospital, residential healthcare facility, or non-residential healthcare facility. In the healthcare industry, speech and language services are instrumental in acute care, rehabilitation, and long-term care. 

Below, we take a look at the topic of medical speech-language pathology and explore the role that SLPs play in modern healthcare. 

What is medical speech-language pathology?

Medical speech-language pathology  is where the medical world meets the communication field. Medical SLPs are communication experts who work in medical settings to help patients with communication and swallowing conditions. Medical speech-language pathologists work collaboratively with a patient’s medical team and contribute crucial information to the overall treatment plan.

“In other words, speech-language pathologists work with people of all ages who have a primary medical diagnosis that has left them with problems in areas of function related to communication and/or swallowing,” says Liz Martin, assistant clinical professor at Northeastern’s  MS in Speech-Language Pathology program . 

What does a medical speech-language pathologist do?

As a medical speech-language pathologist, you’ll diagnose and treat cognitive communication, speech, language, and swallowing disorders as part of a multidisciplinary or interprofessional treatment team.

A medical SLP helps patients that have trouble voicing, speaking, producing, or understanding language—as these difficulties consequently affect communication skills. Medical SLPs also support patients with difficulty eating food or drinking liquids resulting from a neurological event, chronic disease, or trauma. Whether it’s building a tailored diet or prescribing a device that generates speech, medical SLPs will create unique treatment plans specific to the needs and goals of the patient.

Medical speech-language pathologists work directly with patients and their families to provide education, counseling, and support. They also work alongside other healthcare professionals treating the same patient. For example, as a medical SLP, you may need to collaborate cross-functionally with neurologists, audiologists, radiologists, gastroenterologists, otolaryngologists, and dieticians. Collaborating with diverse health care teams offers access to other disciplines you can learn from in real-time. Growing your skillset and broadening your experience as an SLP will increase your value to patients and your employer. The more specialized your skillset, the more leverage you’ll have in landing the job environment you want most. 

While the specific duties will depend on your primary setting, medical SLPs take a patient-centered approach to providing patients with the services they need. Once you’re employed as a medical speech-language pathologist, your duties may include:

• Evaluating patients for language, speech, voice, and swallowing disorders
• Conducting tests such as modified barium swallow study (MBSS) or flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallow (FEES)
• Generating treatment plans for patients
• Educating patients and their families
• Coordinating with other medical professionals
• Participating in departmental and university-wide committees or task forces

Typically, the work environment for a medical SLP is very collaborative, as you’ll join and participate in a number of committees or task forces. These groups are assembled to study topics such as fall prevention, interpreter services, outcomes of aspiration pneumonia, and the benefits of a tracheostomy tube team.

Who do medical SLPs work with?

Medical SLPs work with patients across a span of medical conditions in any medical setting where patients may be suffering from a language, speech, or swallowing disorder. 

These settings can include acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals or facilities, skilled nursing facilities (short-term rehab or long-term care facilities), outpatient departments, or private practices. 

Some specific examples of the kinds of patients that a medical SLP might work with include:

• Infants born with a cleft lip or palate in neonatal intensive care units
• Individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injury
• Individuals who have experienced a neurological event, such as a stroke
• Individuals diagnosed with a progressive illness such as Parkinson’s disease
• Individuals who have experienced trauma to their vocal cords or other structures related to speech

What education and training do medical SLPs need?

To become a speech-language pathologist either in the medical or education field, you must earn your  Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology , Master of Education, or Master of Arts. Some programs may offer a concentration in medical SLP, which can be a great way of gaining the foundations required for this work.

If the program you are enrolled in does not have a specialized medical SLP track, you can also gain that knowledge by taking medical SLP courses offered by your university. Additionally, you can gain experience during your clinical fellowship by finding employment at a medical facility. 

So, if you want to become a speech-language pathologist—but you’re still not sure if the medical, educational, or a different setting is right for you—that’s okay. Ultimately, no matter which location you end up working in, every SLP needs a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Depending on which concentrations your college or university offers, along with real-world clinical training opportunities, you can choose where you’d like to allocate your efforts as you learn about and experience the different industries that employ speech-language pathologists.

Interested in becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist? Learn more about the  Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders  at Northeastern University.

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Home / Speech Pathology Career Guide / The Big Guide to Speech Pathologist Work Settings / Become a Speech Pathologist in a Hospital Work Setting

Speech-language pathologists (SLP) working in acute-care hospitals perform critical roles in both daily care and long-term recovery of patients. On any given day, an SLP might help a person with a traumatic brain injury learn to speak again; give a stroke patient exercises to help with swallowing; perform a video fluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) to see whether a patient is managing the texture of food; recommend surgery to help a pediatric patient; work to develop alternative communication methods with a patient who can’t talk; collaborate with doctors and nurses, and educate patients, their families, and/or caregivers about conditions and therapies. It’s a busy, demanding position, well-suited for people who are passionate about helping others.

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Want to Become an SLP? Earn an MS Online at NYU

NYU Steinhardt’s online master of science program in Communicative Sciences and Disorders prepares aspiring speech-language pathologists with a comprehensive professional education.

• Prepares students to pursue SLP licensure 
• Accredited by ASHA’s Council on Academic Accreditation 
• As few as six terms to complete 
• Full-time and part-time plans of study

Qualifications for Speech Pathologists Working in Hospitals

There are many places an SLP can work —schools (including preschools, elementary, secondary, and colleges and universities), government agencies and public health departments, residential or non-residential health-care facilities, in private practice, as consultants to corporations, and in hospitals, both acute-care and rehabilitation. Each of those  work settings  and subsequent  speech pathologist careers  determine the SLPs’ priorities and focus. In hospitals, SLPs tend to do more medical assessment, diagnosing, and educating than in other settings; they may see a wider variety of patients, and they often won’t know at the beginning of the day what the rest of their day may hold. And they tend to be working with patients and families who may be scared or in pain, which means they have to be extra compassionate as well as professional.

Hospital speech therapists must complete a bachelor’s degree  (typically in communication sciences and disorders, but it can be in a related field),  earn a master’s in speech pathology  or doctoral degree in speech-language pathology from a school accredited by the  Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology  (CAA), perform  36 weeks of supervised clinical experience  and a year-long postgraduate fellowship, pass a national licensing exam, and fulfill state requirements where he or she lives; this results in certification by the  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Council for Clinical Certification . SLPs must also complete a certain number of hours of continuing education before renewing their  CCC-SLP certification  every three years.

What Does a Speech Pathologist in a Hospital Setting Do?

The certification requirements are the same for SLPs in any situation, but those who work in hospitals must also understand medical terminology and procedures and collaborate with doctors, nurses and other members of a patient’s care team. As for a day in the life of a hospital speech pathologist, they may be working with patients who are in more critical situations than do other SLPs, since hospitals are managing the sickest and most emergent cases, which means that their diagnostic skills must be wide-ranging and quick. A  hospital’s SLPs  are a consulting resource for medical personnel treating patients who have had strokes, experienced traumatic injuries or head injuries, or who have swallowing or respiratory issues; as such, the SLPs must be able to assess needs and recommend treatments on an immediate basis.

Unlike many SLPs—for instance, those who work in school settings—medical SLPs may work with patients of any age, from infants to seniors and everyone in between.

5 Skills Hospital Speech Pathologists Use Every Day

While there are many skills that a speech pathologist may possess, the  BLS  suggests that the below qualities are important when working in this field:

1. Communication skills

It may seem obvious, but communication skills are critical for an SLP; working with patients is just the beginning. You’ll constantly communicate with doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, which means you’ll be discussing complex medical conditions and procedures. You’ll also be dealing with patients and their families, so you must be able to speak clearly and in plain language about exactly what’s going on and the path forward.

2. Listening skills

When you’re relying on your patients—who may be in discomfort or unable to speak well—and their families to explain symptoms and problems, you must be able to take in what they’re saying in detail to decide next steps. Active listening is important, especially in situations where your patient is having difficulty communicating.

3. Critical-thinking skills

You’ve listened to the patient; you’ve decided what you need to do to assess the problem. You’ve run tests or other diagnostics. Now, you have to be able to find the most probable causes and solutions for your patient, which may require thinking outside the lines, finding alternative methods or changing the treatment plan when needed. Thinking on your feet is vital in a hospital situation, as an emergent or critically ill patient may not be able to communicate well and yet needs help quickly.

4. Being detail-oriented

When a patient can’t speak or swallow correctly, every hint you get—from the patient or the family members present—is valuable. You must be able to piece together possibilities and probabilities from these details, match them up with your knowledge, and decide how to proceed. Being able to ask the right question, hear the nuances in an answer, and pick out the details that matter is a valuable skill. In addition, a medical SLP will be responsible for charting patients—just as doctors and nurses do—and must know and understand a patient’s condition, any medications that patient is on, and all the possible diagnoses, tests, and treatments for that condition. In some cases, an SLP is also contributing to the body of knowledge that an insurance company will use to make coverage decisions, which requires detailed documentation.

5. Patience and compassion

Once an emergent situation has been stabilized, an SLP focuses on helping patients regain the ability to speak, recall language and swallow. This can be slow going—stroke or traumatic-brain-injury patients may make progress incrementally, for example—and patients can get frustrated with their inability to progress more quickly. Understanding this, being able to empathize, and knowing how to help manage others’ emotions when needed is vital.

Why Become a Hospital SLP?

The reasons to consider becoming a hospital speech pathologist are strong:

• You can make an important contribution to people during some of the toughest times in their lives 
• You’ll have an interesting career that is not the same day-to-day
• You’ll be a part of a team of medical professionals working together to accomplish good outcomes for patients
• The  employment prospects and salary potential  are good; $85,420 was the  median wage earned by a speech pathologist in a hospital setting  in 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which projects there will be 27% more SLP jobs by 2028—much faster job growth than average. 

When you’re considering which direction to go in any career, it’s a great idea to talk to someone already in the job. You can ask questions and learn about the job differently than by research alone. Pursuing a career as a hospital SLP is no different. 

Brenda Arend is a speech-language pathologist with 30 years of experience who works in acute care at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington. In a post titled  “A Day in the Life of an Acute Care SLP,”  she writes about her caseload in a single day, which included:

• Assessing a man whose saliva went into his lungs (aspirated) during a heart attack to determine whether he was ready for oral feeding
• Evaluating whether a woman with a blood clot on her brain had any oral control or swallowing difficulty
• Postponing evaluation for a man who overdosed on street drugs until he was more alert
• Performing a VFSS to watch how food moved through the mouth and throat of a cancer patient with a tracheostomy tube 
• Assessing how a patient with dementia was managing food texture
• Evaluating a patient and recommending a gastroenterologist assessment
• Visiting and evaluating the progress of two patients who had strokes
• Helping manage palliative care for a man with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who couldn’t eat food by mouth, including allowing him the treat of a few spoonfuls of ice cream.

At the end of the day, Arend wrote: “Time to go home to my family. It was a day of great variety in patients and disorders. Each patient had complex medical issues that had to be considered in my work with them, which is what I think makes work in the acute setting a challenge, but also keeps it very interesting.” 

Is a Speech Therapy Career in a Hospital Right for You?

If you like the challenge of an ever-changing landscape in your workplace, if you can easily manage moving from one care situation to the next, being a medical SLP may be the right fit for you.  SLPs help people , but those in acute care are working with patients in confusing, scary or painful circumstances, which can give the job more immediacy. 

If you were to  become an SLP  in a school setting, you routinely would work with one student at a time in an ongoing situation; you would set goals, collaborate with teachers, and follow students’ long-term progress. You probably would see some of the same students each week. In a hospital setting, you might see 30 or more patients a week, each of whom presents with different symptoms, circumstances and needs, each of whom needs help quickly, and most likely none of whom you’ll keep up with on a long-term basis. The two SLP positions share resources, education, and professionalism, but are very different as far as day-to-day responsibilities.

Information last updated September 2020

Medical Speech Pathology: Certifications & Salaries

Speech is one of the most important skills we learn, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to bring communication to all. SLPs work with patients of all ages and in different clinical settings and provide solutions to communication barriers.

• Emerson College - Master's in Speech-Language Pathology online - Prepare to become an SLP in as few as 20 months. No GRE required. Scholarships available.
• Arizona State University - Online - Online Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science - Designed to prepare graduates to work in behavioral health settings or transition to graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology.
• NYU Steinhardt - NYU Steinhardt's Master of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders online - ASHA-accredited. Bachelor's degree required. Graduate prepared to pursue licensure.
• Calvin University - Calvin University's Online Speech and Hearing Foundations Certificate - Helps You Gain a Strong Foundation for Your Speech-Language Pathology Career.
• George Mason University - George Mason University's Graduate Programs in Special Education, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Applied Behavior Analysis. - Prepares you for a rewarding career as a Speech and Language Pathologist.

Learn more about medical speech pathology and what you need to know when becoming a speech-language pathologist below.

What Is a Medical Speech Language Pathologist?

Medical speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat a variety of speech-related issues related to:

• Feeding and swallowing
• Social communication
• Speech sounds

Medical SLPs work with individuals from all walks of life, including those affected by chronic diseases or neurological events like brain damage, cancer, or stroke. By examining patients, medical SLPs create individualized treatment plans that focus on solving communication barriers.

It’s no surprise that the healthcare system is a demanding and fast-paced environment for medical SLPs and those working in acute care can expect to see a wide range of individuals and problems throughout their careers.

There are several specialty areas within the healthcare setting where the services of medical SLPs are needed, including:

• Inpatient rehabilitation
• Long-term care
• Outpatient clinics
• Pediatric hospitals

Medical SLPs function as critical members of healthcare teams in these settings, working with other medical professionals to execute care plans with every sort of individual, including premature infants, the elderly, sufferers of chronic diseases, and victims of traumatic accidents.

What Do Acute Care Speech Language Pathologists Do?

For acute care speech-language pathologists, practices are markedly different than for those who practice therapeutic care in other settings. Hospital patients come in with complex and often life-threatening medical issues that require decisive intervention from a combined critical care team, including a licensed SLP. Other members of that team will include surgeons, internists, nurses, and other specialists.

Medical SLPs working in hospitals must be familiar with medical terminology and patient care procedures to function effectively in that environment. The role of a speech-language pathologist in a hospital is to serve as a specialty resource for the doctors managing patient needs with swallowing, speech, and language disorders . Those patients may be experiencing issues from a variety of causes, including:

• Head injury
• Respiratory system issues
• Traumatic injury

The SLP must make a diagnosis rapidly and then recommend treatments based on their findings, which may range from surgery to long-term therapy. SLPs will interpret X-rays, CT scans, and videofluoroscopic images in conjunction with radiologists and other medical imaging specialists.

Working in the NICU as an Acute Care SLP

There is a specialized niche of SLP practice working in pediatric or neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with children and newborns. The challenges in those settings are magnified by the fact that most NICU patients can’t communicate or understand instructions from the SLP.

Pediatric unit SLPs work with patients from birth to 18 years of age. The disorders in this population vary considerably from the disorders commonly found among elderly acute care patients. Pediatric and NICU SLPs face problems that stem from congenital disabilities, disease, and trauma, including:

• Cleft lip/palate
• Craniofacial anomalies
• Dental malocclusion
• Neurologic disease

Working as an SLP in a Long-Term Care Setting

Once patients are out of immediate danger, the role of the SLP in the healthcare environment shifts into more traditional long-term treatment. SLPs working in rehabilitation, long-term care settings, or outpatient clinics conduct follow-up treatment with patients to help them regain their speech, language, and swallowing abilities.

Teaching Patients How to Swallow Safely

The primary role of the SLP as patients shift into long-term care scenarios is to minimize the risks associated with dysphagia management or being able to swallow safely. Surgical treatment is rare in such cases, although the SLP may recommend surgery to bypass the pharynx and oral cavity in extreme cases. Most of the time, various muscular and postural therapies are used instead. SLPs consult with dietitians to help create healthy diets that consist of food that the patient can easily swallow.

Recovering Speech Capacity

Recovering speech capacity is also an important part of rehabilitation and long-term care. Although the most common causes of these problems are neurological, SLPs can devise speech treatments to help.

These strategies help reduce the impairment through repetition and retraining and provide alternative communication strategies that do not require complex motor functions in the vocal tract. Melodic intonation therapies, for example, take advantage of the fact that some aphasic patients have greater success singing words than speaking them.

Pediatric Medical Speech Pathology

Dysphagia, or the inability to swallow, can be a common childhood problem and many speech pathologists work with babies and children in long-term therapy settings.

The process of teaching children how to cope with swallowing disorders is more complex than other patients.

The SLP may focus more on behavioral intervention as a teaching technique, using psychological principles to mold patient eating and chewing habits. Or they might use postural techniques to ease swallowing, including altering the head and neck position or positioning the entire body in a reclining position. Health professionals may also make dietary modifications to feed the patient foods that are easier to swallow.

Other common strategies employed in pediatric SLP treatment are:

• Pacing strategies, which involve alternating the intake of food and drink
• Oral and motor treatment to stimulate the jaw and pharyngeal muscles
• The creation of prosthetics to reform malformed jaw or palate structures
• As a last resort, feeding tubes are sometimes used to inject sustenance directly into the digestive tract

Pursuing a Career as a Medical Speech Pathologist

Pursuing a career in medical speech pathology is a great way to work in the medical field and help individuals from all walks of live.

Education Requirements

If you’re wondering how to become a medical SLP, understanding the education requirements is a great place to start. To pursue a career as a medical SLP, the education requirements you will need to complete include:

• A bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders or a related field
• A master’s degree in speech-language pathology
• A fellowship
• A licensing exam

Certifications

In addition to your education requirements, there are also SLP certifications one can pursue to further their career as an SLP. You can receive certification through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association , for example, that offers increased opportunities for employment, mobility, career advancement, professional credibility, and more.

Career Opportunities, Outlook, and Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for SLPs is $80,480 per year, and SLP employment is projected to grow 25% between 2019 and 2029, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

A career as a medical speech pathologist can be an excellent fit for those who can think on their feet and problem-solve collaboratively. There’s rarely a dull moment with frequent patient turnover and new cases every day.

2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for SLPs  represent national data not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2021.

Start Your Medical Speech Pathology Career

If you’re ready to start a fulfilling career helping others, it’s time to find the right medical speech-language pathology program. Whether you already hold an undergraduate degree in a related field or are a graduate looking to change your career, a master’s degree in communicative sciences and disorders can prepare you for a rewarding career as a medical SLP.

Visit our career center to learn more about careers for speech pathologists .

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• Dual Certification in SLP and Lactation Consultancy
• Continuing Education is Key to Career Versatility and Longevity in This Field
• Do You Speak with an Accent? … You Can Still Be an Outstanding SLP
• The Challenges and Rewards of Working with English Language Learners
• Some Advice on How to Approach Your Clinical Fellowship
• 4 Things a Job Description Can’t Tell You About the Profession
• 5 Things I Love Most About Being an SLP
• Your Guide to Getting Started in Telepractice
• Why Team Player SLPs are Even More Effective Than Superstars
• Why Working With the Entire Family Gets the Best Results in Kids Struggling with Speech-Language Issues

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Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP): What Do They Treat?

What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

A speech-language pathologist (SLP), also known as a speech therapist, is a health professional who diagnoses and treats communication and swallowing problems. They work with both children and adults of all ages in clinics, schools, and hospitals. They can help if you or someone you love has a developmental disorder, neurological condition, or brain injury that affects your ability to communicate with other people. They also can help if you have trouble eating or drinking safely due to swallowing issues.

What Do Speech-Language Pathologists Do?

A speech-language pathologist does many things. Typically, they check how you're able to communicate or swallow. When you're having trouble communicating or swallowing , they will try to find the cause. They'll also develop a treatment plan just for you based on the trouble you're having and the reason for it. They'll work with you and provide therapy to help. They'll also keep track of how you're doing over time. Any treatment they offer is known as speech therapy.

SLPs provide a broad range of therapies because they treat communication and swallowing problems caused by so many different disorders. Their work may include:

• Helping people learn how to form sounds
• Teaching how to speak clearly and easily
• Using exercises to strengthen muscles used to speak or swallow
• Helping people increase the number of words they can say and/or understand
• Working with people to improve the way they put words together in sentences
• Providing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for people who have severe language disorders
• Educating patients and their families about how to overcome challenges from the communication or swallowing problem
• Providing a type of treatment called aural rehabilitation, which helps people with hearing loss

An SLP can help you understand other people better. They can also help other people understand you better by improving your ability to share your feelings through words, gestures, or other means. They can help you learn how to carry on a conversation, including taking turns or giving other people personal space.

SLPs can help you even if you have very limited or no ability to speak the way other people do. They can train you on how to use devices, such as electronic tablets or communication boards. In addition, they can help you learn to swallow safely with approaches that help you better control your swallowing muscles.

SLPs also can help you with:

• How your voice sounds
• How loud you talk
• Memory, attention, problem-solving, organization, and thinking
• Sucking and chewing

Types of Speech Therapy

Speech-language pathologists use different techniques and tools depending on what the underlying cause is, how old you are, and other factors. You may have different types of therapy including:

• Articulation therapy. You'll work on articulating sounds and words more clearly. Your therapist may use games to make it fun.
• Oral motor therapy. Your therapist will work on the muscles around your mouth with exercises to help with speaking or swallowing.
• Language intervention therapy. This type of therapy can help when you have a speech delay or language disability.
• VitalStim therapy. Your therapist may use electrical stimulation around your neck. This approach can help if you've had a stroke leading to problems with eating, swallowing, drinking, or speaking.
• Lee Silverman speech therapy (LSVT). This approach can help with vocal control, volume, and facial expressions. Your therapist may use it if your issues aren't related to your speech ability.
• Modeling techniques. Your therapist may repeat what you say back to you correctly or add in extra words. They'll offer plenty of praise and feedback to help with speech problems.

Speech pathologist vs. speech therapist

You might hear SLPs called speech pathologists or speech therapists. But they are the same thing. Either refers to a health care provider who helps with problems related to speech, communication, or swallowing.

What Conditions Does a Speech-Language Pathologist Treat?

SLPs provide therapy for people with hearing loss, children with developmental delays, and people with communication and swallowing problems. They treat disorders such as:

Speech disorders

These conditions make it difficult to produce sounds. Some examples include:

• Apraxia: When the brain has trouble directing the movements of the muscles used to speak
• Articulation disorders: The inability to form certain sounds, such as “th” or “r”
• Stuttering: When the flow of speech is broken by pauses and repetition
• Resonance disorders: Caused by an obstruction such as a cleft palate
• Dysarthria: Weakness in the muscles used in speech, caused by brain injury

Language disorders

These may be receptive (difficulty understanding language) or expressive (difficulty making oneself understood by others). Some examples are:

• Aphasia: Difficulty speaking or understanding others because of damage to the brain
• Auditory processing disorder: When the brain has trouble understanding the meaning of sounds

Cognitive-communication disorders

Usually, any brain injury that causes problems with memory, attention, organization, or reasoning, cognitive-communication disorders can make it difficult for a person to speak, listen, read, or write. Causes of cognitive-communication disorders include traumatic brain injury, stroke, or dementia .

Social-communication disorders

These conditions make it hard to communicate socially: greeting, asking questions, taking part in conversations, and talking in ways that are appropriate for the situation. Difficulty with social communication can be caused by autism spectrum disorder or events such as a traumatic brain injury.

Swallowing disorders

Sometimes called dysphagia, swallowing disorders are problems with eating and swallowing. Symptoms include coughing or choking during or after eating, food leaking from the mouth, taking much longer than normal to finish meals, weight loss, dehydration, and frequent pneumonia.

How to Become a Speech Pathologist

Speech-language pathologists hold a master’s degree from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Along with classes in the assessment and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders, these programs include at least 375 hours of clinical experience.

After graduation, a 1-year clinical fellowship (or medical training period) is required, with a minimum of 1,260 hours of work under the supervision of a certified SLP. Then the candidate must pass an exam to become certified as a speech-language pathologist.

Where Do Speech-Language Pathologists Work?

You can find speech-language pathologists in many different places. Settings include:

• Assisted living facilities
• Business or work settings
• Military bases
• Rehabilitation centers
• Long-term care or skilled nursing facilities

Reasons to See a Speech-Language Pathologist

If you or a loved one experience any of the following problems, it might be a good idea to seek out a speech-language pathologist.

Difficulty communicating after an injury or illness

Speech therapy can help some people regain the ability to express wants and needs, build relationships, carry out daily tasks, and succeed in school or at work. 

Difficulty eating after an injury or illness

Swallowing therapy can strengthen the muscles used in eating, help adults relearn swallowing coordination, and teach ways to reduce the risk of aspiration (accidentally inhaling food particles).

Feeding issues in infants and children

Babies and toddlers with swallowing disorders may have a pattern of fussiness at mealtimes, avoiding certain food textures or temperatures (called sensory aversions ), congestion or vomiting after eating, or gagging during meals. Feeding therapy can teach chewing, sipping, and swallowing, overcome sensory aversions, and help children learn to eat independently and enjoy mealtimes.

Delayed speech development

If you’re concerned that your child might not be speaking or understanding speech at a level appropriate for their age, talk with your child’s doctor. They can refer you to a speech-language pathologist if your child needs to be evaluated. If a child does have a speech or language disorder, getting therapy early can help.

Speech-language pathologists work in many different places to help people of all ages when they have problems related to communication, speech, or swallowing for any reason. If you or a loved one is having trouble in any of these areas, ask your doctor if they'd recommend you get speech therapy to help.

Speech-Language Pathologist FAQs

• What happens during speech therapy?

Speech therapists treat many different problems that may be caused by many different conditions. They also use many different techniques and tools. What happens during your speech therapy session will depend on the problems you need help with. Ask your doctor or speech therapist what you can expect.

• How long do you need speech therapy?

That depends. Some people may need speech therapy for a few weeks, while others may benefit for months or even years. It depends on what you need speech therapy for. It also can depend on how much time you put into practicing the exercises or other skills your speech therapist recommends.

• How well does speech therapy work?

Speech therapists go through a lot of training and learn how to use methods that are based on evidence they work. One study of kids with a speech or language problem showed that 6 hours of speech and language therapy over 6 months helped. Another study suggests more variable outcomes after a stroke. How well speech therapy works for you will depend on the condition it's treating. It isn't a cure for any disorder, but it can help you with issues that affect your everyday life and ability to interact with people or eat. Ask your doctor or speech therapist how much they think it can help in your case.

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Rehabilitation Services

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Speech-Language and Feeding Services

The Speech-Language and Feeding program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s helps children develop the skills needed for successful communication, feeding and swallowing. These skills can affect all aspects of daily life, from communicating basic needs, to developing social skills, to progress in school.

Our master’s-level, certified speech-language pathologists have extensive training in childhood speech, feeding and language programs. As part of a comprehensive medical program based at a pediatric hospital with one of the largest neonatal intensive care units in the country, our speech-language pathologists are experienced in providing a range of speech, language and feeding therapy services to children of all ages—from infants to teens—with complex medical conditions.

We actively involve families in all aspects of their child’s care. We provide information and training so you can help your child make progress between therapy sessions with at-home exercises. 

When to see a speech-language pathologist

Your child’s physician may recommend a referral to a speech-language pathologist if your child has one or more of the following conditions or concerns:

• Apraxia of speech
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Delays in articulation (pronunciation of speech sounds)
• Delays in expressive language (using words and sentences to express thoughts)
• Delays in language comprehension (understanding concepts, following directions)
• Dyslexia or other language and literacy disorders
• Feeding, chewing and swallowing disorders
• Hearing loss
• Orofacial myofunctional disorders, such as tongue thrust
• Resonance and cleft palate concerns
• Social skills delays or concerns
• Stuttering disorders
• Voice disorders and  vocal cord dysfunction

Identifying your child’s difficulties and strengths through a speech, language or feeding evaluation is the first step to assisting a child with communication or feeding/swallowing problems. Our therapists are skilled in administering formal tests as well as providing clinical observation of play, interaction and conversation to determine if your child needs intervention. We also provide services for our Spanish-speaking patients and families.

Meet Our Team

Our programs and services

Speech and language.

For children with speech and language disorders, a range of programs and services, including individual speech therapy and group social skills and language classes, as well as speech services for children with hearing loss.

Feeding and Swallowing

Personalized treatment for children with feeding or swallowing disorders, ranging from one-time therapy needs to help get them on track, to our Happy Mealtimes intensive feeding therapy program.

Reading and Dyslexia

Evaluation and treatment for children who are below their grade level for reading, spelling or writing.

Voice and Resonance

Care for children with persistent voice and resonance problems, including X-ray speech study evaluations for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.

Learning opportunities

We also offer internship opportunities for students of physical therapy. Learn more .

We accept most traditional insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and most managed care plans. Please check with your insurance provider to verify your benefits plan.

Medical records may be faxed to 727-767-6743.

To make an appointment for a speech, language or feeding evaluation, call 727-767-4141.

Request an Appointment

Complete our online form and our team will reach out to you shortly to schedule an appointment.

Johns Hopkins All Children's Child Development and Rehabilitation Center

Johns Hopkins All Children's Outpatient Care

Read inspiring stories about our patients:

Traumatic brain injury: jasmin’s story.

A year after surviving a crash that killed her parents and grandparents and left her with extensive injuries, Jasmin continues on the road to recovery with her brother and many specialists from Johns Hopkins All Children’s by her side.

Anoxic Brain Injury: Paul’s Story

Family, neighbors and the care team at Johns Hopkins All Children’s join to save a toddler from drowning.

PALS Social Skills Group Helps Ellie Make New Friends

During the semester-long program, a class of eight participants of similar ages works together on learning things like creating and maintaining friendships, practicing conflict resolution and problem solving, and engaging in conversations.

Department of Speech-Language Pathology

Children who have difficulty with communicating and swallowing find expert evaluation and treatment in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Some problems are there at birth (congenital). Others aren't noticed until later (developmental), while others may be brought on by an illness or injury (acquired). Our team diagnoses and treats children from birth through their teen years with speech and swallowing problems, no matter their source.

Our services include evaluations, initial speech therapy and, for some children, guidance and training to use an augmentative and alternative communication device. We see children in acute and intensive care units in the hospital, in inpatient rehabilitation, and in outpatient clinics in the Center for Childhood Communication and other clinics across CHOP.

Interdisciplinary Clinics

You'll find our speech-language pathologists across the hospital in dozens of clinics focused on specific medical conditions that also may include difficulties with speech or swallowing.

• 22q and You Center
• Autism Integrated Care Program
• Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome Clinic
• Cardiac Kids Developmental Follow-up Program
• Center for Pediatric Airway Disorders
• Cerebral Palsy Program
• Cleft Lip and Palate Program
• Hearing Implant Program
• Craniofacial Program
• Feeding and Swallowing Center
• Leukodystrophy Center
• Neonatal Follow-up Program
• NF Multidisciplinary Clinic
• Pediatric Stroke Program
• Pediatric Voice Program
• Pulmonary Hypoplasia Program
• Trisomy 21 Program
• Velopharyngeal Dysfunction Program

Conditions we treat

Our speech-language pathologists treat all types of speech, language and swallowing problems.

• Childhood apraxia of speech
• Language disorders
• Resonance disorders
• Speech and language development in adopted children
• Speech and language development in the context of hearing loss
• Speech sound disorders
• Voice disorders

Meet your team

Our speech-language pathologists are certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensed by the states where they work.

Our locations

Our services are available in the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care at our Main Hospital in Philadelphia and several CHOP Specialty Care Centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Patient resources

We have created resources to help you find answers to your questions about speech, language and swallowing problems and feel confident with the care you are providing your child.

Resources for professionals 

Everything you need to support your patient’s health, created and updated by our CHOP community of experts.

Patient stories

Logan's triumph: overcoming rare syndromes.

Speaking Up About Stuttering

CCC Family Workshop – First Steps: Asking Questions, Making Connections – October

Tuesday, Oct 08, 2024

Parents/caregivers of children newly diagnosed with hearing loss are invited to attend this virtual workshop, led by experts from the Center for Childhood Communication (CCC) at CHOP.

CCC Family Workshop – First Steps: Asking Questions, Making Connections – December

Tuesday, Dec 10, 2024

Your child's appointment

See the specific information, like previous speech evaluation reports, that we ask you to send us ahead of time.

Speech Language Pathology in the Hospital

As a hospital-based speech language pathologist, I am frequently asked, “You’re a speech language pathologist in a hospital?  What do you do?”  People often assume speech pathologists work in schools with children, but many of us don’t.  Speech pathologists are trained to work with people of all ages with a multitude of diagnoses.

Speech pathologists often see patients with the following diagnoses in a hospital setting:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Injury, surgery, or cancer of the head/neck
• Tracheostomy
• Parkinson’s disease

Patients with these diagnoses frequently have difficulties with speech, language, voice, and swallowing.  Because speech pathologists know the anatomy of the head and neck so well, it’s a natural fit for us to evaluate the functions in these areas.

Because swallowing is a natural behavior, you have probably never thought about the many aspects of it.  Normal swallowing includes:

• Timing : Timing is everything, especially when you’re eating or drinking.  In fact, normal swallowing happens so quickly that it’s not something we typically think about while we’re doing it!
• Strength : The muscles in your mouth and throat need to be relatively strong in order to break food down and move it through your mouth and throat.
• Range of Motion : In order for normal swallowing to occur, the muscles of the mouth and throat must move efficiently and to their fullest potential.
• Sensation : We’ve all felt foods or liquids “go down the wrong way.”  The opening to the airway (for breathing) and the opening to the upper esophagus (for swallowing) are very close together. Highly sensitive tissue in this area alerts us if anything begins to go the wrong way. This causes us to cough in an attempt to protect the airway.
• Coordination : The swallowing mechanism ultimately needs to work in a brisk, efficient, and well-coordinated manner over and over again throughout each day. 

When any of these are interrupted by illness or injury, it might result in a swallowing disorder. This would allow food or liquid to spill into the airway and may eventually result in aspiration pneumonia.

Speech pathologists perform swallowing evaluations to identify ways to decrease the risk of developing aspiration pneumonia.  This can be done in several ways:

• Clinical Bedside Swallow Evaluation:  subjective evaluation performed by a speech pathologist at bedside, using varied consistencies of food or liquid.
• Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES):   instrumental evaluation performed at bedside by a speech pathologist in which a fiberoptic camera is used to view swallowing in real time.
• Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBS):  instrumental evaluation performed in radiology by a speech pathologist and a radiologist using a kind of animated x-ray pictures known as video fluoroscopy.

Each of these exams provides different information and allows for individualized recommendations for each patient, which may include: 

• Diet:  changes in texture or consistency of food and/or liquid.
• Positioning:   optimal positioning for meals.
• Maneuvers/Strategies:   to improve safety of swallowing.
• Swallowing Therapy:   potential recommendations for therapy (strengthening exercises, education, strategies).

Inpatient and outpatient speech pathology services are available at all Lifespan affiliates.  To learn more, visit the audiology and speech-language pathology program at Lifespan online .

About the Author:

Jennifer Lobley

Jennifer Lobley, is a senior speech language pathologist in the Department of Rehabilitation at The Miriam Hospital. She received her Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and has served on The Miriam Hospital Stroke Committee since 2013. Her expertise includes swallowing disorders related to stroke, brain injury, head and neck cancer, degenerative neurological diseases, and tracheostomy, and

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Speech Pathology Overview

Adults and children with speech, language, cognitive and swallowing disorders find the compassionate, comprehensive care they need with the experts of the Division of Speech Pathology.

Our speech-language pathologists are skilled and continually trained in the latest medical, surgical and behavioral techniques for diagnosing and managing all speech, language, cognitive and swallowing disorders. They work closely with doctors trained in brain, spine and nervous system conditions ( neurologists ); ear, nose and throat conditions ( otolaryngologists ); laryngology and voice disorders ; rehabilitation concerns ( physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists ); children's medical conditions ( pediatricians , pediatric neurologists , craniofacial team experts).

Conditions and symptoms

• Apraxia of speech, including childhood apraxia of speech
• Cognitive disorders associated with acquired brain injury , stroke and dementia
• Craniofacial disorders (for example, cleft lip and palate )
• Developmental speech, language and communication disorders (for example, specific language disability, speech-sound delay, autism spectrum disorder , stuttering )
• Voice disorders (for example, spasmodic dysphonia, laryngectomy)
• Unexplained acquired voice or speech disorders

Nationally recognized expertise

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, rank among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2023-2024 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.

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SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY

(509) 332-5106

Speech and language therapy focuses on receptive and expressive language, articulation, voice, cognition, memory, auditory processing and fluency. Speech therapists also perform swallow evaluations for children and adults, often with special radiographic studies, to diagnose and treat swallow dysfunction.

Our Areas of Expertise:

• Language Disorders  are characterized as a difficulty understanding others or sharing thoughts and feelings. Found in both children and adults, these disorders can result from a medical problem or have no known cause. 
• Dyslexia is a language-based neurological condition that affects roughly 15-20% of our total population. While the symptoms and severity present differently from person to person, most individuals with Dyslexia have difficulties reading, spelling, writing, pronouncing words, and mastering other language-based skills.
• Motor Speech Disorders  include structures used to articulate words, such as motor and neurologic function of the tongue, lips, jaw, soft and hard palate.
• Voice Disorders  fall into one of three categories: hyperfunctional, hypofunctional, and dysfunctional. Your care plan will help to restore function to an impaired voice through techniques and education.
• Dysphagia (swallowing) Disorders  impact a wide variety of patient populations. Your Speech Language Pathologist will determine degree and severity of the swallowing impairment, and strategies, exercises, and behaviors to improve the condition.
• Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing Disorders  occur when children experience difficulty swallowing, chewing or eating a variety of foods. Oral motor plans, feeding evaluations, home programs, collaboration with caregivers, and parent education are provided along with Pediatric Modified Barium Swallow studies.
• Fluency Disorders  are characterized by disruptions in the production of speech sounds, also called dysfluencies.
• Cognitive Disorders  are impairments with memory, attention, concentration, organization, and problem solving.
• Assistive and Alternative Communication  helps individuals whose oral or written communication abilities do not meet their functional needs.

Meet our Speech Language Pathologists

Jessie Armstrong, SLP

Speech language pathologist.

Special Interests: Early intervention, Pre-Literacy, School Age Children, Speech Sounds Disorders, Autism spectrum disorders, AAC, and developmental learning disabilities.

Tami Dial, MA-CCC-SLP

Special Interests:  Early Intervention, Pre-Literacy, School Age Children, Speech Sounds Disorders and General Language Delays.

Jennifer Griffin, SLP

Special Interests: Pediatrics, Pre-Literacy/Literacy (i.e. dyslexia) and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Keri Jones, MA, CCC-SLP

Special Interests: Voice Disorders, Cognitive Impairment Therapy, Aphasia & Apraxia Therapy, and General Speech & Language Delay.

Sara Osgood, M.S., CF-SLP

Special Interests: Voice Disorders, Aphasia Therapy, Early Intervention and General Speech & Language Delay.

Kelly Steele, MA, CCC-SLP

Special Interests: Infant and Child Feeding and Swallowing Disorders, Pediatric Modified Barium Swallow Studies, General Speech and Language Delay, Autism, Early Intervention, Apraxia of Speech, Head and Neck Issues, Pet Partners/Prescription Pets program, care coordination and multidisciplinary collaboration.

To make an appointment:

Contact Summit Therapy & Health Services by calling (509) 332-5106 or visiting us at 1620 SE Summit Court, Pullman, WA 99163

Sara's Story

Sara Osgood, M.S.,CF-SLP knew she wanted to be a Speech Language Pathologist since she was a little girl.

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The Summit Dyslexia Clinic uses a structured and progressive research-based treatment program to help students with Dyslexia succeed.

Speech Sounds Visualized App

To help children and English-language learners,  a revolutionary digital app has been developed where users actually “see” the sounds of speech.

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