Better Hearing and Speech Month is a time to make the field of speech-language pathology known to the community. This is our fourth post in our Better Hearing and Speech month series.  In this post we will be answering a common question, “What is a speech-language pathologist?”

What is a speech-language pathologist?

A speech-language pathologist is a licensed, highly trained individual who works with people of all ages from infants to adults.  SLPs scope of practice covers all aspects of communication and language development.   For more information on communication disorders check out our first post in this series “What are Communication Disorders?.”

What is the history of speech-language pathology?

In the 1920’s, there was a need for a professional to treat disorder of speech.  During this time speech-language pathologist were referred to as “speech correctionists.”  However, “speech correctionists” were not introduced to the schools until the 1950’s.  In the beginning speech correctionist only dealt with articulation disorders, but over the years, the field has grown to include language, fluency, voice, accent reduction, oral-motor evaluations and therapies and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

Where can I find a speech-language Pathologist?

• Hospitals

• Schools

• Physicians’ Offices

• Hospitals

• Rehabilitation centers, long-term and residential health care facilities

In honor of BHSM, In Home Speech Solutions will be providing free speech and language screenings for families who are concerned about their child’s speech-language development. For more information on our free screenings, please call 813-485-4104 or visit www.speechtampa.com.  Additionally, feel free to contact In Home Speech Solutions if you have questions or concerns or if there’s anything we can help with.

Jennifer Price M.S., CCC-SLP

Lead Speech-Language Pathologist & Owner

Resources:

What is A Speech-Language Pathology?.  Speech Pathology Graduate Programs. Retrieved from: https://www.speechpathologygraduateprograms.org/.

Who Are Speech Language Pathologists. American Speech Language Hearing Association. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org