How to become a Speech Language Pathologist
Speech-language pathologists are experts who provide assistance when people have difficulties completing basic functions like speaking or swallowing meals.
What Is Speech Pathology and What Does a Speech Pathologist Do?
The discipline of speech-language pathology includes communication impairments. The field of study focuses on diagnosing, and treating speech and communication issues.
Speech language pathologists, sometimes known as speech therapists, are experts in treating a range of speech impairments and addressing language comprehension issues by utilizing various speech therapy strategies.
Firstly, get a bachelor’s degree and enroll in speech-language pathology courses at the university.
Steps to Become a Speech-Language Pathologist:
Step 1: Get a bachelor’s degree and enroll in speech-language pathology courses at a university.
Step 2: Get good grades, solid essays, and strong letters of recommendation for your graduate school application.
Step 3: If the desired graduate institution takes GRE scores into account, ace the GRE General Test.
Step 4: Next, get a master’s degree in SLP. Here, you’ll learn about the fundamental skills that will be required to be a clinician.
Step 5: Once you graduate with a master’s degree, you’ll start your first job called a clinical fellowship.
Step 6: Pass the Praxis Exam in Speech-Language Pathology, a national test that evaluates understanding of current practices and relevant content within the field.
Step 7: If your state offers or mandates it, obtain a state license to practice independently.
Step 8: Obtain American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, or ASHA, certification.
You become credentialed and prepared to begin applying for speech pathologist jobs once you have finished your classroom studies, clinical training, and testing. You’ll still need to keep your license and certification current once work starts. Throughout your career, you can achieve this by completing continuing education units (CEUs).
Each state may have a different requirement for CEUs. Moreover, CEUs make it easier to stay current with Industry trends.
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