"It is the study of human communication, its development, and its disorders. A speech-language pathologist is a professional who is educated in these areas, and who, by "evaluating the speech and language skills of children and adults...determines what communication problems exist and the best way to treat them."
-American Speech-Language and Hearing Association

What is a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)?

Speech-language pathologists specialize in human communication. They are professionals who diagnose, evaluate and treat communication problems such as speech, language, swallowing, and cognitive disorders.

Education & Credentials

Speech-Language Pathologists earn masters and/or doctoral degrees from colleges and universities accredited by the American Speech-Language Association (ASHA).

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association awards a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology. To gain this certification a speech-language pathologist must meet strict national requirements. These requirements include obtaining an academic degree, completing 350 hours of supervised clinical work, completing a supervised post-graduate clinical fellowship, and passing a national standardized examination in speech-language pathology. When you see a “CCC” designator after their degree, you know that a speech-language pathologist is certified by ASHA. Also, in order to maintain state licensure all SLP's are required to obtain continuing education credits that must be met annually.