What is Speech Language Pathology?

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are professionals who are trained to assess and treat individuals with communication disorders. The area of "communication" is broad and encompass five major categories.

These are: articulation/phonological disorders, language disorders, fluency disorders, voice disorders, and pragmatic or social interaction disorders.

Communication disorders can be the only disability a child has, or they can be part of a more involved disability such as cranio-facial disorders, autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, hearing impairment, traumatic brain injury, or a specific learning disability.

Within the school setting, the SLP serves many roles to include:

Educating staff about student communication difficulties

Obtaining referrals from teachers and parents

Assessing speech and language skills

Collaborating with staff to support the child within the classroom

SLPs work in other settings outside of schools to include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and private practice. When a student's communication difficulties do not impact the child within the school setting, he/she may receive services from a private practice.