While fulfilling this career journey’s licensing and educational needs, you might develop numerous needed skills in this area that can equip you to assist other people. With the right certification and degree, you can pursue well-paying jobs in various settings like hospitals, schools, rehabilitation clinics, and research institutes.
Tips to becoming a speech pathologist
The first step in becoming a speech-language pathologist involves getting an accredited master’s in speech pathology after completing your bachelor’s. Note that the online master’s degree program provides the most convenient learning alternative. Many higher learning institutions offer online speech pathology master’s programs.
If you want to pursue a bachelor’s degree, you might want to choose a related major, like physiology and communication sciences. After completing your bachelor’s degree, here are the steps you must follow to become a certified speech-language pathologist.
Master’s degree: get an online master’s degree in speech degree pathology from an accredited program
- Clinical internship: complete a practicum or clinical internship that is related to your speech language pathologist program online.
- State board requirement: complete the state board and other professional licensing exams and prerequisites.
- Supervised fellowship or internship: complete a supervised postgraduate fellowship or internship program needed to get a professional certification and licensure.
Licensing prerequisites vary from region to region. Therefore, it can be helpful to familiarise yourself with these requirements of the state licensing agency in the state where you want to work.
Things to do as a professional speech-language pathologist
While speech-language pathology is a specialised career, a certified pathologist can work in various fields. Speech-language pathologists are needed in hospitals, schools, research centres, and rehab centres. They might work at community mental health organisations.
- School speech therapist: schools hire full-time speech therapists to assist in identifying learners with special needs, enhance vocalisation and express speech and overcome impediments like stuttering. The therapist’s roles include evaluating learners, creating treatment or intervention programs, and offering one-on-one speech-language therapy.
- Occupational therapist: A speech-language pathologist can work in a medical facility like a rehab centre or hospital, offering therapy and other rehab services. They collaborate with doctors and physical therapists to assess patient needs and assist patients in managing the speech illness caused by an injury or disease.
- Audiologist: an audiologist works in a specialised sector of speech-language pathology. The professionals study the effect of hearing deficits on speech and utilise their skills to work with victims with hearing and deaf impairment.
Speech Pathology Internship Opportunities
Online graduate programs in speech-language pathology require supervised clinical experience. This is part of the training that poses challenges while providing numerous unique advantages.
- Finding an internship program: some online programs will help you find an internship through their network of internship providers.
- Career exploration: after you get an internship in a field you want to explore, this can be a chance to experience life at work in the field that interests you.
- Work experience: an internship allows you to supplement your online study with practical, supervised clinical experience and training opportunities.
- Making the most of the internship opportunity: after getting an internship, it’s important to listen to what the supervisors require you to do. You can respectfully communicate your internship goals to assist you in getting better results.
If you’re planning to pursue an occupation in speech-language pathology, this guide will help you. The career is ideal for people who love working with others. It’s also important if you like the concept of assisting kids in learning how to communicate better so they can become successful adults in the future.