Requirements to become a Speech Pathologist

Being a speech pathologist is a very rewarding career. Unfortunately, there are many children who have speech problems that must be rectified. The good thing is that those speech problems can be fixed with speech therapy, which is the main duty of a speech pathologist. When the problem is caught early, fixing it isn't too much of a problem. Speech pathologists also work with adults who have had some sort of brain trauma that has affected their speech. They can be rehabilitated so that they can communicate.

If you are entertaining the idea of becoming a speech pathologist, it is important that you know the requirements. The requirements are:

Biological Science
Physical Science
Mathematics
Behavioral Sciences
Social Sciences

These are the courses that must be completed before applying for certification in speech-language pathology.

If you attend a graduate program that holds accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), then you shouldn't have an issue meeting those requirements. The coursework usually has you completing the requirements that are set forth by the CAA. They are embedded in the coursework. You can look at your syllabus and more or less bet that what you complete will help you to complete the knowledge requirements.

There are also skills requirements. Those requirements are usually completed by doing clinicals through your college or university. There are 400 clinical hours that are required. You have 25 hours in which you must observe and 375 hours in which you are in contact with the patent. 325 of those hours are completed when you are at the graduate level.

Once the academic coursework and the clincals are completed, those applying for certification must complete the Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellowship (SLPCF) experience. This experience is acquired by completing 36 weeks working full time in a clinical practice. After that, the Praxis exam in Speech-Language Pathology must be completed. Once this is completed, it is then up to the individual to comply with the Certification Maintenance requirements that are outlined after certification is acquired. Certification Maintenance is where you are able to maintain your certification after it is awarded to you. This is so you can continue to practice as a Speech Pathologist.

It may seem like there is a lot involved in becoming a Speech Pathologist, but it is important that a Speech Pathologist be very well trained in helping people to speak properly. It is a very rewarding career that can help a lot of individuals both big and small.

As for where you can be employed, you can find jobs in school systems, in hospitals, and in clinics. You may even wish to have your own practice where individuals can bring their children to have you help them to develop their speech skills. There are many possibilities for you and it is a job that comes with great pay and it is very rewarding. Someone who is able to communicate is someone who will have a much better quality of life. If a child grows up not being able to speak properly, this severely hampers them socially. When they are compromised socially, it does not do much for their self-esteem. For adults who have had neurological issues that have resulted in speech problems, being able to speak improves their quality of life and also does well for their self-esteem.

So if you're looking for a great career, this is definitely one that you can get involved in. It may seem as if it takes quite a while to break into the world of Speech Pathology, but you'll be glad once you are there.

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