Speech-language pathologists identify, evaluate, treat, and counsel persons suffering from speech, language, vocal, and fluency disorders. They may also work with people suffering from oral motor problems which result in problems with eating and swallowing. These disorders may be caused by total or partial hearing loss, brain injury, cerebral palsy, cleft palate, mental retardation, faulty learning, emotional problems, developmental delay, or language disorders. They can also assist individuals in ameliorating the pronunciation differences related to regional accent or foreign dialect.

Since speech and hearing are so interrelated, it is common that patients with these conditions require both speech-language pathologists and audiologists to help them regain their speaking ability.

Speech-language pathologists can use a variety of equipment to diagnose and treat various speech, voice, and swallowing difficulties, such as computers with related software and tranducers to analyze speech and breathing irregularities and video-stroboscopy to visualize voice and swallowing difficulties. They plan treatment programs according to their diagnosis and consultation with the patient's physician. Other duties include selecting and teaching patients to communicate via devices and techniques, such as gestures, communication boards, voice output communication aids, and sign language. A speech-language pathologist is a counselor, a teacher, and a friend to the client. The work may be tedious and repetitive. Speech-language pathologists should be patient, compassionate, objective, able to use precise listening skills, and keep accurate records of a patient's initial evaluation and progress. Specialized allied health skills are required in many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals.

Areas of Specialization
Speech-language pathologists may specialize in a particular age group, in a certain speech or language disorder, or in feeding and swallowing disorders. Learning to work on an interdisciplinary team is an important specialization skill.

Work Environment
Many speech-language pathologists work in public schools. They may also work in speech, language, and hearing centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes, universities, and private practice.

Job Outlook
The number of Speech-Language Pathologists employed in Florida in 2006 was 5,152. It is projected that in 2014 there will be 5,986.

Length of Training/Requirements
The master's degree program, including 375 hours of a clinical practice in speech-language pathology, is the minimum entry-level requirement. The curriculum includes core courses in diagnostic and treatment practices in articulation disorders, fluency, voice/resonance, receptive and expressive language, cognitive and social aspects of communication, hearing, dysphagia, and communication modalities. All courses examine these topics across the life span and with consideration of linguistic and cultural differences.

Advancement
There are doctoral programs for those wishing to go beyond the master's degree to become teachers and researchers. With additional experience, a speech-language pathologist can become a supervisor or work as a consultant for corporations and health-related or education-related agencies.