Speech-language pathology involves evaluating and treating people with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. The document provides an overview of the history and development of the field from the 1700s to present day. It describes the typical daily responsibilities of a speech-language pathologist which include assessing patients, creating treatment plans, documenting progress, and adjusting plans as needed. The career requires skills in active listening, critical thinking, and social perceptiveness. Employment in the field is expected to grow 21% by 2024 due to an aging population. The annual salary typically ranges from $44,940 to $111,000.

1. K A T I E G A S Q U E
J A N U A R Y 1 3 , 2 0 1 6
H E A L T H 4 1 9 0 - S E C T I O N 0 0 1
Speech-Language Pathology
Fig. 1 “Tips on Picking a Speech-Language Pathologist: What to Look Out For.” Stuttering Foundation of America. 1991-2016. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

2. Introduction to Speech Pathology
— Basic Goal: to evaluate and treat people with speech, language,
voice, and fluency disorders
— Specific Responsibilities:
¡ Adjust treatments based on progress observed
¡ Create treatment plans for stuttering, delayed language, swallowing
disorders, or harsh voice problems
¡ Write reports and document patient information
¡ Assess hearing or speech/language test results, barium swallow
results, or medical information to diagnose and plan treatment

3. History of Speech-Language Pathology
— 1700’s: Elocution became an interest in England
— 1882: Samuel Potter, MD published “Speech and its Defects”
¡ Included definitions and treatments of all speech disorders
¡ Caused the U.S. to shift interest from elocution to communication disorders
— 1926: American Academy of Speech Correction established
— 1939-1945: World War II
¡ Many soldiers returned home with brain damage which increased the number of people
suffering from aphasia
— 1940’s-1950’s: Researchers put more focus on brain processing abilities
¡ Brain studies, technological advances, and development of standardized tests helped create
more reliable receptive and expressive language tests and treatments
¡ Field of speech pathology became speech-language pathology
— 1960’s-1980’s: Further advances in linguistic studies
¡ Enhanced speech-language pathologists' ability to treat a variety of language disorders from
people of all ages
— 2000’s: Speech-language pathologists have begun to research/treat the pragmatic use of
language
¡ Speech-Language Pathology continues to develop in the U.S.
Elocution-skill of clear and
expressive speech
Aphasia-loss of ability to
understand/express speech
because of brain damage

4. The Daily Life of a Speech-Language Pathologist
— Skills and Abilities:
¡ Active listening
¡ Critical thinking
¡ Learning Strategies
¡ Reading comprehension
¡ Social perceptiveness
¡ Oral comprehension
¡ Speech recognition
¡ Deductive Reasoning
¡ Inductive Reasoning
¡ Speech Clarity
— Work Context
¡ Constant contact with
others
¡ Face-to-face discussions
every day
¡ Group work is extremely
important
¡ Extreme importance of
being exact and accurate
¡ A lot of freedom to make
decisions
Fig. 2 “Speech Program.” The Miriam Hospital. 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.

5. The Daily Life of a Speech-Language Pathologist
— Personality:
¡ Should enjoy helping people, teaching,
and talking
¡ Should do well at jobs that require:
1. Dependability
2. Concern for others
3. Integrity
4. Cooperation
5. Adaptability
6. Attention to detail
— Education:
1. Master’s Degree
2. Certificate after Master’s
Fig. 3 “Scope of Speech Language Pathology” Let’s Grow Speech. 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2016

6. The Daily Life of a Speech-Language Pathologist
— Growth Potential
¡ New job opportunities are likely in the future.
¡ From 2014-2024, employment is expected to rise 21%, which is much
faster than the average of all jobs.
¡ As the baby-boom population grows older, causes of conditions that
cause speech problems will increase (i.e., strokes or hearing loss).
¡ In May 2014, average opportunities for employment exists in SC
(1,700-2,910 employed annually).
— Salary Range
¡ In May 2014, the annual salary varied from $44,940 (10th percentile) to
$111,000 (90th percentile).
¡ In May 2014, the median annual salary was $71,550, and the mean
hourly salary was $34.40.
¡ In SC, the mean annual salary was $67,600, and the mean hourly salary
was $32.50.

7. Fig. 4 “Occupational Employment Statistics” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2014. Web. 25 March 2015

8. Flexibility/Options
— Speech-Language Pathologists have flexibility in their jobs that provide
them with opportunities to work in a variety of different settings.
— Settings include but are not limited to elementary and secondary
schools, health practitioner offices, hospitals (general and specialty),
nursing care facilities, home health care services, and medical and
diagnostic labs.
— Industries with the highest employment rate for this occupation include
elementary and secondary schools (57,740 employed annually), health
practitioner offices (25,410 employed annually), and general hospitals
(14,040 employed annually).
— Top paying industries for this occupation include home health care
services ($95,170 per year), physicians’ offices ($90,350 per year), and
retirement communities/assisted living facilities ($90,020 per year).

9. My Plan
1. Pre-Graduate School
• Contact the Graduate Admissions Coordinators for the University of South Carolina, the
University of Virginia, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to set up interview
dates.
• Prepare and take the GRE on June 16, 2016.
2. Graduate School
• Options:
a. **Top Choice**: University of South Carolina
-Master of Speech Pathology (MSP)
-Desired Program: average GPA of 3.7, average GRE verbal of 153, average GRE quantitative
of 148
-Retention Rate: For the past 3 years, 96% of students admitted have completed
their degrees.
-Pass Rate of Praxis exam: For the past 3 years, 100% of students have passed.
-Employment Rate: For the past three years, 100% of those students have been
employed.
-Academic Fee (per semester): $7,192
Fig. 5 “Speech-Language Pathology” Wikipedia. 2015. Web. 16 December 2015

10. My Plan
b. University of Virginia
-M.Ed. in Speech Pathology and Audiology-clinical degree
-Desired Profile: GPA of 3.0 or higher, GRE Quantitative of 150 or
greater, a GRE Analytical of 150 or greater, and a GRE Writing of 4.0 or greater
-Retention Rate: An average of 98% of students admitted have completed their degrees.
-Pass Rate of Praxis Exam: Over many years, 100% of students have passed.
-Employment Rate: An average of 100% of students within the first year of completing the
program have been employed.
-Annual Academic Fee: $24,288
c. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
-MS in Speech Language Pathology-clinical degree
-Desired Profile: GPA of 3.6 or higher, GRE Verbal scores and GRE Quantitative scores in at
least the 50th percentile
-Retention Rate: For the past 3 years, 100% of students admitted have completed their
degrees.
-Pass Rate of Praxis exam: For the past 3 years, 100% of students have passed.
-Employment Rate: For past three years, 100% of those students have been
employed.
-Application Fee: $100 (Academic Fees not listed under general information)
Fig. 6 “University of Virginia Student Calendar” University of Virginia. 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2016
Fig. 7 “UNC Uncovers Potentially More Violations in NCAA Academic Scandal” Goldsboro Daily News. 2015. Web. 14 Aug. 2015

11. My Plan
3. Postgraduate Work
¡ Preferred industries:
a. Elementary school setting
÷ highest employment rate (57,740 employed annually) within the
occupation of Speech-Language Pathology
÷ annual mean salary of $66,910
÷ I would enjoy this setting because I love the idea of working with
children, and I would be able to work part time, if desired, when
raising my own children.
b. General hospital setting
÷ third highest employment rate (14,040 employed annually)
÷ annual mean salary is $79,050
÷ I like the organization and structure of a hospital setting. Also, I
particularly enjoy performing swallowing tests.

12. Why am I a Desirable Candidate…
Ø for Speech-Language Pathology?
— Interest Code of Speech-Language Pathologist: SIA
¡ Social-involves working with and teaching people
¡ Investigative-involves working with ideas that incorporate a lot of thinking
¡ Artistic-involves working with forms, designs, and patterns
— My O*NET Profiler Results: AES
1. Artistic- 24 points
¡ I am able to come up with creative ideas which will help when developing plans and treatment options.
2. Enterprising-24 points
¡ I like making decisions and always finish projects that I start. I have the determination to treat patients until
improvement is seen.
3. Social-22 points
¡ I enjoy teaching and helping others. These traits will aid in my relationships and trust from patients, important
because face-to face discussion and constant contact are two main facets of this job.
— The Party Game Results: CIS
1. Conventional: I am organized, pay close attention to detail, and make detailed plans. Since one work
concept of this job is “extreme importance of being exact and accurate”, these traits will be a valued
asset in my field.
2. Investigative: I love figuring out solutions to problems. This trait will help me when adjusting the
treatments of my patients.
3. Artistic: My creativity will be beneficial when I have to develop treatment plans.
*As seen, my O*NET Profiler Results and Party Game Results contain the interest code of this occupation
(SIA). Although the characteristics of “enterprising” and “conventional” are not listed for this job, they
will give me a competitive edge. The fact that I am extremely determined and detail-oriented will set me
apart from others in my field.

13. Why am I a Desirable Candidate…
Ø for USC Master’s Degree Program in Speech-Language
Pathology?
Ø I have experience shadowing this occupation. I am familiar with the terms and treatments for
speech disorders. I have done intensive research, and I am passionate about this occupation.
Ø I am exceptionally hard working and dedicated to my studies. I was valedictorian of my high
school and my cumulative GPA at Clemson is a 4.0. I am willing to spend as many hours studying
as necessary in order to understand the material presented. The required GPA for USC is a 3.7, so I
fit into the requirements set by the admissions offices.
Ø I have all of the pre-requisites required for this program (human biology, behavioral or social
science, statistics, and physics or chemistry) and have taken other courses I feel will help me be a
key contributor to this program.
¡ Academics that I have completed that I feel are particularly important for this
program (and Speech-Language Pathology, in general) include:
1. Anatomy and Physiology- Knowing different parts of the brain and how they relate to speech helps
me better understand my patients’ problems.
2. Psychology-Studying functions of the human mind and how they relate to behavior will give me an
advantage, especially when working with younger patients.
3. Communication- Understanding general communication skills will assist me not only when
working with patients, but with my graduate school classmates and coworkers as well.

14. Conclusion
— Speech Pathologists assess and treat people with speech, language, voice
and fluency disorders.
— Active listening, critical thinking, and learning strategies are some of the
skills required for this occupation.
— From 2014-2024, employment for Speech-Language Pathologists is
predicted to rise 21%.
— The annual salary ranges from $44,940-$111,000, with a median of
$71,550 per year.
— I wish to attend USC, UVA, or UNC-Chapel Hill for graduate school and go
to work in a school or hospital setting.
— I am a good candidate for this occupation because I have all of the
necessary traits and interests. I love helping others and figuring out
problems, and I have a creative mind.
— I am a good candidate for USC graduate school because I have observed
and researched this field, have the required courses and GPA, and I am
dedicated to my studies.
— Additional courses that I have completed that will be helpful to this field
are anatomy and physiology, psychology, and communication.

15. Works Cited
— "A History of Speech-Language Pathology." Judy Duchan's History of Speech. Judith Felson Duchan, 12 May
2011. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "Definition of Aphasia in English:." Elocution. Oxford University Press. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "Definition of Elocution in English:." Elocution. Oxford University Press. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "Degree Programs: Communication Sciences and Disorders." Degree Programs: Communication Sciences
and Disorders. University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, 17 Jan. 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "History of the Professions." Speech & Hearing Exhibition : UNC Health Sciences Library. Health Sciences
Library, 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "M.Ed. in Speech Pathology and Audiology." - Curry School of Education. University of Virginia, 2015. Web.
17 Jan. 2016.
— "More Details at O*NET OnLine for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move." More Details at O*NET
OnLine for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move. My Next Move, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "Occupational Employment and Wages for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move." Occupational
Employment and Wages for Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move. My Next Move, 2014. Web. 17
Jan. 2016.
— "O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move." O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move. My Next Move, 2014.
Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "Speech and Hearing Sciences." Desired Profile of Students Admitted into the MS Program. UNC School of
Medicine, 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2016.
— "Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move." Speech-Language Pathologists at My Next Move. My Next
Move, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2016. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Speech-language-pathologists.htm.