 Day in the Life
Speech-language
pathologists usually work at a desk or table in clean comfortable
surroundings. In medical settings, they may work at the patient's
bedside and assist in positioning the patient. In schools, they may work
with students in an office or classroom. Some work in the client's home.
Although the work is not
physically demanding, it requires attention to detail and intense
concentration. The emotional needs of clients and their families may be
demanding. Most full-time speech-language pathologists work 40 hours per
week. Those who work on a contract basis may spend a substantial amount
of time traveling between facilities.
As speech-language
pathologists gain clinical experience and engage in continuing
professional education, many develop expertise with certain populations,
such as preschoolers and adolescents, or disorders, such as aphasia and
learning disabilities. Some may obtain board recognition in a specialty
area, such as child language, fluency, or feeding and swallowing.
Experienced clinicians may become mentors or supervisors of other
therapists or be promoted to administrative positions.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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