Are you curious about the difference between job descriptions for a speech pathologist vs. speech therapist? Whether you’re considering speech-related careers or researching what kind of rehabilitation practitioner could help you or a loved one with a communication disorder, you’re not alone.
Speech therapists and speech-language pathologists (SLP) are the same—there are no educational or qualification differences between a speech-language pathologist vs. speech therapist. The terms are interchangeable.1
Providers may say they are an SLP vs. speech therapist based on how they envision treatment styles or job roles. However, the choice to refer to themselves as a speech therapist vs. pathologist does not reflect their educational level, qualifications or specialties.
Is a Speech Therapist the Same as a Speech Pathologist?
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are licensed communication experts.2 They identify and treat a variety of speech, hearing and feeding difficulties across a person’s lifespan.
Since a speech pathologist vs. speech therapist reflects a difference in title rather than role or expertise, both are qualified to provide treatment across key areas. Some of these include:
- Speech sounds – SLPs can help patients improve one (or more) specific sounds in their speech patterns, correcting issues like lisps.
- Fluency – Not to be confused with literacy, fluency describes how smoothly people can speak without stumbling or stuttering.
- Social communication – SLPs can help people who don’t readily understand social cues and other communication behaviors learn how to engage and connect with others.
- Language – Language describes the extent to which we understand what we hear and speak. Aphasia is one example of a language disorder that SLPs support.
- Voice and vocal hygiene – SLPs can help people who quickly grow hoarse or lose their voices improve their speaking techniques to prevent future injuries.
- Feeding and swallowing – SLPs treat dysphagia, which includes problems with chewing, swallowing and sucking that can lead to malnutrition and other illnesses.
- Literacy – SLPs often diagnose disorders among people with trouble speaking, reading or writing in their native language.
Communication disorders can overlap, which makes diagnosis and treatment complex. The SLP brings their knowledge of anatomy, diagnostic skills and clinical skills to work with the patient and their care team.
Learn More About USAHS’ MS-SLP Program
Whom Do Speech-Language Pathologists and Therapists Treat?
Speech-language pathologists treat patients of all ages across a variety of settings.3 Let’s explore some scenarios in which SLPs can improve a patient’s quality of life.
Elder Care
Seniors often experience speech or feeding-related conditions as comorbidities with other disorders. For instance, aphasia—a disorder where patients have trouble interpreting their thoughts into speech or processing others’ speech—can be caused by a stroke, head trauma, brain tumors or dementia.
Elderly aphasia patients often present with both speech-related symptoms and memory loss.4 Those who have experienced a stroke may develop related swallowing disorders.
A speech-language pathologist provides seniors and their caretakers with tools, exercises and treatments to improve their speech, hearing, feeding, cognitive function and practical communication.
Adult Life
Some may wonder whether to seek a speech therapist vs. pathologist for adult communication issues. As they are the same profession, both can help with a variety of communication difficulties related to:
- Social cues – Adults with special needs may not understand social cues, acceptable topics or proper physical distance from conversation partners. Through exercises and role-plays, SLPs can work with them to develop social communication skills.
- Vocal damage – Adults in professions that require shouting or singing may experience vocal damage. SLPs can offer tips for vocal hygiene, such as warming up the voice, drinking more water and less coffee and modulating volume to help prevent future injuries.
- Brain injury – Adults with traumatic brain injuries may need advanced speech therapies to regain their abilities to speak, swallow, understand, read and write.
Children and Infants
Parents sometimes ask about choosing between a speech therapist vs. pathologist for their child. Remember that these titles refer to the same qualified professional who can treat communication and feeding disorders in young children and infants.
Specifically, SLPs may:
- Assist nursing mothers with their child’s latching and sucking
- Help children with autism spectrum disorder learn to identify social cues and use appropriate language
- Address fluency disorders such as stuttering or issues with speech sounds
However, anyone at any age could experience the speech difficulties described above. Therefore, SLPs treat patients of all ages in a variety of settings, such as:3
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Private practices
- Pediatrics
- Colleges and universities
- Rehabilitation centers
What Qualifications Do Speech-Language Pathologists and Therapists Need?
Whether someone calls themselves a speech pathologist vs. speech therapist, the educational path to becoming a speech professional remains the same. Aspiring SLPs must:3
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree, ideally in a related major
- Earn a master’s degree in speech-language pathology
- Complete a clinical fellowship under the supervision of a certified mentor
- Pass the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology
- Secure their Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) and become licensed in their state
Some SLPs earn their PhD so they can:
- Teach at the college or university level
- Create SLP curricula for public school systems
- Lead SLP research projects
This unified educational pathway further demonstrates why there’s no professional distinction between a speech pathologist vs. speech therapist. Both job titles require identical training to earn their credentials.
Become a Speech-Language Pathologist: Earn a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP)
There is no need to debate the differences between a speech pathologist vs. speech therapist. These roles are the same—they require a Master of Science (MS) or higher in Speech-Language Pathology. They are licensed to treat various communication disorders among people of all ages.
If you’re considering a speech-language pathology career, explore the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS).
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program. The MS-SLP is an online program with four required residencies at the USAHS San Marcos, St. Augustine, Austin or Dallas campuses. The program offers three intakes per year in January, May and September. Join a collaborative cohort of peers who learn under the mentorship of expert faculty-practitioners. Prepare to positively impact lives with a rewarding career in speech therapy.
For students with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than communication sciences and disorders (CSD) or SLP and for students with a CSD or SLP degree whose undergraduate program did not include the required leveling coursework, we offer SLP leveling courses for completing the necessary prerequisites to enter the graduate program.
The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in Speech-Language Pathology {residential Austin, TX; satellite Dallas, TX; satellite San Marcos, CA; satellite St. Augustine, FL; all distance education} at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.
Sources:
- Adrienne Santos-Longhurst, “What Is Speech Therapy?,” Healthline, May 9, 2019: https://www.healthline.com/health/speech-therapy.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, “Who Are Speech-Language Pathologists, and What Do They Do?,” ASHA, 2024: https://www.asha.org/public/who-are-speech-language-pathologists/.
- American Speech-Language Hearing Association, “Speech-Language Pathologists,” ASHA, 2024, https://www.asha.org/students/speech-language-pathologists/.
- Mayo Clinic, “Primary Progressive Aphasia,” Mayo Clinic, April 1, 2023, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/primary-progressive-aphasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20350499.
