Since graduating I’ve had numerous people ask me, “exactly what is your job title?” To clarify, I earned a masters in science to work as a speech-language pathologist. I am not a teacher. I am not a nurse. I am almost a hybrid of the two, but with many extra bonus features. I can work on language, speech, voice, augmentative communication, fluency (stuttering), communication difficulties related to brain injury (including aphasia and dysarthria related to stroke, disease, dementia, traumatic brain injury, etc.), dysphagia (swallowing, meaning I help people determine if they are safe to eat food by mouth or if other means need to be implemented, from birth to death), helping with alaryngeal speech (larygectomees, placing valves on tracheostomy, etc.), early intervention with tiny humans, cognitive skills necessary for communication (memory, attention, problem solving, you name it), receptive language (understanding what is said), social language, accent reduction, and anything else under the sun related to communication. We can work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities, homes of clients, government agencies, rehab centers, non profit organizations, private practices, and other health clinic settings. I can understand your confusion, given our wide scope of practice and our presence in a variety of settings. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
