Why I Became a Speech Pathologist

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Why I became a speech pathologist

How did I decide on Speech Pathology?

So, there I was, a senior in high school and faced with an important decision. What did I want to study in college? What did I want to do with the rest of my life? Pretty intense decisions I had to make stood in front of me. I had experiences babysitting that taught me that I genuinely enjoyed helping others. I had experience working in a daycare center and enjoyed it, but didn’t know if teaching in a classroom was for me. A high school psychology class intrigued me, but I still wasn’t sure that that was the profession for me.

What did I do? I went to the Internet and searched for professions related to teaching and psychology. I knew what I enjoyed doing and tried to find professions that would satisfy both of my interests. The field of speech-language pathology came up in a few of my searches so I started to research what I could do as a speech-language pathologist. I spoke with my mom and she reminded me that my brother went to a speech-language pathologist when he was younger because he would say /f/ instead of /th/. Well, my brother has no difficulty producing /th/ at all now and it excited me to think that I could help others speak and communicate.

The next step was to meet with various departments at the University I was set to attend. A friendly faculty willing to answer all of my questions greeted me. They explained that I could work with infants, children, or adults. This intrigued me and I felt that many choices were available if I chose to go into this field. I left that day feeling like this was something for me.

How can you learn more about Speech Pathology?

My next decision sealed the deal for me. Enrolling in an introduction class to speech-language pathology was the best move I made in choosing this career. My teacher was extremely engaging and I was able to dip my feet in all of the various components of speech and language. I learned about working with speech sounds, stuttering, voice, language, and swallowing. I left this class wanting to know more.

The rest as they say, is history. I started taking classes that went into specific detail about speech and language. I learned about anatomy, acquired disorders, and research. Each class opened a new thought process for me, and in taking my classes and enrolling in my internships I decided to work in a school. I was able to combine my experience working with children and my interest in helping others into a rewarding profession. Becoming a speech-language pathologist has been both a challenging and rewarding career. Each day provides me with something different. Each child I work with has different difficulties and I am able to provide the best services by looking at the child as a whole. It feels good to know that I am able to provide assistance in helping others communicate and function in their everyday lives.

Top Salary Metro Areas in the United States: Speech-Language Pathologists
Metro AreaAnnual Mean SalaryEmployment
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$106,38050
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO$102,480400
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA$101,42040
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$101,240130
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT$98,580450

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Top States for Employment for Speech-Language Pathologists
StateEmploymentAnnual Mean Wage
Texas14,660$75,270
New York12,090$79,530
California11,550$92,810
Florida7,280$81,780
Illinois6,430$77,580

Bureau of Labor Statistics

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