How to become Speech-Language Pathology Assistant in 2024

Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Assist speech-language pathologists in the assessment and treatment of speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. Implement speech and language programs or activities as planned and directed by speech-language pathologists. Monitor the use of alternative communication devices and systems.

Speech-Language Pathology Assistant is Also Know as

In different settings, Speech-Language Pathology Assistant is titled as

  • Communication Assistant
  • Speech Assistant
  • Speech Paraeducator
  • Speech Pathologist Assistant
  • Speech Therapy Assistant
  • Speech-Language Assistant
  • Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA)
  • Speech-Language Pathologists Assistant (SLPA)
  • Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)
  • Speech-Language Technician

Education and Training of Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Speech-Language Pathology Assistant is categorized in Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education Required for Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Degrees Related to Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Training Required for Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Speech-Language Pathology Assistant in different industries are

What Do Speech-Language Pathology Assistant do?

  • Assist speech-language pathologists in the conduct of client screenings or assessments of language, voice, fluency, articulation, or hearing.
  • Implement treatment plans or protocols as directed by speech-language pathologists.
  • Assist speech-language pathologists in the remediation or development of speech and language skills.
  • Collect and compile data to document clients' performance or assess program quality.
  • Document clients' progress toward meeting established treatment objectives.
  • Test or maintain equipment to ensure correct performance.
  • Assist speech-language pathologists in the conduct of speech-language research projects.
  • Conduct in-service training sessions, or family and community education programs.
  • Perform support duties, such as preparing materials, keeping records, maintaining supplies, and scheduling activities.
  • Prepare charts, graphs, or other visual displays to communicate clients' performance information.
  • Select or prepare speech-language instructional materials.

Qualities of Good Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

  • Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
  • Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
  • Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
  • Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
  • Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
  • Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.

Tools Used by Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

  • Airflow measurement devices
  • Alternative computer keyboards
  • Circumaural headphones
  • Closed circuit television CCTV surveillance systems
  • Communications boards
  • Compact disk CD players
  • Compact stereo systems
  • Computer inkjet printers
  • Copy machines
  • Desktop computers
  • Diagnostic stroboscopes
  • Digital audio recorders
  • Digital audiometers
  • Digital still cameras
  • Digital video stroboscopy systems
  • Dynamic display devices
  • Electroglottographs EGG
  • Electromyographs EMG
  • Handheld digital camcorders
  • Infrared switches
  • Jellybean switches
  • Laptop computers
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Mechanical stethoscopes
  • Personal computers
  • Reading pens
  • Recording microphones
  • Sound booths
  • Sound switches
  • Speech synthesizers
  • Speech therapy mirrors
  • Subglottal air pressure measurement devices
  • Touch switches

Technology Skills required for Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

  • Adobe Audition
  • Biofeedback software
  • Bungalow Software Aphasia Tutor
  • ELR Software eLr Extra Language Resources
  • Email software
  • KayPENTAX Multi-Speech
  • Language analysis software
  • Learning Fundamentals Speech Visualization
  • Micro Video Video Voice Speech Training System
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • Propeller Multimedia React2
  • Signal analysis software
  • Speech analysis software
  • Text to speech software
  • Web browser software
  • Word processing software