What is an SLP?
Speech-language pathologists (SLP) specialize in the prevention, identification, treatment of, consultation about, and counseling for individuals with speech, language, and swallowing problems and their families. Perhaps you know a young child who does not speak clearly, or have an aunt who speaks too loudly, or a friend who appears to have chronic laryngitis, or a grandfather who has problems attending or remembering, or trouble swallowing or eating, or who cannot use speech at all. Such difficulties may be related to physical limitations, such as cleft palate, or brain injuries such as stroke; or they may be associated with emotional problems or have no known cause. These problems may be present from birth or result from acquired or developmental challenges. Regardless of their origins, the presence of speech, language, and/or swallowing disabilities can have a significant and potentially negative influence on a person’s academic performance, social interaction, vocational goals, and
