Valérie Caza, masters' student at the School of Speech-Language Pathology at Laurentian University, speaks to a patient.Laurentian University/Supplied
Job: Speech and language pathologist
The role: Speech and language pathologists are responsible for identifying, preventing, intervening and assisting with a wide array of communication and swallowing disorders.
According to Chantal Mayer-Crittenden, an associate professor of speech and language pathology at Laurentian University and chair of the board of the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologist, practitioners work with patients of all ages.
“An infant with an intellectual delay, or Down syndrome, or who might eventually have autism, we will notice some delays early on,” she says. “The speech and language pathologist will work with families to try to prevent the disorder from becoming more serious.”
Ms. Mayer-Crittenden adds that speech and language pathologists also work in daycares, preschools and elementary schools assisting children struggling with communication related issues.
“And then into adulthood we work with people who have had strokes, neurological disorders, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, MS; those are all neurological disorders that will affect communication or swallowing in some capacity,” she says. “We also work with adults who might have dementia; and then there’s the cancer population who may have had a tumor in the throat or larynx removed, so they can’t swallow, or have had their voice box removed, and can’t speak.”
Speech language pathologists typically work alongside other healthcare professionals, such as physicians and occupational therapists, as well as with patients one-on-one, to develop strategies that can improve communication.
“We provide interventions in schools, sometimes in hospitals, long term care facilities where we provide one-on-one intervention, and there’s a lot of speech and language pathologists who work in the private sector to provide intervention when it’s not available in the public sector,” adds Ms. Mayer-Crittenden.
Master's student Sara Dubreuil-Piché (left) and Laurentian University professor Chantal Mayer-Crittenden work with a child at the Speech and Language Clinic at Laurentian University.Laurentian University/Supplied
Salary: Full-time speech and language pathologists earned a median annual compensation of $83,850, according to Speech Language & Audiology Canada’s 2018 Salary and Benefits survey. Compensation typically varied based on the practitioner’s employer type, province and years of experience, according to the study.
Those with less than five years of experience saw a median annual salary of $51,500; those with more than 10 years experience earned over $80,000, and those with over 15 years experience earned a median salary of $85,000, according to the study.
Education: In order to become a speech language pathologist in Canada one must first earn an undergraduate degree — including some prerequisites in linguistics and psychology — before successfully completing one of the 12 Master’s level programs available across the country.
“Like most health professions, speech and language pathologists are a regulated health profession,” explains Ms. Mayer-Crittenden. “They do need to be a member of a provincial college, and most provinces have a governing body, but if they don’t they can be a member of the national association.”
Most speech language pathologists are required to successfully complete a Canadian Entry to Practice Exam in order to gain certification, and must complete 15 hours of accredited ongoing professional development each year to maintain their credential.
Job prospects: Demand for speech and language pathologists in Canada is high and expected to continue growing in the coming years, in part due to the country’s aging population.
“They’re more at risk of having a stroke, dementia, swallowing disorders,” says Ms. Ms. Mayer-Crittenden. “There’s more awareness, too, of what speech and language pathologists can offer.”
In 2019 Canadian Business ranked speech and language pathologists among the 100 fastest growing jobs in Canada, and predicted a 23% increase in employment opportunities over the following five years.
Challenges: One of the biggest challenges speech and language pathologists face is awareness. Ms. Mayer-Crittenden explains that developmental language disorders are more common than autism, for example, but are much less understood.
“It’s quite evident when someone needs physiotherapy—they might limping, they might have difficulties with mobility—so giving them access to services is easier, because you can see it,” she says. “Communication disorders are invisible, and if you have a communication disorder, it’s difficult to advocate for your own care. "
Why they do it: When they are able to properly diagnose and treat a patient, speech and language pathologists can significantly improve their quality of life.
“They are so relieved to finally have someone who gets them, that understands that they can’t communicate, and we often become their advocates, so it’s very rewarding in that sense,” says Ms. Mayer-Crittenden.
Misconceptions: According to Ms. Mayer-Crittenden, many assume the role is dedicated to addressing speech impediments and other, more visible communication issues, but practitioners work with a wide array of patient types.
“Lisps and stuttering, those are the more obvious ones, but it’s the more subtle, abstract part of the job that people don’t really understand; the language and communication piece,” she says.
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