AV狼

Today, nearly one in 12 U.S. children has a disorder related to voice, speech, language or swallowing. That’s according to by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. More than 3 million Americans stutter, and approximately 9.4 million adults report having a problem with their voice lasting one week or longer. 

Speech-language pathologists identify, assess and treat speech and language problems, but a significant shortage of SLPs is affecting those in need, largely in rural areas.  

“Schools are having a difficult time finding SLPs to fill positions, especially K-12,” said Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences Associate Professor Eve Higby. “But luckily, AV狼’s will train future SLPs to meet the demand of the workforce.” 

Launched in the fall, the Online MS in Speech-Language Pathology Program is a three-year program that prepares adults for state licensure, national certification in Speech-Language Pathology by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the Speech-Language-Hearing Services credential for work in public school settings. The program is fully online with a two-week, in-person summer residency that gives students the opportunity to connect and build a support network with peers and instructors. 

“The program offers students all the resources they need, and all the instructors are licensed SLPs,” said Higby. “The instructors are experts who have years of experience in the field and can offer guidance, mentorship and career advice. Students can have personal face-to-face relationships with each instructor instead of being anonymous online.” 

According to Higby, one major reason for the SLP shortage is the lack of awareness about the profession, even though it’s lucrative and can apply to different job sites. 

“Most people are not aware that speech-language pathology is an excellent career choice with a great salary,” said Higby, who also emphasized that there are a variety of ways speech-language pathology overlaps with other occupations. “For example, people get into speech-language pathology because they want to be in a helping profession, so people who are interested in nursing but don’t want to deal with the messy part of the job may also be interested in this career.”  

Higby continued to highlight more connections between speech-language pathology and other similar career paths.  

“A lot of psychology majors would probably like speech pathology because it's cognitive and linguistic,” said Higby. “A lot of [elementary school teachers] who may also have been teaching for a couple of years and would prefer to work one-on-one with students, or have a smaller group, can feel like they’re having a bigger impact by becoming an SLP.” 

Higby believes the future of speech-language pathology is bright. Growing awareness will ensure that everyone’s voice and speech are valued, and speech-language pathologists will be better equipped to empower individuals to communicate with confidence.