Speech Therapist Job Description
A speech therapist, also sometimes called a speech-language pathologist, treats people who are struggling with communication and swallowing disorders. It’s their job to assess, diagnose, and treat the problem so that the patient can live a better life. The disorders that a speech therapist treats often are the result of causes like strokes, brain injuries, and developmental delay.
A speech therapist may work with a wide variety of patients, including children and older adults. They need to assess the causes of the specific problems that each individual patient is experiencing. Then, the speech therapist creates a targeted plan of treatment to help that patient get back to normal communication.
To qualify for this job, an individual needs to have at least a master’s degree. Educational services, hospitals, and private practices are the largest employers of speech therapists.
Speech Therapist Job Description Template
We are searching for a skilled speech therapist to join our team. In this role, it will be your job to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who are struggling with communication and swallowing disorders. You will need to identify the causes of a patient’s problems and then address them through a targeted care plan.
To be successful, you will need to understand and be capable of utilizing the latest treatments in the field of speech therapy. You should also feel comfortable working directly with patients and their families. Other tasks may include maintaining patient records, attending conferences, and leading speech therapy workshops, among others.
If you believe that you would be successful in this role, then we’d love to see your resume.
Speech Therapist Responsibilities:
- Perform screening tests to diagnose each patient and to identify the cause of their problems
- Utilize a blend of proven treatment methods and cutting-edge therapies
- Attend conferences to keep yourself up-to-date with the latest trends in the field of speech therapy
- Educate patients and families on their disorder
- Maintain detailed patient notes to track progress over time
Speech Therapist Requirements:
- Master’s degree in speech-language pathology or a related field
- All state and federal licenses needed to practice
- Experienced in working with a diverse patient population
- Ability to connect with patients
- Willingness to travel to attend conferences to maintain knowledge
- Basic technological proficiency
Speech Therapist FAQ
What tasks does a speech therapist do?
A speech therapist helps patients who are struggling with communication or swallowing disorders. They often work with individuals who have had strokes and brain injuries or younger ones who are developmentally delayed.
A speech therapist will need to identify the source of each patient’s problem and then create a care plan that’s individualized to help them recover. They will also need to take detailed notes on a patient to ensure that they’re making progress over time.
Can I use your speech therapist job description template?
If you need to create a speech therapist job description, feel free to use some, or even all of what we’ve written here. Just make sure that you’re also including some information that sets your job apart from others that your applicants may also be considering. Doing so is an essential part of helping your company to attract as many qualified candidates as possible.
What should I include in my speech therapist help-wanted ads?
We recommend that you follow the same basic outline that we’ve used above. It’s best to start general with a few paragraphs that highlight the parts of the job that are most important to applicants. After you’ve done that, then you can create two bulleted lists that offer a more detailed look at the responsibilities and requirements of the job.
