In Australia we are called Speech Pathologists. I personally do not like the use of the word “pathology,” and prefer to refer to myself as a Speech and Language Therapist. Really, I feel we should be called Communication Therapists as that describes more what we can do.

 

We focus on anything that has to do with communication. A lot is involved in communication. Whether that is sounds, sentences, joining sentences to tell stories and understanding stories our friends tell. It can also be how we play and how we play with others. 

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Communication can be spoken, not spoken (through gestures and multimodal communication), written and expressed in many ways. 

 

 A good description I have come across was from Banter Speech, who described it in the following dot points,

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“Speech Pathologists help children and adults to:”

•  Understand others

•  Be understood

•  Join in and take part

•  Connect with friends and family

•  Respect and back themselves

•  Build on strengths

•  Make informed choices

•  Adapt to change

•  Protest wrongs and assert rights

•  Self-advocate

•  Solve their own problems

•  Learn, study, work and create

•  Do things they care about

•  Smash down barriers

• Change systems

Copied with permission from www.banterspeech.com.au