A speech and language pathologist is one who treats people with stuttering and stammering issues. These pathologists are highly educated veterans with at least a master’s degree in the medical field. These professionals are required to study various subjects including physiology, genetics, neuro-anatomy, linguistics, acoustics, psychology and anatomy.

With knowledge of such wide-ranging subjects, a speech and language pathologist is qualified to examine the various language issues of people.

Functions of a Speech and Language Pathologist
A speech and language pathologist treats speech delays and disorders including motor speech issues, phonology and articulation. He/she takes complete care of fluency disorders, voice & resonance disorders and feeding & swallowing disorders in infants, children and adults. The pathologist also helps in treating cognitive-communicative disorders, which includes problem solving, reasoning and social communication skills.

In fact, they also help in spreading phonological awareness, writing, decoding and reading comprehension. In case of any traumatic brain injury, hearing impairments, neurological impairment and intellectual disorders also, a speech and language pathologist can be of great help. This simply means that a job of such a therapist does not remain restricted to help people who stutter. 

Factors to look out for in Speech and Language Pathologists 

1. Listen and Examine: The first factor that you must look out for is that the pathologist must listen carefully to the clients. Proper listening helps in understanding the behavior and issue of the patient thoroughly. The pathologist who listens with empathy is able to comprehend the problem of the client without judgment. An experienced pathologist first listens to the speech issue and then examines it accordingly.
2. Flexibility: Renowned speech and language pathologists always try to be flexible with their clients whether it is regarding the timings of the appointments or the treatment procedure. They do everything in line with the needs of the clients. They strive to achieve the goals such as improving communication skills, minimizing the stuttering frequency and decreasing avoidance behavior in the perfect manner.
3. Provides Rational Explanation: Some doctors do not provide any rational explanation for the patient’s issue. However, a great speech pathologist provides complete explanation for a particular clinical decision. When the pathologist is clear about the treatment method to be used, the patients also remain worry-free. The patients are assured of the best treatment and quick recovery from the issue.

Besides these factors, a speech and language pathologist must also charge a reasonable fee from the clients. He/she should have experience of years in the same field and must have a medical license issued by the concerned authority. Make sure the pathologist that you are approaching has clear past records without any instances of cheat or fraud. 

Finding the Best Speech Pathologist
Speech and language pathologists are very often a neglected lot. We somehow don’t seem to give them enough credit, which is not a very good situation. There are a lot of public schools that hire so-called ‘speech interventionists’, who are not qualified as speech pathologists. When hiring a speech expert for your child, make sure you go to a qualified professional only. Check for his degrees and the kind of positions he has held in the past.

It is also a myth that public sector speech pathologists are less qualified than their private sector counterparts. The only difference between the two is probably the methodology adopted by the two. While the former might work on the educational model of the practice, the latter generally work with the medical model of the practice. At the end of the day, they are just different means to the same end.