Did You Know?
Babies begin learning the sounds of their native language before they are even born. Research shows that newborns cry in the melody of the language they heard in the womb, and SLPs study exactly how that early learning shapes communication development.
How to Get Started
Getting started on the path to becoming a speech-language pathologist begins with curiosity about how people communicate and a genuine interest in helping others find their voice. Building awareness of the many ways humans express themselves, and the many reasons that can be hard, is the first step. Every experience you have connecting with, listening to, or advocating for another person is laying the foundation for this career.
Explore the Basics
Pick a favorite book and read it aloud to a younger sibling, a pet, or even a stuffed animal, paying close attention to how you use your voice to make the story come alive. Notice how changing your pitch, speed, or volume changes the way the story feels to a listener. SLPs think carefully about all of these elements of communication every single day.
Try It Out
Make a simple picture communication board at home by drawing or cutting out pictures of everyday objects, feelings, and activities and organizing them on a piece of cardboard. Try using only the board to communicate with a family member for ten minutes, without speaking. Afterward, talk about what was easy, what was frustrating, and what that experience might feel like for someone who uses a board like this every day.
Join the Community
Ask a parent or caregiver to take you to a storytime or reading event at your local library and pay attention to how the reader uses their voice, pace, and expression to keep listeners engaged. Think about what makes some readers easier to listen to than others. Noticing the qualities of effective communication is one of the earliest skills an SLP develops.
How to Become a Speech-Language Pathologist
Explore more resources for a future Speech-Language Pathologist
The Boy Who Found His Voice
Gordon, Tyler
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Speech language pathologists help clients find confidence in communication, meeting them where they are and building from their strengths, and this story's message that a voice can be expressed in many ways reflects the broadest and most compassionate definition of what communication therapy aims to achieve.
My Father, Doctor Van
Van Riper, Charles
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Speech language pathologists are shaped by their earliest environments and relationships, and this memoir written by Charles Van Riper — who later drew on his own childhood experience with stuttering to revolutionize fluency therapy — reveals the deeply personal roots behind one of the field's most consequential careers.
Becoming an Exceptional API Leader: Intimate Stories From 15 “Silent Voices” Changemakers
Chan, Mai Ling | Pham, Giang T. | Vuong, Kimberly Oanh | Cheng, Li-Rong Lilly | Kalyanasundaram, Meena | Ito, Nadhiya | Palafox, Phương Liên | Chu, Shin Ying | Maroonroge, Sumalai | Lorenzana, Tina
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Speech language pathologists who serve culturally and linguistically diverse populations need both cultural humility and specialized knowledge, and this guide's emphasis on connecting personal identity with professional service reflects best practice in culturally responsive SLP care.