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What is required to be a great speech therapist? Above-average intelligence, kindness and a team spirit – to name a few. As we honor speech-language pathologists in May for Better Hearing and Speech Month, we reflect on 12 qualities SLPs possess and use in their delivery of care:

1. Compassion: Speech-language pathologists practice patience and empathy with their patients every day. A career in speech-language pathology indicates a strong desire to help people and serve the community.
2. Creativity: Speech-language pathologists use creative and innovative exercises to treat the individual needs of a patient.
3. Enthusiasm: Speech-language pathologists motivate patients during challenging treatments and recovery periods. SLPs identify what wills a patient to improve and incorporate that inspiration into treatment.
4. Intelligence: Speech-language pathologists possess a wide range of knowledge in communications, neuroscience and other disciplines such as linguistics.
5. Persistence: Speech-language pathologists work persistently to treat, rehabilitate, and improve the patient’s overall quality of life. SLPs who work with medically complex patients persevere when other clinicians may cast doubt on a patient’s abilities.
6. Adaptability: Speech-language pathologists are trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat various communication disorders for both adults and children.
7. Resourcefulness: Speech-language pathologists keep their knowledge and skills current with the most up to date resources, such as the They continue their education and attend conferences with others in the profession.
8. Versatility: Speech-language pathologists are trained to provide services in public and private schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, the home setting, research laboratories and other facilities.
9. Proactive approach: Speech-language pathologists find the best courses of treatment by proactively determining the nature and severity of the problem.
10. Team spirit: Speech-language pathologists consult with teachers, parents, and family members to understand the patient’s circumstances and later explain a patient’s progress.
11. Innovativeness: Speech-language pathologists continue to develop new methods and equipment to evaluate problems and establish more effective treatments. They utilize technology such as mobile applications when helpful.
12. Stellar interpersonal skills: Speech-language pathologists possess good communication skills and are pleasant and amiable with patients and other healthcare professionals.

To learn more about what it takes to succeed as a speech-language pathologist, visit the careers page from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Happy SLP Month to all of our hard-working clinicians!