Rehab

Speech-language pathologists in short supply

Rehab Regs, January 6, 2005

The nation will need about 120,000 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) by 2012 to meet increasing demand and replace retiring workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2002, about 94,000 SLPs were working nationwide, reported the Associated Press (AP). Current shortfalls in the field leave many school teachers to struggle alone to meet their students' speech needs, even though the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires school districts to have enough SLPs to meet the needs of every special education student requiring speech therapy. Demand for SLPs has grown as more children have been diagnosed as needing speech therapy, due in part to improvements in diagnosing speech impairments and higher rates of autism, which, along with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, causes most major speech problems, according to the AP.

Most Popular

Related Articles