Our Speech Pathologist Resource Guide for SLPs
Speech language pathologists (SLPs) make a difference in peoples’ lives every day. It’s no surprise that U.S. News & World Report ranked speech language pathologists as the eighth best job of 2020.
By helping people who have difficulties with language, speech and/or swallowing, SLPs empower individuals to reach personal and social milestones that help them thrive in the classroom, at home and at work.
If you’re attending a speech pathology master’s program, working in speech pathology or interested in learning what the profession is all about, continue reading to find resources for speech therapists.
Speech Language Pathology Resources for Students and Professionals
The following is a collection of speech pathology resources and professional development opportunities, as well as helpful websites, blogs, books and apps for speech language pathologists. Use these resources to learn about current SLP insights and stay up-to-date with the latest strategies and techniques used by speech pathologists.
Professional Development Resources for Speech Therapists
There are organizations, professional training seminars and conferences that provide speech therapists with continued professional development. Here are some organizations to check out:
- American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology : The AAPPSPA is a professional organization for speech pathologists in private practice founded in 1965. It hosts an annual conference and provides speech pathology resources to members.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association : ASHA is the national professional, scientific and credentialing association for members including speech language pathologists and students. The website features continuing education unit (CEU) opportunities and lists speech pathologist events and conferences throughout the United States or hosted online.
- International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication : The ISAAC is a membership organization focused on improving the lives of individuals with communication needs. It holds an international conference for members, including speech pathologists.
- National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing : The NBASLH is an organization formed to promote an increase in the number of black speech pathologists and to promote research contributing to black individuals with communication disorders. The organization hosts an annual professional development convention for black speech language pathologists, scientists and students.
- SpeechPathology.com : This site has CEU opportunities for SLPs on topics such as dysphagia, child language disorders, apraxia and speech sound disorders.
- Speech Pathology Group : The Speech Pathology Group is a California-based organization providing speech and language services and professional development. Trainings cover topics like vocabulary and systems, report writing and behavior management.
10 Helpful Speech Therapy Blogs
Learn about the latest in speech pathology news, strategies and tips by checking out these top SLP blogs.
1. Allison Fors
Speech and language resource author Allison Fors shares blog updates on language intervention tools, categories in speech therapy and how to elicit language development.
2. BVG SLP
This blog is managed by an ASHA-certified speech pathologist who shares tips for speech therapists like scheduling strategies, how to build student confidence and teletherapy platforms.
This blog on speech therapy for children is run by an ASHA-certified member. Check it out for ideas on how to use stories in speech therapy, how to target multiple-meaning words, innovative ways to teach letters and more. The site also has many free resources for speech therapy with children.
4. Kiwi Speech
Kiwi Speech is a speech pathologist blog covering topics related to working with school-aged children, such as SLP strategies classroom teachers can use, how to balance motherhood with being an SLP, and how to find and reduce distractions.
The Looks Like Language blog is an SLP-run blog that has posts for SLPs about working in school settings, tips for taking care of paperwork, and time- and money-saving tips.
Nice Speech Lady is a blog run by medical speech pathologist Bekah Wilson Nice. The blog covers topics such as multi-syllabic content for articulation practice, a day in the life of an SLP, and news about speech pathology from around the world.
7. Panda Speech
This ASHA-certified member blog includes speech pathology tips for the classroom and at home, like how to work on speech while traveling, how to use common household items and games in speech therapy, and how to motivate students using pets.
This comprehensive speech therapy blog covers speech therapy topics including speech therapist graduate school, therapy ideas and SLP personal development.
Speaking of Speech is an SLP blog site that includes reflections on speech pathology, speech pathologist resources and tips for staying organized as a speech pathologist.
10. Teaching Talking
This website is geared toward speech therapists who work in schools. Blog posts cover topics like how to choose toys and games for speech therapy, treatments for children with childhood apraxia of speech, and how to use speech therapy notebooks for home practice.
Interesting Books for Speech Pathologists
Looking for a good read? Here are our recommended books on the subjects of speech disorders, speech pathology and speech pathologist techniques.
- “The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science,” by Norman Doidge. This book focuses on neuroplasticity research, showing how the brain adapts to physical problems.
- “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death,” by Jean-Dominique Bauby. This memoir details life after suffering a massive stroke and paralysis. The story tells of what it’s like to be a victim of “locked in syndrome,” told by an author who wrote the book via a communication method of blinking his left eye.
- “The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language,” by Steven Pinker. Pinker explains how language works, how children learn it, how it has evolved and how the brain processes it.
- “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales,” by Oliver Sacks. This book is a collection of stories about individuals affected by neurological disorders.
- “There Was a Speech Teacher Who Swallowed Some Dice,” by Patricia L. Mervine. This light-hearted book is a way for SLPs working with kids in classrooms to introduce students to the idea of speech therapy and the materials that are often used during it.
- “Thinking in Pictures, My Life with Autism,” by Temple Grandin. This book is written by an animal scientist who explains how she thinks, feels and experiences life with autism.
- “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries: 101 Stories of Hope, Healing and Hard Work,” by Amy Newmark and Dr. Carolyn Roy-Bornstein. This book is a collection of stories from people who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. It gives speech language pathologists insights into what some patients may feel.
- “Word Nerds: Teaching All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary,” by Brenda J Overturf. This book is inspired by two teachers who teach at a high-poverty urban school. It provides insights into how to plan and assess vocabulary instruction and learning.
Websites and Online Resources for SLPs
There’s an abundance of free and helpful materials for SLPs to use in their practices.. Here are some of the best online resources to help you grow as a speech pathologist.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association : ASHA has free resources for speech therapists in school-based practices, including resources for working with adolescents and information on how classroom acoustics affect hearing and understanding.
- Do2Learn : Do2Learn features printable picture cards that can help with story strips, visual schedules and other activities.
- Free Language Stuff : Browse through hundreds of language worksheets and activities on this site.
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders : The NIDCD has resources and research on voice, speech and language disorders.
- Pat Mervine : This TeachersPayTeachers contributor posts educational materials for speech pathologists, including many free resources.
- Resources by Judith Maginnis Kuster : This therapy materials website contains free printable treatment resources for various communication disorders.
- Speech2Teach : Speech2Teach is a website with printable materials for speech language therapy for kids whose ages are preschool through elementary school.
- Speech and Language Kids by The SLP Solution : Speech Language Kids has free speech therapy materials for working with kids, including games, flashcards and worksheets.
- Speechlanguage-Resources.com : This is another helpful website for speech pathologists who work with kids, with free language activities to download.
- Speech Therapy Ideas : Speech Therapy Ideas features game and activity ideas for speech and language, including crafts and picture cards.
- SpeechTX : This speech therapy activities website has free exercises to help children improve communication, language and speech skills.
- Therapy Source : The Therapy Source activities page has dozens of free activities to download, as well as blog posts on topics like how to create your own speech therapy materials.
Helpful Apps for Speech Language Pathologists
Technology helps speech language pathologists when working with clients and students. Here’s a list of apps for speech pathologists to check out.
- Articulation Station: This app was created by an SLP to help users practice 22 sounds in the English language at the word, sentence and story levels.
- ArtikPix: ArtikPix is an app with flashcards and matching activities. It helps with speech practice for students with speech articulation needs.
- DAF PRO: The DAF PRO app provides delayed auditory feedback so users can slow the pace of speaking to communicate more clearly. It’s geared toward people with speech disorders who speak at a fast rate, including those who stutter or who have neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
- LAMP Words for Life: This speech and communication app is designed for children with autism. It uses the guidelines provided by Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) to help students using a proven approach.
- Speech Tutor Pro: This app for elementary school students includes articulation decks, videos with palate views and videos showing sound pronunciations.
- Splingo Apps: Splingo apps focus on speech and language using animations and reward-based gameplay. Apps cover pronouns, receptive language, actions, categories, describing words and more.
- TactusTherapy: TactusTherapy has a collection of speech therapy apps that use 2D animated movies to help adults. It provides users with a view of the head during speech and offers guidance for a wide range of speech issues.
- Word Vault: Word Vault is a free app providing articulation practice activities, language-building stimuli and social language content. It was developed by two ASHA-certified SLPs to make teaching all aspects of language and speech easier.
Use This Guide in Your Speech Language Work
Speech pathology is a busy profession with constant new challenges and rewards. There are many resources to stay up-to-date on the latest training and techniques as an SLP. Refer to this guide whenever you need to find helpful advice and tools to succeed in your speech pathology journey.