“Of all the gifts bestowed upon humanity, the ability to communicate is one of the most important. Any impairment of this ability can have far-reaching consequences, affecting every aspect of a person’s life, from learning, to work, to interactions with family, friends, and community. Speech-language pathologists provide services to prevent, diagnose, evaluate, and treat communication disorders” (ASHA Careers, 1997-2009).
American Speech-Language Hearing Association
Speech Pathology Fact Sheet
http://asha.org/careers/professions/slp.htm