Requirements

Speech and language therapist - requirements

As a speech and language therapist (SLT), you’ll help clients and their families who struggle with speech and language issues, injuries or disorders. Read on to find out what you will need to do to become a speech and language therapist and what your career might be like.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a speech and language therapist?

To work as a speech and language therapist you’ll need one of the following:

You’ll need a degree approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). You might choose to begin as a speech and language assistant and progress through degree level apprenticeships.

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Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a speech and language therapist?

You don’t need to gain a postgraduate degree to become a qualified therapist, but they are a common way to build research or clinical experience before starting your career.

You might consider postgraduate level courses such as:

Speech, language and sociolinguistics
Speech, language and communication (advanced studies)
Informatics: ILCC: language processing, speech, information retrieval, cognition MSc (Res)
Language sciences Communication disorders

What skills do you need to be a speech and language therapist?

Professionalism and compassion will be key skills in this field, along with specialist training.

Hard skills usually include:

Basic computer and relevant software skills
Thorough psychological and physiological knowledge
Knowledge of the English language, phonetics, and linguistics
Thorough knowledge of SEND (special education needs and disabilities)
Familiar with up-to-date assessment procedures and therapy techniques
Counselling skills: active listening and a non-judgemental approach

Soft skills include:

Communication; both listening and verbal
Adaptable and flexible to change
Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
Sensitivity and understanding
Ability to work effectively with others
Attention to detail

Do you need work experience to be a speech and language therapist?

Work experience can help you to secure places on relevant degree programmes or internships, as well as giving you a clearer understanding of what to expect once you’re qualified. Most courses have a placement period which involves working with real patients, as well as assisting trained professionals in therapy delivery.

Volunteering through the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, or Do It are great ways of gaining work experience within healthcare or speech and language therapy.