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Speech Therapist

Healthcare

Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.

Allied Health

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Evaluate hearing or speech and language test results, barium swallow results, or medical or background information to diagnose and plan treatment for speech, language, fluency, voice, or swallowing disorders.
  2. 2Write reports and maintain proper documentation of information, such as client Medicaid or billing records or caseload activities, including the initial evaluation, treatment, progress, and discharge of clients.
  3. 3Monitor patients' progress and adjust treatments accordingly.
  4. 4Develop or implement treatment plans for problems such as stuttering, delayed language, swallowing disorders, or inappropriate pitch or harsh voice problems, based on own assessments and recommendations of physicians, psychologists, or social workers.
  5. 5Administer hearing or speech and language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairments, using written or oral tests or special instruments.
  6. 6Educate patients and family members about various topics, such as communication techniques or strategies to cope with or to avoid personal misunderstandings.
  7. 7Supervise or collaborate with therapy team.
  8. 8Participate in and write reports for meetings regarding patients' progress, such as individualized educational planning (IEP) meetings, in-service meetings, or intervention assistance team meetings.
  9. 9Instruct clients in techniques for more effective communication, such as sign language, lip reading, or voice improvement.
  10. 10Teach clients to control or strengthen tongue, jaw, face muscles, or breathing mechanisms.
  11. 11Develop speech exercise programs to reduce disabilities.
  12. 12Consult with and advise educators or medical staff on speech or hearing topics, such as communication strategies or speech and language stimulation.
  13. 13Develop individual or group activities or programs in schools to deal with behavior, speech, language, or swallowing problems.
  14. 14Complete administrative responsibilities, such as coordinating paperwork, scheduling case management activities, or writing lesson plans.
  15. 15Consult with and refer clients to additional medical or educational services.
  16. 16Design, develop, or employ alternative diagnostic or communication devices or strategies.
  17. 17Conduct lessons or direct educational or therapeutic games to assist teachers dealing with speech problems.
  18. 18Provide communication instruction to dialect speakers or students with limited English proficiency.
  19. 19Participate in conferences, training, continuing education courses, or publish research results to share knowledge of new hearing or speech disorder treatment methods or technologies.
  20. 20Supervise students or assistants.
  21. 21Communicate with students who use an alternative method of communications, using sign language or computer technology.
  22. 22Use computer applications to identify or assist with communication disabilities.
  23. 23Conduct or direct research on speech or hearing topics and report findings for use in developing procedures, technologies, or treatments.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • SLP
  • SLP CF
  • SNF RN
  • School SLP
  • Travel SLP
  • Bilingual SLP
  • Pediatric SLP
  • Oral Therapist
  • Home Health SLP
  • Teletherapy SLP

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. Typical entry

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationMaster's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Therapy and Counseling — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Sports ScienceDraws directly on Therapy and Counseling — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • English Language98%

    English

  • Education and Training83%
  • Psychology80%
  • Customer and Personal Service80%
  • Therapy and Counseling79%

    BiologySports Science

  • Administrative71%

    Business

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Time spent sittingAlmost all the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

10%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Physiotherapist

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Speech-Language Pathologists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue