Frequently Asked Questions about Speech and Language Therapy

What are communication disorders?

Speech and language disorders not only affect the way individuals express themselves, but the way they comprehend others. These disorders may range from simple sound substitutions (typically found in children) to serious cognitive deficits that prevent individuals from being able to use speech and language at all.

Is my child's speech and language disorder serious?

Yes. The ability to communicate effectively is important for all ages.  Communication is needed to establish appropriate social interaction with others as well. If left untreated, a speech or language disorder can negatively affect academic performance, social interaction, vocational success and in some cases, the ability to live and function independently.

Read more about the impact of speech and language disorders in our blog post, Teasing & Bullying: More Support for Early Speech Therapy Intervention.

What is the difference between a speech pathologist and a speech therapist?

In short, there is no difference.  The two terms are often used interchangeably even by those in the profession, particularly in states like Texas where the highest level of certification is required prior to licensure.  Often we use easier words, like speech therapist or speech teacher, to help children better understand our role.

A "speech pathologist" or "speech-language pathologist" has a Certificate of Clinical Competency (also called "Cs") which is issued by the American Speech and Hearing Association. This certification requires completion of a Master's degree in speech-language pathology, the passing of a national exam and completion of a 9-month Clinical Fellowship Year under a qualified supervisor.

In some states, the term "speech therapist" may imply that the individual holds a degree in speech pathology but not a Certificate of Clinical Competence.  There are limited number of states in which a speech therapist can practice without "Cs" and Texas is not one of them.

In some settings, speech therapy may be provided by Speech-language Assistants who hold a Bachelor's degree and work under the direction of a licensed speech pathologist.

All services offered by CTSPS, Inc. are provided by speech-language pathologists certified by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association with one exception.  Our therapists identified as Clinical Fellows, noted as CF-SLP rather than CCC-SLP, have completed their Master's degree and are in the process of certification with ASHA.  Clinical Fellows are supervised by a fully certified and licensed speech pathologist.   At CTSPS, all of our speech pathologists are licensed by the state of Texas, and we do not use Speech-language Assistants to provide any of our services.

Check back for more FAQs soon...

For ongoing information about CTSPS therapists at work and in the community, visit our blog.


South Austin
2525 Wallingwood Drive
Building 2
Austin, TX 78746

North Austin
8500 Bluffstone Cove
Building B
Suite 105
Austin, TX 78759

Phone: (512) 327-6179
Fax: (512) 327-1545