By Tracy Christenson and Holly Christopher

In recent years, there has been a shortage of staff in American schools, including speech and language therapists, and they need more to offer the services that students need. Stellar Therapy services is hiring for school-based speech langague pathology position!

Why Is There a Shortage of Speech Language Pathologists?

There are several reasons for the shortages. Many of them are the result of budget cuts and tight finances, although there are also issues with the availability and accessibility of training for those interested in entering the profession. The staff shortages in schools existed before the Covid-19 pandemic, although the pandemic made staffing more difficult, and the shortages have continued since. It’s a problem that feeds into itself. With fewer staff to cover students’ needs, speech therapists in schools find themselves handling heavier workloads, getting stressed, and sometimes leaving their jobs.

Why Speech Pathologists are Important

Yet, in spite of these staffing shortages, the need for speech therapists is real. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field is likely to grow during the remainder of the 2020s and into the 2030s. Speech-language disabilities are common difficulties among public school students, with some speech and language issues resulting from the disruption to children’s education during the pandemic years.

The services that speech therapists provide in schools is invaluable! Speech and language therapists help students with difficulties in speaking, listening, comprehension, and self-expression. These are essential communication skills for life as well as school. Besides helping students with speech and language problems, speech and language therapists also help students with swallowing difficulties, which is a serious health and safety issue for those who have those difficulties.

With fewer speech therapists, students find it harder to get help or experience delays in getting the support they need. In 2022, in a major metropolitan city in TN, over 270 students in elementary and middle schools didn’t receive all the speech and language services they needed because of staff shortages.  Services had to be provided over the summer to help those who didn’t receive sufficient help during the school year. These services are essential to providing students with disabilities “a free and appropriate public education” and helping them gain the skills they need to function in life and society.

Becoming a Speech Language Pathologist

Becoming a speech and language therapist can be difficult, which is another reason for the shortage of qualified speech and language therapists. Graduate programs in universities can only accept a limited number of students, and many who apply to these programs are turned away. Part of the reason for the limitations on the number of students allowed in graduate programs is that the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) specifies the student-to-faculty ratio. The courses are also rigorous, making it difficult for students who are working full time to complete their master’s degrees.

Stellar Therapy has stepped up their efforts to fill the gaps with licensed speech and language assistants and using teletherapy in hard to serve areas. If you are interested in a contract position as a school speech-language therapist, Stellar Therapy can help you find the right position for you!

Sources

Budget Cuts: Maintaining Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Services in Schools. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Accessed August 1, 2025. https://www.asha.org/slp/schools/budget-cuts-schools/

Meeting the rising demand for school-based speech and behavioral support. eSchool News. Published May 8, 2025. Accessed August 1, 2025. https://www.eschoolnews.com/innovative-teaching/2025/05/08/meeting-the-rising-demand-for-school-based-speech-and-behavioral-support/

Speech-Language Pathologists. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed August 1, 2025. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm

Squires, Katie. Addressing the Shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists in School Settings. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, p131-137 Win 2013. Accessed August 2, 2025. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1135588.pdf