Speech Therapist

Description and Responsibilities

Speech therapists assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent speech, voice, language and communication disorders. They develop intervention programs to prevent and treat these disorders.

Speech therapists evaluate the extent and severity of the observed disorders (lack of articulation, vocal handicap, dyslexia, aphasia, cognitive-linguistic disorder, stuttering, etc.).They research factors (physiological, neurological, emotional, family, social, etc.) that are responsible for such disorders, and plan and implements educational and therapeutic programs with patients and provide support to family and loved ones.

In addition to obtaining the collaboration of family, loved ones and communities, speech therapists establish intervention programs tailored to the needs, skills and limits of patients in an aim to foster progress, autonomy and social integration.

To be a practicing speech therapist, you must be a member of the Ordre professionnel des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec.

Education and Training Requirements

To practice, a speech therapist must have a master’s degree. The following universities offer a master’s degree program: 

• The Département de réadaptation at Université Laval offers a master's degree in speech language pathology (in French only)
• École d’orthophonie et d’audiologie de l’Université de Montréal offers a master's degree in speech language pathology (in French only)
• Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) offers a master’s in speech therapy (in French only)
• McGill University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers Professional Training in Speech-Language Pathology (M.Sc.A.) 

Scholarships for certain regional jobs in the field of health and social services are offered to students under the scholarship program of the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. For more information, see Bourses pour favoriser le recrutement de certains professionnels et techniciens de la santé et des services sociaux en région éloignée page (in French only).

Required Interests, Skills and Personality Type

• Must be a good communicator and listener
• Must be responsible and organized
• Must enjoy physical work and handling (medical) instruments
• Must know how to observe and analyze situations and people
• Must love contact with the public

Personality Type (RIASEC)

ISE

• I - Prefers studying, understanding and solving problems
• S - Prefers to be in contact with people and to help them
• E - Prefers supervising, making decisions and managing, influencing and persuading others

Work Environment

Speech therapists in the health and social services network mainly work in: 

• Hospitals (in French only)
• Rehabilitation centres (in French only)
• Residential and long-term care centres (CHSLDs) (in French only)
• Local community services centres (CLSCs) (in French only)

Useful Links

• Audiologists and Speech Therapists – Emploi-Québec 
• Département de réadaptation – Université Laval  (in French only)
• École d’orthophonie et d’audiologie – Université de Montréal  (in French only)
• Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec  (in French only)
• School of Communication Sciences and Disorders – McGill University 
• Speech therapist – Sauve des vies  (in French only)
• Speech-Language & Audiology Canada 
• Testimony of a speech therapist with pediatric patients – ULSanté   (in French only)
• Video: audiologist – speech therapist – Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de la Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine  (in French only)
• Video: Testimony of a speech therapist – ULSanté  (in French only)
• Video: Testimony of speech therapy graduate – ULSanté  (in French only)