MockQuestions

Speech Pathology Mock Interview

28 Questions Created By

To help you prepare for your Speech Pathology interview, here are 28 interview questions and answer examples.

First Question

28 Speech Pathology Interview Questions

15 Interview Questions With Sample Answers

1.   Speech therapy can cost your patient a lot of money, do you worry about the cost for the patient when doing your job?

How to Answer

This is always, and should be a concern, but not a dictator of how you deliver patient care. There is cost associated with any treatment or service, and while in medicine especially this can many times be extraordinary, this is not a motivator or reason not to treat a patient as you were trained to do.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"Knowing that the behind the scenes issues in healthcare change on a regular basis when it comes to government intervention, a good healthcare worker must keep up to speed on the changes for their patients. With that said, my job is to first provide the best care possible to my patients. If a patient or family member ever had a question or a concern with their insurance coverage and my services, I would try to help out as best as I could or refer them to someone in billing to talk further."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"As a therapist, I not only treat the patient but work alongside the family. I'll help them research their healthcare plan to ensure that treatment is covered or help them file the appropriate paperwork to get reimbursed."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"I do not worry about the cost of the therapy for the patient when trying to conduct my therapy with them. I do, however, make myself available to them should questions ever arise. With the changes recently to the ACA, my current employer handles these questions up front with potential clients in our billing department. This alleviates most concerns from the patients or their family when they are with me."

Written by Ryan Brunner

2.   What is the importance of the administrative work performed by a Speech Language Pathologist?

How to Answer

As a Speech Language Pathologist, documentation of patient records is extremely important. On top of that, being organized throughout your day is also important. Your interviewer is looking to see both how you stay organized and how you prioritize patient documentation. Be sure to talk about the importance of timely and accurate patient documentation.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"As a new graduate entering the field, I am a very organized person that understands the importance of the administrative side of the job. Communication among providers and other healthcare professionals is key for a patients well-being and this communication starts with solid charting. I have experience working on an EMR and am confident in my ability to learn a new system if necessary."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"As a successful SLP, I need to put a high priority on staying organized throughout my workday so I can document as necessary. Great patient care relies on timely documentation because patient referrals count on great record keeping. To ensure that I can keep accurate records on my patient, keeping an organized schedule is very important. I keep free time in my schedule to be able to keep on my documentation."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"The administrative side of being a Speech Pathologist is very important in my day to day work. I begin each day by laying out my patient schedule. If I have downtime in between patients and potential travel, I make time for patient documentation and other administrative tasks. I fully utilize my smartphone and calendar to keep me organized through each day. I have become very efficient working on an EMR to document patient notes as well."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3.   Talk about a time you had difficulty working with the parent of a patient or a caregiver of a patient. What made that interaction difficult and how did you overcome it?

How to Answer

Working with caregivers, parents or family members of a patient is a necessity in your career as an SLP. At some point in your career, you will experience a difficult person to work with or have a difficult conversation with them at some point. If you haven't experienced this yet, you likely will at some point in your career. Your interviewer is looking for a specific difficult time you had working with someone close to a patient of yours and how you handled that situation. They will be looking to see how you reacted to and resolved any issues in a calm and efficient manner.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"During my fellowship on an inpatient rehab unit, I was part of a family conference to prepare them for a patient discharge the following week. The patient had been involved in a car accident and had suffered a traumatic brain injury. After rehabbing with us, the patient had all home modifications in place and was in a good place health wise to be discharged. While most of her family was prepared for her to come home, her oldest son became angry with our staff and the his other family members for okaying the discharge. Our SLP and OT, in front of everyone in the meeting, simply began talking to the son about the progress that his mother had made and how much more progress she would make at home. The calmly explained that both of them would be making home visits to her on a regular basis to ensure that her progressed continued. By ending the meeting with him thanking the SLP and OT, I saw that their calm demeanor and their ability to educate the son were key factors in the situation."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"As a young SLP in a school setting, I was working with a child that had a mother that was completely disengaged from her education. During the students IEP, I could tell that the mother could really care less about the progress of her young daughter and I was very distraught immediately following the meeting. Putting my emotions aside quickly, I asked our administrator if I could invite the mother in to talk face to face about her child's need for speech therapy and the importance her home life would play in this. In calling the mother back in, she was very hesitant at first but then agreed. I prepared for the meeting by keeping data simple and explained her daughter's situation to her in layman's terms. At the end of the meeting, the mother thanked me for meeting with her and stated she didn't realize that her daughter was having issues with her speech. The mother agreed that our time together was necessary and became engaged in the process moving forward."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"A few years back, my team had determined that a 4th grade student should be discharged from therapy as he had made significant progress in his writing and was excelling in the classroom. The child's parents were not agreeable to this plan and threatened to involve an outside therapist. My administrator called them in to meet with us so we could fully explain our reasoning for the decision. Prior to the meeting, myself and the teach prepared all of the data that we could to show the child's progress. By staying calm in the meeting and taking an empathetic approach to their point of view, the parents agreed that discharge was appropriate and they left the meeting with smiles on their faces knowing their child had progressed that much."

Written by Ryan Brunner

4.   How do keep yourself educated and up to date in the field?

How to Answer

With changes in technology and medical advancements in the field, a career as a Speech Language Pathologist requires a hunger to continually educate and learn more in the field. The interviewer will be looking for you to demonstrate that passion for career long learning. If possible, talk about any recent training or seminar you attended or any publications that you subscribe to that help keep you up to date in the field.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"I fell very fortunate to have graduated from a very robust program that prepared me to be a high functioning Speech Pathologist. Looking ahead, continuing education is something that I will pride myself on. I subscribe to the AJSLP and have since I entered my Master's program. This publication shows great breakthrough research in the field and provides updates on new technology in the field as well."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"In my short time working in the field, the technology available to assist myself and students has grown immensely. I am an active member of the ASHA and regularly attend conferences to help keep myself educated on the latest breakthroughs in the field."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"On top of attending conferences and CEU's, I've always been a firm believer in networking within the field. By networking with other professionals, I've been able to better myself in the field to better serve the needs of my patients. As a member of ASHA, I actively participate in the Gerontology Special Interest Group within the organization to network with others who work in that focus."

Written by Ryan Brunner

5.   What experience do you have working with professionals from other disciplines?

How to Answer

Depending on the setting, you will be working with other professionals as part of a larger team when working with patients or students. The interviewer is looking to see how you interact with professionals from other areas as part of a greater team. Know the position that you are interviewing for and what types of people you will likely be working with and use those examples for this answer.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"Being new to the field out of my Master's program, I know that communicating and working together as part of a larger team is extremely important to provide the best patient care possible. During my fellowship, I had the chance to work closely with an Audiologist and a team of Occupational Therapists. In working with them, I had to learn their roles in the overall well-being of the patients I was working with. This gave me a greater perspective in the life of a patient in t
PT's, OT's, Physician"

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"In my time working as an SLP in a school setting, I have worked closely as a team with the teachers and the school psychologist in our district to better meet the needs of the students utilizing my services. Communication within the team is always very important. The teachers have the most one on one time with the students so I spend a lot of time communicating goals and progress with them. As well, both the teachers and school psychologist are the people that send new students to see me."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"During my years working as an SLP, working as part of a larger team has always been a high priority for me to help my patients. In the grand scheme of things, I usually play one small part in the betterment of my patients. Communication is key between key players like myself, OT's, PT's, physicians and family members of the patient and I am comfortable working with all members of the team."

Written by Ryan Brunner

6.   What assessment tools have you used to assist in evaluating patients?

How to Answer

Speech Language Pathologists have a wide range off assessment tools available to them to help determine where a patient stands. The interviewer is looking to see which tools you familiarity working with and what your preferences are. Be open and honest with your interviewer while also stressing your ability to learn new assessments that could potentially help you as well.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"During my clinical fellowship, I had the great opportunity to work in a hospital setting where I experience both adult and adolescent patients vs. just children in a school setting. This enabled me to experience a wide-array of assessment tools like a swallowing evaluation and aphasia assessments for stroke patients. My classroom setting through my Master's program had only prepared me with hands-on experience for more of the standard speech language assessment more geared toward

"

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"In my time working with school aged children, I have direct experience using many available assessments with children. Some regular tools that I have utilized are the Montgomery Assessment of Vocabulary Acquisition, the Functional Communication Profile and the Emerging Literacy Language Assessment. I know that there are many other great assessments available to those in my field and I
have a very open mind to try new assessments as well."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"On top of all of the standard assessments I have used in my years working in a school system with elementary, middle and high school aged children, I recently trained on utilizing stroboscopy to analyze voice boxes. I trained locally with an Otolaryngologist and am utilizing the procedure through a local clinic."

Written by Ryan Brunner

7.   What do you know about our clinic/organization?

How to Answer

Google- it's a wonderful thing. Do a little detective work about the clinic, staff, and mission on their website before your interview. Knowing the details about the company may just be what you need to secure the job. Showing the interviewer that you are genuinely interested in the practice and how you can be a part of the team is important. As well, if no someone that has an inside track to the organization as a current or former employer, use their knowledge and mention the insider that you know if they'll give a great reference.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"In looking to begin a career as an SLP in a school setting, this opportunity matches exactly what I'm looking for in both a job and a community. It is important for my spouse and I to raise a family in a safe and family friendly community like this one with a great education system. I love how the elementary, middle and high schools are all on one campus under one district administration. The family type of atmosphere that this provides within the school will be an environment that I would thrive in."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"I was excited to read on your site that the population you serve is the elderly. I've been a Speech Pathologist for 7 years within the school's systems. I've wanted to take my career in a new direction and I think this could be a great opportunity."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"I discovered the position by talking to Joe, a current Occupational Therapist here, and he had great things to say about the mission and values of your organization. I am a patient focused therapist and I see that is the first value in your organization's mission statement. On top of that, Joe talked about the patient population being a great mix of patients and my well-rounded experience will fit in nicely with the client base here."

Written by Ryan Brunner

8.   How have you used technology to better help our patients?

How to Answer

Technology is rapidly changing in the world and the field of Speech Language Pathology has seen many great advancements to help in the care of patients needing it. The interviewer is looking to gain some insight into what breakthroughs in technology you have worked with and find out how they have helped you. Talk about some of the advancements that you've seen and make it clear that you are open to trying new advancements in the name of treating patients more effectively.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"During my fellowship program, I was exposed to working with different alternative communication devices with patients that had suffered a stroke. While not being able to effectively communicate, these devices enabled the patients to communicate with both myself and their loved ones by both a picture board and a sophisticated computer program on a laptop unit. I was able to pick up very easily on how to administer the program and use it with the patients."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"Recently, I have began using a couple of new technological advancements with the kids that I work with. I was a proponent in my school district to begin using tablet devices that have many great apps available for the younger kids. I have found that the kids are much more engaged in the learning processes using the tablets versus traditional pen and paper methods."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"During my career working as a Speech Pathologist, I have seen many great advancements in technology to assist in taking care of my patients. At the same time as time has progressed, most people in the field have seen increasing caseloads as well. The changes in technology have both helped my patients and myself to become a more efficient worker. Aside from the patient focused technologies, the one thing that has helped me become a better SLP is the internet and the ability to connect with colleagues in my specialty all over the world. I am a member of several groups and subscribe to a few of the SLP blogs. Connecting with these groups keeps me up to date in the field and at the top of my game."

Written by Ryan Brunner

9.   Can you have a patient that has an aphasia and apraxia, and if so, which one would you address first? And how?

How to Answer

Yes, you can have a patient with both! As a Speech Pathologist, you know that Aphasia and Apraxia are two major neuropsychological syndromes that, in most cases, are caused by injuries in the left cerebral hemisphere. Patients with aphasia experience difficulty in expressing nonverbal ideas and thoughts as words and grammatically correct sentences. Apraxia is characterized by loss of the ability to carry out learned purposeful movements despite having the physical ability to do so. Tell the interviewer your experience working with both types of patients and the treatment that you provided.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"During my internship, I was fortunate enough to get to work with a stroke patient that was experiencing both aphasia and apraxia. My lead therapist utilized new research to conduct a combined treatment for both conditions and it worked wonderfully with the patient. The CAAST treatment was new to my lead and watching her handle a new therapy method was invaluable to my training."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"As a Therapist, I would address Aphasia first. Aphasia, being the inability to understand grammatical sentences and reading or writing words or sentences, working on this would at the same time work on the patients Apraxia. While working on understanding sentences, we would be able to focus on the desired speech sound of each word."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"I have worked with patients that have had both aphasia and apraxia that have had traumatic brain injuries. When I have worked in the past with these patients, I have used the approach of working on the understanding of the language and treating the aphasia first. I have found in studying research on the topic, beginning with the aphasia with techniques like constraint-induced therapy and conversational coaching help work on the apraxia at the same time with great results."

Written by Ryan Brunner

10.   Why are you the best candidate for us?

How to Answer

We recommend talking to your coworkers and family to ask them what your one unique thing is. You may be surprised at the consistency in their responses, and it will give you great insight into how to answer this question. Perhaps you'll mention that your prior experience in working with multiple patient populations of children, elderly, and special needs groups have allowed you the breadth of experience necessary to be an effective SLP. You may mention that you are frequently praised for your ability to be an articulate and effective communicator, or you may discuss how you have a knack for empathizing with patients.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"If you hire me for this position, you'll quickly find that I'm a patient focused therapist that will strive to meet all of the needs of my patients in an efficient and effective manner. I came into this field because of my desire to help people in need and my motivation each and every day will come from them."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"My 10 years of experience working within the school system as a Speech Pathologist makes me the best candidate for this position. I have a strong passion helping kids at the middle school level, when children are often at the most trying times of their young lives."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"As a new and growing team here, I know that my experience as a Speech Language Pathologist couple with my ability to mentor younger SLP's will be a great asset to your organization. As someone once took me under their wing being a new speech therapist, I jump at every chance I get to pass along knowledge and skills to young therapists."

Written by Ryan Brunner

11.   Describe your clinical experience during your internship or residency programs.

How to Answer

Think about the highlights of any clinical experience you had and outline them at a high level. If you were exposed to any unique situations, now is the time to share them! Your unique exposure will set you apart from other candidates and may land you the job!



Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"As I'm interviewing now, I am currently participating in my fellowship in a large hospital. As part of a large team of therapists there, I am being exposed to a wide variety of patients and conditions. I have worked with adults and children experiencing conditions like stroke, TBI, cardiac arrest, chemical dependency and mental health disorders. This experience is providing me with a well-rounded base when I enter my first job as an SLP."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"In my undergraduate training, I worked both in and out of the classroom on volunteer activities that placed me in both educational and hospital settings working with speech pathology teams. I have integrated experience within the hospital setting as part of a medical team involving speech-language pathologists, and I have been able to observe the evaluation and treatment of multiple types of patients."

Written by Heather Douglass

12.   What are your research interests?

How to Answer

Every speech pathologist has different interests, so feel free to share what you truly are interested in. Your employer will likely turn around and ensure you are able to pursue these interests at some point in your career, so now is the time to be candid! Whatever your desire is, now is the time to share it. It is good to know if the organization you are interviewing with conducts research in the field.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"A definite goal of mine is to pursue research into alternative communication methods. I believe that research is the key driver into advancements in any medical field and I have a strong passion for it moving forward as an SLP."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"I'm interested in working with special needs children in the educationaI setting. I'd like to be part of tracking children undergoing active speech therapy and their overall educational progression."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"My interest in research is staying up to date and reading the latest research in the field of therapy with children. As an experience school Speech Language Pathologist, I want to be on the front line with the children and rely on the research of others in the field. I have participated in research on the data collection end of things and felt very gratified in participating in this manner."

Written by Ryan Brunner

13.   Would your friends or family say that you have patience?

How to Answer

Absolutely! Your career choice requires patience, and the interviewer wants to hear that you have the patience required to continually support patients including those whose progression may be quite slow. Think of a time when your family or friends commended you on your patience, and tell the interviewer what they told you. It will surely impress!

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"Yes they would. I have always been a patient person and this trait was handed down to me by my mother, who raised three children on her own. Watching her calm demeanor while she held down a job while raising us gave me all the inspiration I need to handle any situation patiently. My friends and family all know me as a person that has the ability to work with and help people from all walks of life and different backgrounds with ease."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"Patience is an important characteristic that I have as a Speech Pathologist. I am able to step back from moments of frustration, which I do know will come with this work, and objectively rather than emotionally evaluate how to proceed with a given situation. Through the course of my career, I have experienced many situations that have required this virtue and my ability to set emotion aside and think objectively have been critical."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"Working a full career as a Speech Pathologist, I have definitely worked on and developed my patience over time. From a young age, I had a dream of working with children and my ability to work patiently with them came with ease right away in my career. Where I became frustrated early in my career was working with parents and caregivers of children who were struggling. Over time, I learned to take an individualized approach with each person while maintaining a professional demeanor and this approach has enable me to be more patient with them. I find today that I work with ease with all peple that I encounter."

Written by Ryan Brunner

14.   Are you okay working the same career for 15 years?

How to Answer

Yes! The interviewer wants to hear that you are excited about the speech-language pathology field. If you come with a lot of experience, talk about changes in the field during the course of your career and how those have helped you stay refreshed in your mind working in the field. If you are a newer graduate in the field, talk about your passion in helping people and how you look forward to doing that throughout your career.

Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"I am looking forward to working for many years and retiring as a Speech Language Pathologist. Getting a glimpse into the career field through my schooling and fellowship have showed me that the job is one that is continually changing and no two days are the same. I thrive on being a life-long learner and look forward to carrying that thought forward into this career path."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"This is exactly what I hope to do. This is why I have invested as much as I have to this point in my training to become an SLP. I feel that this a career that can allow me to have a good life at home and be dedicated to my family, while spending work time that feels fulfilling and worthwhile, knowing that there are differences to be made in other people's lives. How fortunate a person to get to be a part of that each day!"

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"Having worked in the field for over ten years, I'm greatly looking forward to twenty more years working with children that need me. I came into this field to work with kids and I have found great personal pleasure in doing it so far. Not many jobs allow a person the ability to work so closely with a great client base and have work days where no two are the same. I look forward to this for many years to come!"

Written by Ryan Brunner

15.   Why did you decide to become a Speech and Language Pathologist?

How to Answer

What is it that makes you wake up each morning and get excited about going to work? Perhaps it is the patients. Perhaps you really love seeing people succeed. Maybe you saw a speech and language pathologist as a child and it inspired you to become one. Share your true passion with the interviewer.



Written by Heather Douglass

Entry Level

"During my high school years, I was very driven to pursue a career in healthcare. Through a shadowing program in my high school, I spent time shadowing a nurse, a physical therapist and a social worker. The most influential of the shadowings that I did was with our school Speech Pathologist. In her words, she was "able to improve the lives of the kids that she worked with on a daily basis" and the career was very fulfilling to her. I really liked being in the school setting with her and decided to pursue this as a career."

Written by Ryan Brunner

Answer Example

"I decided Speech Pathology was the right career for me when I was able to see the difference it makes in people's lives. It requires empathy, patience, and clinical acumen, and I possess all of these characteristics."

Written by Heather Douglass

Experienced

"I grew up with a father that was a physician and my mother was a school teacher. In hopes to get the best of both the healthcare and the educational worlds, I decided to study Speech Pathology . I feel very fortunate to have worked in the field for so long and see so many of the great developments in the field over time."

Written by Ryan Brunner

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