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

In Australia they mean the same thing. The professional title is speech pathologist, and speech therapist is an everyday term for the same role.

Speech pathologist is the term used in Australia, and the professional body is Speech Pathology Australia. Speech therapist is widely understood and used by families, but it refers to the same profession.

Speech pathologists do more than speech sounds. They support language, stuttering, social communication, literacy, voice, and feeding and swallowing, across all ages.

When you contact a clinic, you can ask about the specific areas a clinician focuses on, since many have particular interests such as early intervention or stuttering.

This page is general information, not clinical advice, and every child is different. For advice about your child, speak with a GP or a speech pathologist.