Nearly 1 in 12 (7.7%) U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing in the past 12 months. [Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2024)].

The prevalence of SM is quite low, at 0.18–1.9%. A meta-analysis found that 80% of subjects with SM also had other anxiety disorders.. [Source: National Library of Medicine (2023)].

The estimated number of children aged 3–17 years ever diagnosed with ADHD, according to a national survey of parents, is 6 million (9.8%) using data from 2016-2019. Boys (13%) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (6%). [Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (2023)].

According to the International Dyslexia Association: "About 13–14% of the school population nationwide has a handicapping condition that qualifies them for special education. Current studies indicate that one half of all the students who qualify for special education are classified as having a learning disability (LD) (6–7%). About 85% of those students have a primary learning disability in reading and language processing. Nevertheless, many more people— perhaps as many as 15–20% of the population as a whole—have some of the symptoms of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing, or mixing up similar words".

According to the National Stuttering Association: Nearly 3 million adults in the U.S. stutter. Stuttering is a genetically-influenced condition, meaning that it arises from a complex interaction involving childhood development, particularly language skills and motor skills, as well as the temperament of the child. Stuttering runs in some families and affects more men than women.

According to the Stuttering foundation of America: About 5% of all children go through a period of stuttering that lasts six months or more. Three-quarters of those who begin to stutter will recover by late childhood, leaving about 1% of the population with a long-term problem. Stuttering affects four times as many males as females. 

Of the 211,000 members and affiliates whom ASHA represents, 181,628 are certified SLPs and 785 hold dual certification as both audiologists and SLPs.

Biliteracy: June 2004, The ASHA Leader: “Developing children’s native language and literacy does promote the learning of the English language and literacy.” In addition, literacy in English does not necessarily mean literacy in the home language.

In US News and World Report 2024, Speech-Language Pathologist was #10 on 100 Best Jobs!