November 14 is Speech Therapist's Day in Russia: history, traditions, congratulations

Speech Therapist Day is celebrated annually on November 14 in Russia and some other CIS countries. It is a professional holiday for specialists involved in the correction of speech disorders. In 2025, it falls on a Friday. Izvestia tells about the history and traditions of the celebration, as well as shares warm and sincere congratulations.

Speech Therapist's Day in Russia — the history of the holiday on November 14th

The initiative to establish the International Speech Therapist Day in 2004 was initiated by the Committee of Speech and Language Therapists. In European countries, it is known as Speech Therapist Day and is celebrated on March 6.

In Russia, as well as in Belarus and Kazakhstan, the date is slightly different — November 14th. It brings together practitioners, researchers, and educators in the field of correctional pedagogy. Despite the lack of an official status, the holiday has gained recognition among speech therapists and specialists in related professions.

The problems of speech disorders in people with normal hearing have been of interest since ancient times. There is evidence in ancient Egyptian papyri, which describes speech disorders caused by physical injuries. The ancient Roman physician Claudius Galen created the first systematic classification of speech pathologies in the II century BC.

The formation of speech therapy as an independent scientific discipline took place in the 1850s. Specialists of that period associated speech disorders mainly with problems of the articulatory apparatus. Until that time, there was only sign language teaching, which dealt with the development of speech in people with hearing impairments. At the end of the 19th century, new approaches to the treatment of speech defects appeared. In particular, the psychological causes of diseases have begun to be taken into account.

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In Russia, the first Department of Psychophysiology and Speech Pathology was opened in 1908 at the St. Petersburg Academy of Neuropsychiatry. In 1925, special courses for speech pathologists appeared in Moscow, which included speech therapy. Subsequently, professional training of speech therapists was conducted in many universities of the country, and the first department of speech therapy was opened in the capital only in 1978 at the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute.

Modern speech therapy is a complex science. It is based on the principles of defectology, psychology, linguistics and physiology, and considers speech as a multifunctional education that directly affects human development.

What do speech therapists do?

Speech therapists specialize in correcting the pronunciation of sounds and eliminating various speech defects. Although the majority of patients are children of preschool and primary school age, specialists also work with adults to solve speech communication problems. At the same time, the specialist's work is not limited to correcting oral speech — it includes correcting writing, breathing, and even swallowing disorders, which may be especially important for stroke patients.

A speech therapist helps children to "put" the correct pronunciation of sounds, expand their vocabulary and learn how to formulate their thoughts. In addition, if the child has any speech defects, the specialist will be able to diagnose them in time and prescribe corrective therapy. For adults, a speech therapist helps to restore speech after injuries (physical and psychological), illnesses and operations.

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Speech therapists work with a wide range of speech pathologies:

• dysphonia and aphonia — disorders of vocal sound;
• dyslalia — defects in pronunciation of sounds;
• bradylalia and tachylalia — speech tempo disorders;
• dyslexia — difficulty reading;
• rhinolalia — speech problems related to anatomical features;
• Dysgraphia is a violation of writing.

Surgeons, dentists, neurologists, and otolaryngologists are involved in the comprehensive treatment of certain diseases. A special field is represented by speech therapists-aphasiologists specializing in the correction of stuttering.

Traditions of Speech Therapist Day in Russia

The celebration of Speech Therapist Day mainly takes place in a professional environment. The main events are intended for a narrow circle of specialists and include conferences, workshops and informal meetings. Festive concerts and creative evenings are organized in specialized universities. Pre-school educational institutions of a specialized profile hold children's parties and open classes.

Congratulations to speech therapists are traditionally sent by colleagues from related fields — teachers, psychologists, speech pathologists. Friends, relatives and former patients take an active part in the celebration.

Congratulations on Speech Therapist's Day in 2025

Speech Therapist Day is a great occasion to express gratitude to the specialists who help children and adults get rid of speech problems. You can do this with short greetings. Here are some examples of sincere wishes.

"Dear speech therapists, congratulations on your professional holiday! Your work is a real art, where patience, knowledge and warmth work wonders. Thanks to you, children and adults gain clear and beautiful speech, and with it — self-confidence and the joy of communication. We wish you inexhaustible patience, inspiration in your important work and the grateful smiles of your students!"

"Happy Speech Therapist Day! Your work is comparable to jewelry, where every sound is a precious stone that you carefully polish. You don't just teach people how to speak correctly, you open up the world of free communication to people, give them wings. May your professional instincts never let you down, and every working day brings new victories and great moral satisfaction!"

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"I sincerely congratulate you on the Day of the speech therapist! On your holiday, I would like to express my deep appreciation for your invaluable work. You are a kind wizard who helps reveal your innermost talents — the gift of speech. I wish that your patience and wisdom would never run out, that your health would be strong, and that there would always be joy in your soul from realizing how much good you bring to this world!"

"Happy Speech Therapist Day! Your profession is a unique combination of science, art and boundless charity, and each corrected sound is a new victory that contains a piece of your soul. May your energy and enthusiasm only increase, and the results of your work inspire you to new achievements!"

"I cordially congratulate you on the Day of the Speech therapist! You are a guide to the world of clear and beautiful speech, your work helps to overcome barriers and find mutual understanding. I wish that your professional activity would bring only joy and satisfaction, and that there would always be harmony in life, respect from colleagues and sincere gratitude from those whom you helped to speak easily and freely!"

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the International Accountant's Day.