Speech-language pathologists are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of communicative disorders. They work in a variety of settings including public schools; clinics and agencies; private practice; and hospitals of various types, including acute, rehabilitation, psychiatric and extended care hospitals. They work with communicative disorders of all types. Many of these disorders occur in children with developmental problems. Speech-language pathologists also work with communicative and swallowing disorders that result from certain illnesses and injuries. While most speech-language pathologists decide to work directly with people who have communicative disorders, some teach in colleges or universities, conduct research and work as administrators. Others develop products and devices that are useful for people with communicative disorders or for speech-language pathologists. Opportunities exist in every sector of the United States, and there are challenging opportunities in many parts of the world. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, our nation needs to increase the number of professionals in this field by 36 percent over the period from 1996 to 2006 (Occupational Outlook Handbook. Chicago, IL: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998).