Every system has an origin story. In Episode 3, we step back in time to examine how the CCC was created, what problems it was meant to solve, and why it once made sense. This episode traces the early structure of certification in speech-language pathology and follows how its meaning and function evolved as the profession expanded, state licensure emerged, and training pathways shifted. Rather than asking whether the CCC is “good” or “bad,” this episode asks a quieter question: What happens when a solution outlives the moment it was built for?
Sources:
Duchan, J. F., & Hewitt, L. E. (2023). How the charter members of ASHA responded to the social and political circumstances of their time. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(3), 1037-1049.
Malone, R. (1999). The first 75 years: An oral history of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.