10: Who Actually Holds the Pen?

Welcome to Systems Literacy 101. In this episode, we step out of the social media noise and into the architecture of speech-language pathology, tracing how authority moves from accreditation to certification to licensure, and where responsibility begins and ends.We explore:Why accreditation (CAA) and certification (CFCC) were legally required to separate (and what that changed).How ASHA’s leadership structure evolved, including why academic representation dominates and why executive stability is often cited as exceptional.Why state licensing boards (not national associations) hold the only enforceable regulatory power.How the interstate compact is stress-testing existing structures and quietly embedding national standards into state law.Sources:ASLP-ICMalone, R. (1999). The first 75 years: An oral history of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language PathologyCouncil on Academic AccreditationConnect:Contact Megan: therapyinsights.com/insideslpPACT Survey: pactsurvey.com