At first glance, it seems like speech-language pathologists (SLPs), physical therapists (PTs), and occupational therapists (OTs) follow similar credentialing paths. We all complete graduate programs, pass national exams, and gain clinical experience. But when it comes to national board certification, SLPs got left out—and it's time to talk about it.

Look at this powerful visual:

Here's how the professions stack up:

✅ Physical therapists (PTs) join APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) for professional membership. Their board certification comes from ABPTS (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)—an independent, nationally recognized certifying board.

✅ Occupational therapists (OTs) join AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) for membership. NBCOT (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy)—again, a separate, nationally recognized certification board, handles their certification.

🚩 Meanwhile, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) join ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) … and their "certification" is the CCC (Certificate of Clinical Competence)—but here's the catch:

The CCC is NOT a national board certification.
It's a proprietary credential controlled by ASHA.

Unlike PT and OT, SLPs have no independent credentialing body. ASHA acts as both the membership association AND the certifying entity. The CCC isn't granted by a separate national board—it's owned, issued, and governed by ASHA itself.

And that makes a huge difference.

So, what's the problem with ASHA's CCC?

The professions of PT and OT benefit from a clear separation between their professional associations and their national certifying boards. This structure:

✅ Establishes checks and balances
✅ Ensures independence and accountability
✅ Creates a nationally recognized, standardized credential
✅ Mirrors how other health professions like medicine, nursing, and pharmacy are credentialed

In contrast, speech-language pathology's credential is tied directly to the organization selling it. There's no external certification board. No independent validation.

👉 Our certification is a proprietary product of ASHA, not a true national board certification.

Here's the question every SLP should be asking:

The answer?
We're missing an independent national certification board.

We've been led to believe the CCC is equivalent to other professions' board certifications. But structurally? It's not. It's ASHA's private credential, not a credential granted by an independent, nationally recognized certifying body.

Why This Matters for Every Speech-Language Pathologist

This difference isn't just semantics. It impacts your career, your wallet, and your professional freedom.

Here's why:

❌ It keeps ASHA in a gatekeeping role—controlling both your professional membership AND your certification
❌ It forces dependency on ASHA's proprietary credential for employment and insurance reimbursement
❌ It creates confusion among employers, payers, and state licensing boards
❌ It bundles professional legitimacy with an organization's paid product, not an independent credentialing process
❌ It costs clinicians thousands over their careers to maintain something that other professions get from an independent board

In short: SLPs didn't get a national board certification. We got a membership-dependent credential owned by a single private organization that profits from every single thing SLPs do, yielding questionable benefits for the professional and consumer.

Other professions set up systems to protect certification from organizational control.
Speech-language pathology didn't.

Guess which profession got played? Spoiler: It's us.

The Bottom Line: SLPs Deserve Better

✅ Physical therapists have an independent board: ABPTS
✅ Occupational therapists have an independent board: NBCOT
❌ Speech-language pathologists? We have… ASHA's CCC—a credential wholly owned and controlled by ASHA.

It's not a national board certification. It's a product.

We need to ask tough questions:

👉 Why does ASHA control both membership and credentialing?
👉 Why don't SLPs have an independent national certification board?
👉 Who benefits from this structure—and who's paying the price?

It's time to name the problem.
It's time to demand better.

Let's fix it.

We deserve the same professional autonomy as PTs and OTs.

We deserve a national board certification, not a membership product.

Join the Movement to Reclaim Autonomy in Speech-Language Pathology

✅ Share this blog with your colleagues
✅ Use your voice on social media: #fixslp #slpadvovacy #ccctruth #cccfreeslp #speechlanguagepathology #slpgatekeeping #asha #slp #weareslp (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube)
✅ Start asking your employer: "Why is the CCC required?" Use these resources to start the conversation.
✅ Start asking your state: "Why is ASHA's product embedded in licensure?" Check out your state's requirements to identify any problematic requirements or language. Join or lead your state team to collaborate with our team to help make these important changes.