In the 21st century the profession of Speech Language Pathology shifted, once again. These latest changes involve a major paradigm shift from a Medical Model of Practice to what is now being called a Social Model. The changes that accompanied this shift have built upon general cultural shifts that worked to empower the dispossessed. Liberation struggles such as Black Lives Matter, the Me Too Movement, and the fights for Disability Rights have forced the Speech-Language Pathology profession to critically reexamine its basic assumptions and change its practices to better promote social justice. These changes are described in an essay, co-authored with Lynne Hewitt, called: Promoting Social Justice in the Field of Speech Language Pathology.

Like the social movements going on around it, speech and language researchers and clinicians of the 21st century have become more self-reflective about the social assumptions that make up their everyday practice. The efforts of the new “critical professionals” challenge unfair practices going on in the field that are based on elitism, racism, linguicism and ableism.

A second essay of this 21st century history reflects the approach of the critical movement. In it we try to show how oppressive attitudes and practices inherent in a medical model have been embedded in the profession since its inception in the US. We do this by tracing and critiquing the social attitudes of those who founded ASHA in 1925 (ASHA Charter Members).

Finally, this 21st century paradigm shift toward social justice calls for major changes in the education of professionals. A sampling of such as change is offered in a third component of this section of our professional history called A critical history teaching module.