When speech therapy first came to America no certification was necessary to practice it. Instead, the first speech pathologists were educators and other professionals who wanted to help others who had speech problems. Many early speech pathologists became interested in the new field after overcoming speech problems or people close to them. Since the first speech therapists were people in respectable positions, many of their names have been seen elsewhere in history. For example, Alexander Melville Bell and his son Alexander Graham Bell were both respected physicians in the days of early speech pathologists. Indeed, Alexander Melville Bell invented the so-called visible speech. (Duchan). According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, visible speech is “a set of phonetic symbols based on symbols for articulatory position” (“Visible Speech” def. 1). Another example of a famous early speech pathologist is the respected Boston schoolteacher, Elijah Corlet. Corlet helped Cotton Mather, an author and participant in the Salem Witch Trials, overcome a stuttering problem. (Duchan). These professionals believed it was necessary to create interest groups to keep less reputable doctors out of practice. One of the most prestigious of these interest groups was known as the American Academy of Speech Correction (AASC). According to researchers at the University of Washington Center for Human Development and Disability, “pioneers in the field, including Charles VanRiper, focused on developing a scientific basis for research and practice in the field.” Research efforts included creating diagnostic tests in a va...... middle of paper ...... pathology requires face-to-face sessions, the field is also expected to remain stable in employment. Works Cited “Adult Speech and Speech Language.” Asha.org. American Hearing-Speech-Language Association, 2014. Web. 05 February 2014. "Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (BS)" Bloomu.edu. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, 2014. Web. April 28, 2014. “Careers in Speech-Language Pathology.” Asha.org. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2013. Web. December 30, 2013. Duchan, Judith F. “What Do You Know About the History of Your Profession?” Asha.org. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, December 24, 2002. Web. May 1, 2014."History of ASHA." Asha.org. American Hearing-Speech Association, 2014. Web. 01 May 2014."Speech and Language." UW Departments Web Server. Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington. Network. 01 May 2014.