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Judith Felson Duchan provides a historical overview of the evolution of speech pathology (The ASHA Leader, Dec. 24, 2002) to encourage consideration of the complex of factors—social-cultural-political-historical—that influenced key decisions concerning clinical practice that affect us still to realize why we practice as we do. She suggests such examination is fitting as we approach ASHA's 100th anniversary. Both Judith Duchan and Judith Kuster (in the same issue), who each remind us to review our past, deserve our thanks. As a collective, we need to regularly practice self-examination, as we need to do individually, to ensure we are walking the path we intended to walk. I would suggest we place primary importance on knowing where we are and deciding where we want to be and how to get there, rather than focusing on the past. We need to write our stories, casting ourselves as heroes successfully coping with obstacles as we pursue our dream and then live it. And my story has us releasing ourselves from the shackles of misapplied empirical science that has depersonalized and diminished our practice, and integrating scientific and common knowledge with experience to create an effective, life-enhancing practice.
Ellen-Marie Silverman
Milwaukee, WI
TSSS920499@aol.com
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