March 2023 issue 1

Women in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

Women have long been the unsung heroes of healthcare professions, dating back to the beginning of modern medical care. Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy are no different, and women have played a pioneering role in the expansion of the study of speech and effects of occupational therapy since the beginning. Read on to learn more about the women who pioneered speech-language pathology and occupational therapy, and the women who continue to shape the landscape of these great healthcare professions.

Female Pioneers in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

The history of speech-language pathology and occupational therapy is full of notable women. Here are just a few of the female pioneers who helped make the study of speech and occupational therapy what it is today.

Eleanor Clark Slagle

One cannot discuss the history of American occupational therapy without discussing Eleanor Clark Slagle. Often called “The Mother of Modern Speech Therapy,” Eleanor Clark Slagle was one of the first proponents of the healing powers of occupational therapy and speech therapy. Eleanor Clark Slagle got a degree in social work from Johns Hopkins University in 1912, no small feat for a time when women were actively discouraged from seeking higher education.

Eleanor Clark Slagle did not stop there, but went on to direct the Johns Hopkins department of occupational therapy as well as occupational therapy research for the State of Illinois. Eleanor Clark Slagle is one of the founding members of The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and served as its president from 1919-1920. To this day she is remembered through the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship Award, given to members of the AOTA for outstanding achievement in the world of Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology.

March 2023 issue 1

Women in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

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Elinor Wray

The USA is not the only place you can find women who pioneered occupational and speech therapy. In 1939 Elinor Wray was not only the best speech therapist in Australia and New Zealand– she was the only one! Elinor Wray studied speech therapy at the Central School of Speech Therapy and Drama in London. She then took what she learned home to Sydney, Australia, and in 1929 Elinor Wray established the first Australian Speech Therapy service. Her commitment and teachings were so impressive that it led to the establishment of the first hospital speech therapy clinic and pathology profession in Australia!

Susan Tracy

Another trailblazer in the occupational therapy profession was Susan Tracy. Born in 1864, Tracy became a nurse first, and worked tirelessly helping patients heal from injuries using occupational therapy. Susan Tracy then went on to become a founding member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), a prominent healthcare organization that is active to this day! Susan Tracy also developed an occupational therapy department at the Presbyterian Hospital of Chicago, and worked to train her fellow nurses in the art and science of occupational therapy. In fact, Susan Tracy is credited with writing the first Occupational Therapy Textbook in 1910.

Female Pioneers in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

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Mabel Farrington Gifford

Mabel Farrington Gifford was born with a stutter and learned to overcome it, sparking an interest in speech therapy as a healing practice. Gifford worked as a speech therapist at the University of California Medical School from 1915-1940. During that time she organized a speech therapy program for the San Francisco school system that garnered great success for speech therapy as a practice. She was a leading member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and served as ASHA’s vice president in 1931.

March 2023 issue 1

Women in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

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Modern Groundbreaking Female Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists

Since the beginning, women have made strides in the field of speech pathology and occupational therapy. Here are some modern female healthcare professionals who shape the world of speech pathology and occupational therapy today.

Vicki R. Deal-Williams

Vicki R. Deal-Williams has been honored for her work not only with ASAE but also with the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing, as well as the American Society of Association Executives. Vicki R. Deal-Williams was the winner of ASAE’s 2021 Professional Performance Award for her role as a dedicated healthcare professional and scientist in the field of Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy. In October 2021 Vicki R. Deal-Williams was named CEO of American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

Female Pioneers in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

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Dawn Ellis

A true success story, Dawn Ellis has worked for her place as one of the leading specialists in speech therapy. Dawn Ellis has worked in speech therapy for almost 3 decades. During that time Dawn Ellis has held several leadership positions, and has been active in ASHA. This is in addition to working in the Office of Special Education Programs– an important branch of the US. Department of Education. Dawn Ellis also has a long teaching career, specifically at historically black colleges and universities.

Michelle Garcia Winner

Michelle Garcia Winner started out as a speech-language pathologist working in highschools. Through her 30 years of experience and study Michelle Garcia Winner developed her own business based on an early-intervention program designed to help neurodivergent persons improve their social skills. This program, called “Social Thinking,” has received praise from fellow professionals and is considered one of the best intervention programs for people with social learning challenges. Michelle Garcia Winner is “Social Thinkings” founder and CEO, and is also a celebrated speaker and consultant.

March 2023 issue 1

Women in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

Judith A. Cooper

Judith A. Cooper began her long and illustrious career working as a clinical speech-language pathologist with children. Inspired by her love of research, Judith A. Cooper earned her doctorate in speech and hearing services from the University of Washington, and went on to act as a health science administrator within the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. In 1988 Judith A. Cooper became one of the founding members of the New National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Female Pioneers in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy

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Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy: A Growing and Diverse Field

In the fields of Speech-Language and Occupational Therapy, the future is definitely female. But this is nothing new– it appears that the history is female as well! Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy helps hundreds of thousands of patients a year– everyone from stroke victims regaining independence to young children who struggle to communicate. This healthcare field, which has helped so many, would simply not be what it is today without the work of many great women both past and present.