Children, Communication & Language

 

Children begin learning from the moment they come into the world. Interaction with parents and siblings help form the foundation for their continued learning. Yet many children are blocked from learning because they have a language or communication disorder. Millions of children each year are affected by communication and language disorders and delays. An estimate from the Department of Education is that 6 million children in the US of school age suffer from some sort of language or communication disorder.

Language disorders can go on for years if not properly diagnosed. Many pediatricians assume that if a child is late in developing speech it will eventually come. Yet for 66,000 children in the Twin Cities metropolitan area alone, language does not come or is severally delayed. Private treatment is available to some and at a high cost. School districts help only a small percentage of these children.

In the 1950's, the first Scottish Rite Childhood Language Clinic was established to help these children. The success was so overwhelming that today there are now over 160 clinics around the United States with more planned each year. The combined efforts of these clinics and hospitals has helped hundreds of thousands of children learn to lead happy and productive lives in today’s society.

Plans by the Scottish Rite Foundation of St. Paul, MN, a qualified charitable 501(c)(3) organization, are underway to establish a free Scottish Rite Childhood Language Clinic in the St. Paul area. The Clinic will include a staff of licensed speech and language pathologists, therapists, to evaluate and treat children with specific language and communication disorders or delays. The therapists will work one-on-one with each child to determine the extent of their challenge and, with the family, develop a treatment plan for the child. There will be no cost to the family.

Therapy will be conducted in sound isolated treatment rooms, with the latest in computer, audio and video technology. Parents, guardians and caregivers will be encouraged to see how each therapist works with their child by viewing and listening to the session from adjacent observation rooms.

This dream can become a reality for our children. We need your help to raise the necessary funds to construct the clinic and to keep it operating

Phase One will determine the location of the site in the St. Paul area, as well as establishing physical requirements of the building.

Phase Two will be the development of the building plans, the start of construction and the selection process for the Clinic Director

Phase Three will be the hiring of therapists and opening the doors of the clinic to patients.

We need your help and your contributions. You can be an active member of the Foundation Board or the Clinic Advisory Council. You can help with your time in seeing the completion of the Clinic. You can help with fundraising. You can help by donating building materials, furniture or computer equipment. You can help by making your tax-deductible contribution today.

Your monetary donation to the Scottish Rite Foundation of St. Paul can make this dream a reality. Your funds can be designated for capital construction costs or for the ongoing operation of the clinic.

Please help us establish this truly needed clinic by making your tax-deductible contribution today.

For the benefit of the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Clinic

Phone: 651-222-2676
Fax: 651-222-6144

Email: foundation@scottish-rite-mn.org