Western Washington University’s Clinic

August 30, 2011 in University Clinics with 0 Comments

We’re all aware of the incredible medical facilities on campuses around the nation, but most of us don’t know about the help offered to children with speech disorders. Since I’m interested in learning about how children are getting help around the nation on university campuses, I’ll take you on a bit of a tour–here on this blog–while I do my research.

First on our online tour is Western Washington University’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, operated by the Department of Communication Sciences Disorders. (Full disclosure: my sister used to help out with this clinic when she was obtaining her speech pathology and audiology degree from Western.)

What’s the clinic offer children with speech disorders? Here are the highlights:

  • Comprehensive evaluations
  • Individual and group sessions to help children learn to speek properly
  • Literacy skills (because speech disorders create and compound literacy issues)

Who offers the services? Students in training, closely supervised by folks who are certified to do this type of work.

Any other awesomeness? The clinic also offers educational programs and consultation services. For adults, they offer training for those reentering communities and the workforce. This is essential for those who struggle psychologically as a result of their speech disorders. (Many who have suffered from speech disorders feel unintelligent; this is an unfortunate result of being wrongly perceived as being unintelligent.)

To learn how to get involved with the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at Western, check out their website.

Initiating

March 9, 2011 in Our Story with 0 Comments

Everything starts somewhere. Someone decides to initiate. Someone decides to create.

We decided that we couldn’t live with the idea of children with speech barriers not getting the help they need. So we’re initiating, we’re starting, we’re creating. We’re hoping to help create a world where a child born into poverty will get the same kind of help with their speech disorder as a child born into wealth. We plan to do this through teaching you what we have learned, and will learn, about speech disorders; as well as how you can help the children struggling with speech disorders.

We hope this site will become an educational center for those who want to learn more about non-profits and educational institutions working with children with speech disorders.

We have an opportunity to change people’s lives, forever. We have an opportunity to give a voice to people whose voices will be ignored otherwise.

We will tell you our stories along the way–how we were once children with speech barriers who (thankfully) got the right kind of help, at the right time. We will imagine together what would have happened if someone hadn’t helped us. Then we will imagine a better life for children currently struggling with speech disorders.

Join us as we explore the stories of organizations and people who are doing amazing things for children with speech disorders.