From July-August
2004
The
Evolution of the RiteCare Childhood Language Clinic,
Valley of North Carolina
By Avis B. Griffith, MSP, CCC/SLP
Clinic Director, Charlotte, North Carolina
Chris Alcott with Avis B. Griffith,
Director, Charlotte RiteCare Childhood Language Clinic
Founded in 1988, the Scottish Rite Clinic for Children
with Language and Learning Disorders began as a collegial
effort between University of North Carolina (UNCC),
Charlotte, and the Scottish Rite Masonic Foundation of North Carolina. The
clinic was located on the campus of UNCC and was established
with the mission of serving
children in the Charlotte Valley who exhibited problems with speech and language
development or whose academic progress was being affected.
Initially, the program focused on children ages 3-10 who
exhibited normal intelligence and demonstrated the potential
to achieve. Recently, the guidelines for testing
have expanded to also include older children (middle and high school age)
who are struggling. Consistent with learning disabilities,
however, these delays
are not caused by other more primary disabilities such as severe emotional
problems, deafness, blindness, autism, or mental retardation.
Specific areas evaluated by our organization included lack
of speech development, delays in both receptive (understanding)
language and expressive (verbal
expression) language, severe articulation (speech production) disorders,
reading difficulties,
and written language problems. The children targeted are those who many
times have gone untreated because of unavailability of services
or failure to qualify
for services.
Since 1988, more than 1,000 children have been seen for
services which include individual speech/language and learning
evaluations, hearing screenings,
short-term therapy, consultative services with the schools, parent conferences,
and parent
training programs. Our clinic now also offers a training program during
the
summer in the Orton-Gillingham Multisensory Language techniques that
are utilized in
treatment.
|
Marisa Giglio with Debbie Polk, Charlotte Clinician |
In the summer of 1992, the decision was made to relocate
the clinic to the Scottish Rite Temple located on Randolph
Road in Charlotte, and renovations
began to achieve
this goal. The move was complete by January 1, 1993, and therapy and
diagnostic evaluations resumed. The facility was renamed the Scottish
Rite Childhood
Language Disorders Center. It expanded from 850 square feet at UNCC
to a
roomy 1,864
square feet. The center presently contains four office/therapy rooms
with observation windows, a director’s office, and a spacious
lobby area.
In the spring of 2002, the center applied for a grant from
the MONY
Field Grant Program with the purpose of implementing a Scottish Rite
Partners
Outreach Program. In July of 2002, we were informed that the grant
had been awarded.
As a result
of this grant, we were able to evaluate 14 children and to serve
4 young children
for therapy at Rama Road Elementary School who were at risk for reading
disorders.
The center’s services are totally subsidized by the
Scottish Rite Masons and are, therefore, offered to the public
at no cost. Tax-deducible donations
to the North Carolina Scottish Rite Masonic Foundation-Charlotte
Clinic are gladly accepted. Because it is so central to the
city, the current location has improved
availability of services to many families, especially since the
Scottish Rite temple is located on the Charlotte city bus
route.
The clinic is currently operational 22 hours per week (Monday-Wednesday).
The staff consists of a director/evaluator, office manager/clinician,
and clinic
evaluator. While a waiting list is for therapy services does
exist, the center continues to meet the needs of children
through diagnostic
evaluations.
Testing
is usually scheduled within 8-12 weeks of the initial contact.
Follow-up referrals for services through appropriate agencies
as well as appropriate
schools and
private clinicians in the community are made until the child
can be seen at the Scottish Rite clinic.
