Hugs part of service by Scottish Rite therapists
By Jeff Bahr, American News, Aberdeen, S.D. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
When he started coming in January, Tritt didn't say the endings of some of his words. He was also a little slow to start talking.
Since then, he's made "mounds of progress. It's awesome," said his mother,
Tritt works with speech and language pathologist
"Oh, he adores Shauna. Every time we leave, he has to give her a big hug," Katelyn said.
When he hugs her, he says "I love you, Shauna."
Initially, Tritt visited the clinic once a week. The visits became twice a week about three months ago.
Those sessions are free, thanks to the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The support of that organization allows the speech and language clinic to provide therapy to more young people, Klipfel said. That therapy is also provided at no charge.
That work may be in addition to therapy young people receive at school. It is also given to those who don't qualify for speech and language therapy in schools.
School speech and language therapists do a good job of reaching a lot of young people, Klipfel said. But some kids are inevitably left out because schools have to follow state guidelines as to who qualifies for their services.
When children turn 3, a school assessment determines whether they meet the criteria to begin or continue speech therapy. A lot of kids make enough improvement that they don't qualify for school therapy, but they still have speech deficits, said
Because the Scottish Rite clinic can offer its services year-round, schools sometimes ask if Scottish Rite therapists can see young people during the summer.
The free therapy comes in handy in a time of rising insurance costs, Meyer said. Even when speech and language therapy is covered under insurance, families have to deal with policies that are changing significantly, she said. Typically, there is a
"So what would be coming out of pocket for these parents is huge," Meyer said.
Even after 20 therapy sessions, the
The Scottish Rite gives the Avera therapists leeway in working with young people.
"So they allow us to see a lot of kids that sometimes the insurance criteria wouldn't meet, but, clinically, we feel would be beneficial," Meyer said.
When a parent approaches the
Scottish Rite support for the
While
The three other therapists who work in the Scottish Rite program are
Being able to speak clearly helps a young person's self-esteem and relations with his peers. But there's a more basic reason for speech and language therapy. Working with a therapist helps young people communicate their needs, Meyer said.
The ability to speak also affects one's future employment. If a fast-food restaurant has to choose between two applicants, the one with better communication skills will be hired, Meyer said.
The first couple of years, the entire
"What impressed me was how much they want to try to build the program," Meyer said of the Scottish Rite group. "They just have a heart for it," she said.
-- Providing support to children with speech, language and literacy disorders is a major thrust of the philanthropic work of the Scottish Rite Masons.
-- That support began in the early 1950s in
If you would like to schedule an appointment at the
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(c)2014 the American News (Aberdeen, S.D.)
Visit the American News (Aberdeen, S.D.) at www.aberdeennews.com
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