A Commitment to Communication: A Conversation with Leah Beekman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Leah offers unique insights into the meaningful world of speech and language therapy and the work of the California Scottish Rite Foundation
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The RiteCare Childhood Language Centers of California, a program of the California Scottish Rite Foundation provides speech, language, and literacy treatment of childhood language disorders at 19 RiteCare Childhood Language Centers in communities across California, free of charge. The RiteCare Childhood Language Center of Orange County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, totally reliant on philanthropy from individuals, foundations and corporate partners. We do not receive any state or federal funding.
Since the RiteCare® Childhood Language Center of Orange County in Santa Ana opened its doors in 2001, countless families have found a family-focused environment where their children learn to improve their communication skills and build self-confidence. The Center provides diagnostic and therapeutic services to children from 2 to 16 years of age who exhibit a wide range of speech, language and learning challenges.
Located in Santa Ana, the Center also provides intern opportunities for students from Chapman University who are pursuing a career in speech and language pathology.
The RiteCare® Childhood Language Center of Orange County is a program of the California Scottish Rite Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation. Under the leadership of our Advisory Council and the staff at Chapman University, we assess the needs of children with speech and language disorders and provide the necessary treatment.
If you can imagine a day without the ability to speak, you can imagine the need we serve. Some children need to overcome particular challenges, others simply need to learn the mechanics of speech. At the Center, we assess their needs and develop a plan for success. Nothing is more uplifting than seeing a child communicate with their family for the first time, or more satisfying than knowing the happiness that comes from a child’s first “Hi, Dad” or “I love you, Mom.”
OUR PROGRAMS
Speech is how words and sounds are produced and include the following:
Articulation is how clearly we say sounds. Some children cannot say the /r/ or /l/ sound and need help to improve their articulation skills.
Fluency is the flow, smoothness, and rate of speech. A disfluency is a break in the flow of speech, which is common for everyone. Stuttering occurs when there are more breaks or dysfluencies than is typical.
Voice is how we use our breath and our vocal folds to produce sound. The quality of child’s voice can become harsh if there is over-use from shouting, vocal pitch can be too high or too low, and voices can be too soft or too loud.
At the RiteCare Childhood Language Center we offer a variety of intervention models to assist children in the development of their speech skills. A majority of the time, children are seen in one-on-one intensive therapy sessions year-round. When appropriate, children may participate in small group therapy sessions to help generalize skills to new and more challenging settings.
All speech therapy programs are individualized. Sessions are conducted by our licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Speech therapy can improve the correct production of sounds, improve the flow of speech, and improve vocal quality and pitch. We can help your child gain the skills they need to be a success in school and beyond.
SPEECH
Language is how we use words to form ideas and then share them.
Language is expressive, sharing thoughts and ideas.
Language is receptive, understanding what others say.
Language is semantics, what words mean. Some words have more than one meaning.
Language is syntax, putting words in the correct order.
Language is morphology, changing word meaning by adding sounds (i.e. “eat- eats- eating” or “done-undone-redone”).
Language is social. We all need to know what to say, when to say it, and how to say it to be socially appropriate.
All language therapy programs are individualized. Sessions are conducted by our licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Language therapy can improve your child’s expressive language, so they can express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings and become an effective communicator. Language therapy can also improve your child’s receptive language skills so they can better understand instructions at home, in the classroom, and during extracurricular activities and enjoy success in all areas of life.
LANGUAGE
Literacy is the ability to read and write.
Reading is a multifaceted process to make meaning from print.
Writing is the process of generating text.
The following skills are required for successful reading and writing:
Phonemic Awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken words. Understanding that spoken words and syllables are made up of discrete sounds.
Phonics instruction teaches children that specific sounds belong to specific letters or specific letter patterns.
Reading fluency is the ability to read with consistent speed, accuracy, and expression. Children read fluently when they are able to recognize words automatically and are no longer focused on how to read.
Vocabulary is knowledge of words and their meaning. A strong vocabulary assists with reading comprehension.
Reading Comprehension is the ability for a child to understand what they have read as well as to understand what they have written.
Spelling is the forming of words from letters according to accepted rules. Learning to spell and learning to read rely on the same underlying knowledge (i.e. relationships between letters and sounds).
LITERACY
Contact Us
© 2024 by the California Scottish Rite Foundation, a 501c (3) organization. The Federal Tax Number for the California Scottish Rite Foundation is: 94-6078728.
2001 East 4th Street, Suite 202
Santa Ana,
CA 92705
The RiteCare Childhood Language Center of Orange County
email: info@casrf.org
Phone: (714) 972-2646
Upcoming Events
Fri, Oct 11Orange Grove Masonic CenterOct 11, 2024, 6:00 PM – 11:00 PMOrange Grove Masonic Center, 71 Plaza Square, Orange, CA 92866, USAJoin us for a night of thrills and chills at the Halloween Costume Ball, hosted by the Scottish Rite Valley of Orange County! This spooktacular event will take place at the historic Orange Grove Lodge, located at 71 Plaza Square, Orange, CA 92866.
DONATE AND YOUR TOMBSTONE AWAITS!Halloween Costume BallDONATE AND YOUR TOMBSTONE AWAITS!Halloween Costume Ball, 71 Plaza Square, Orange, CA 92866, USAGet your custom tombstone for a minimum donation of $100.00. The tombstone will be displayed at the OC Halloween Ball on October 11th.
DONATE BY MAIL
To make a contribution by cash or check, please send payments to:
RiteCare Childhood Language Center of Orange County
2001 East 4th Street, Suite 202
Santa Ana,
CA 92705
Please make checks payable to the California Scottish Rite Foundation, and include “RiteCare CLC OC” in the memo section.
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