Kid Spotlight

Collin

Collin's doctors aren't sure why, but until recently, he had never spoken a single word.  He received therapy through the Birth-to-Three program, but his family was desperate to find continued services when he turned 3 and could no longer receive free therapy. Collin still isn't speaking much, but his parents and therapists have really high hopes.

Collin's mom, Amanda, says, "When my son started sessions at the CLC, he was only about to grunt and literally 'talk with his mouth shut.' Today he asks for what he wants, tells us when he's finished doing something, he speaks three to five-word sentences, and best of all, he tells us he loves us. I have never experienced a more caring, patient, understanding and encouraging group of people. My son would not be communicating as he does today without the Childhood Language Center."


Chloe

Chloe loves to talk about her favorite TV shows and Disney Princesses, but she has trouble when the other children can't understand her. These mistakes have made her very shy and afraid to talk to other kids.  She doesn't want to be teased or embarrassed.  She works so hard in therapy and her family helps her complete therapeutic homework assignments.

Chloe's mom says, "My daughter has been attending speech therapy at the CLC for about three years. When she started, she was hardly understandable. We understood about two or three words per sentence. Now I can understand everything Chloe says. The staff at the CLC is wonderful and optimistic; always a smiling face. They work wonders with the children and truly make a difference."


Nathan

Nathan has autism, which has affected nearly every aspect of his and his family's life. He is behind in terms of speech and language development, has social problems, and has a very severe feeding disorder. Over the years, Nathan has made remarkable progress with his speech and language. At the age of three, he needed a communication book to ask for a snack, and he now can express a message as complex as any other 10-year-old boy. In the past year, Nathan has been responding really well to feeding therapy at the CLC, helping him greatly increase the foods he will eat.

Nathan's mom, Debbie, says, "The experience at the Childhood Language Center has been amazing. Nathan has made wonderful progress because of his therapist. The Childhood Language Center has become just like family to me! I cannot imagine where Nathan would be without such a wonderful and caring organization. Thank you Childhood Language Center for helping allow Nathan a voice to be heard!"


Navar

Navar began coming to the CLC for therapy after he got his cochlear implant. This implant is an alternative to a hearing aid, and it sends the auditory signal directly to the auditory nerve. The problem with this device is that it can take many years to properly 'tune' the incoming message.

Navar's mom, Christa, says, "Words cannot express the gratitude I have towards the Childhood Language Center. [The therapy he's received] has greatly improved my son's communication skills with his family, teachers, and his friends. I do not know where we would be without the help of the CLC. My son is still behind in his speech, but he is in a position now where he can carry on small conversions with his peers and enjoy life like any eight-year-old boy. I will be forever grateful to the Childhood Language Center."


Casey

Casey has Down Syndrome, and she has worked really hard at improving her speech and language skills since coming to the Childhood Language Center beginning at age 3. Down Syndrome results in low muscle tone in the face, causing a variety of feeding and speech issues due to difficulty in muscle coordination in the face. At the CLC, Casey works on speech sounds, vocabulary, sentence structure and feeding issues. She still has a lot of work to do, but she has made promising steps.

Casey's mom, Andrea, says, "The Childhood Language Center is an amazing place! Her therapists are all so loving, caring and professional when working with Casey. Thanks to her therapists, Casey has made great progress in the past six years. We are extremely grateful Casey will be able to continue her speech therapy thanks to the very generous supporters of the CLC."


Evan

Name: Evan

Age: 5

A little about Evan:

  • Evan enjoys swimming, jumping on the trampoline, hiking in the woods, and going on trips.
  • He loves pizza, pancakes, and chicken nuggets.
  • His favorite stuffed animal is his Mickey Mouse and his favorite song is “Wheels on the Bus.”

Parent Testimonial: “Evan has been with the CLC since February 2013. He receives speech therapy from Miss amber and he loves to come! Although we still have a ways to go, he has made a lot of progress since we have been attending here. Evan is now able to communicate in short phrases, follow a couple of small-step directions, and can answer one to two simple questions. We are so thankful to the CLC for everything they have done to help further his progress and we are excited to see the next step in his journey!”