Summer speech-language clinic celebrates its 70th year


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MaryBeth Smith, Jennifer Thompson- Mackovjak, Mark Lehman, Sue Woods, Laurie Bahlke, and Nickole Hines stand on the second floor of the Health Professions building on Thursday, January 21, 2016. They work in Summer Speech-Language Specialty Clinics as faculty and clinical supervisors. Chelsea Grobelny | Staff Photographer

Summer break is meant for days of water balloon fights, playing in the back yard and being a kid, but children with communication disorder go without help they normally receive through school. 

For kids who attend the Central Michigan University Summer Speech-Language Specialty Clinic, a 70-year-old camp that provides therapy and proficiency training, the clinic can be the stepping stone between being unprepared and prepared for the new school year.  

Graduate students who need clinical hours work with children at the camp in intensive therapy. There are 40 graduate students, five clinical supervisors such as Smith, who help educate and make sure things run smoothly and staff who help with activities for the campers. 

Graduate student Jordan McCarthy worked as a staff member last summer and this year will work as a clinician.

“It’s an amazing experience for clinicians and campers because you have the entire day together and you're able to work on functional speech and language skills along with fun activities,” McCarthy said.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the clinic. Mary Beth Smith was the director of the clinic for the past two years and has worked in the clinic for the last seven years. This year they are celebrating the milestone on May 21 by inviting former campers, clinicians and faculty for a barbecue at Finch Fieldhouse.

“For families and kids that do not have services over the summer, this camp means a lot to them,” Smith said. “Their lives get better when they have more confidence in their communication skills.”

The clinic was one of the first of its kind when Wilbure Moore opened it in 1946. It is still one of few summer speech-language clinics in the country. Children ages three to 14 can participate. The clinic helps communication disorders like stuttering, expressive language disorders and developmental disabilities like autism. 

Donors and community partners have supported of the clinic since its beginning. Scholarship money comes from many different sources and goes towards helping families pay the price of tuition. Half-day tuition costs $700 and full-day tuition is $1,400. 

Campers are immersed in many different activities with numerous opportunities to work on speech. Music and movement activities encourage kids to work on specific sounds though song. Campers go through individual and group therapy. Group therapy addresses the goals of each child but the kids also gain the strengths and weaknesses of their peers in the group. 

The clinic is five weeks long and runs from June 29 through Aug. 3. Families come from all over the state and country. Usually the clinic aims for 100 campers. A three-quarters of the campers are children from the Isabella county area, Smith said.

The process begins with evaluating and assessing the kids in May and June to determine goals and make recommendations for the best course of treatment for each camper. Not all kids who apply for the clinic are accepted. If the needs of a child can’t be met, such as medical needs that the clinic doesn’t provide. Safety is Smith’s top priority.

Campers leave the clinic more confident and with better communicators. A lot of positive growth in many different ways for the kids.

“A lot of our campers come back every summer,” Smith said. “Hopefully by intervening when they’re little we can make an impact in their lives and communication skills.”

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