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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 San Francisco 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.

- Suzanne

Friendly and supportive

You Can Make a Difference!

"As a speech-language pathologist, Jim has a highly specialized knowledge of communication differences that sets him apart from teachers and staff at tutoring centers. Jim has a great approach with children. He engages with my daughter in a way that challenges and stimulates her, gently prompting her to practice new skills in a friendly and supportive environment. With feedback from Jim, we have learned better strategies for handling our daughter's communication challenges."

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Established in 1970, the RiteCare Childhood Language Center of San Francisco has made a lasting difference in the lives of children in San Francisco and the surrounding communities. The RiteCare Childhood Language Center provides life-changing speech, language, and literacy treatment of childhood language disorders free of charge. Services are provided to children ranging from 18 months to 18 years of age.

The RiteCare Childhood Language Center of San Francisco, a program of the California Scottish Rite Foundation, 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.

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.

teenagers sitting in learning environment

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).

parent working with child on his homework

LITERACY

Contact Us

Are you a parent seeking speech and language services for your child? Start here! Please fill out the form below as the first step in connecting with our team. By completing this form, we can assess your child's needs and guide you through the process of accessing our free services. We're here to help your child thrive!

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Girl Receives Care at the RiteCare Childhood Language Center

Mission

Help Children Find Their Voice

The California Scottish Rite Foundation is dedicated to support and assist children in California by providing childhood speech-language, literacy and education programs for a lifetime of improved communication and confidence.