For over twenty-five years the Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders has  helped to meet the needs of preschool children with language disorders. The Clinic conducts speech and language evaluations, family education, therapy services and consultations. 

    Hundreds of children in the Memphis area have benefited from the identification and treatment of childhood communication disorders through the Scottish Rite Clinic.

    With early intervention these children are much better prepared academically and socially for kindergarten.

     Children experiencing difficulty in learning to talk are often first identified by parents, grandparents, pediatricians, and preschool teachers. 

    The most noticeable signs of a language disorder include the following:
    1. Speech and language that is distinctly different from  children of the same age, gender, or ethnic group
    2. Speech and/or language that is difficult to understand
    3. Reluctance or inability to talk
    4. Unsuccessful attempts to understand or to be understood by others

    Children suspected of having difficulty acquiring communication skills should be seen by a speech-language pathologist for evaluation. The results of the evaluation will determine if a child is developing normally, is at risk for speech and language problems, or demonstrates a disorder that needs intervention.

    The Scottish Rite Clinic also impacts the community through its involvement in training professionals in the area of pediatric communication disorders. 

    Each year the Clinic offers a nine month internship to a speech pathology graduate with a Masters degree. 

     The Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders was founded by the Memphis Scottish Rite Foundation, Inc. and is supported by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States. The Clinic is located at the University of Tennessee.