Helping children communicate can transform their confidence, relationships, and classroom success. On Healthy Desert Healthy You, host Will Dean welcomes Tina Burns, Speech Language Pathologist and Clinical Director of the California Scottish Rite Foundation, to explore speech, language, and literacy services provided at no cost to families. Burns discusses developmental milestones, the importance of early intervention, and how pandemic disruptions affected access to support. She explains how play based therapy, caregiver coaching, and school collaboration help children build communication skills. Hear Matthew’s journey from struggling to speak to connecting with classmates and grandparents. Learn about the Coachella Valley center serving children ages three to thirteen, the need for more speech language pathologists, and how philanthropic support sustains these essential services at nineteen centers throughout California.

Takeaways:

• Early intervention supports communication, confidence, and relationships.
• Speech challenges deserve attention beyond waiting and seeing.
• Developmental milestones help families recognize potential concerns.
• Play makes therapy engaging and meaningful.
• Caregiver coaching extends learning into everyday activities.
• School collaboration strengthens support across learning environments.
• Philanthropy funds services at no cost to families.
• Training future speech language pathologists addresses workforce shortages.

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