Mount St. Clare Speech and Hearing Center
The
Mount St. Clare Speech and Hearing Center in Clinton was one of the first such
facilities in the nation when it was opened in 1943. The Clinton Franciscans initiated the
ministry in response to requests from persons living in the area whose family
members or friends needed assistance with speech: children with speech
impediments as well as adults recovering from strokes and other illness or accident. The clinic provides habilitative and
rehabilitative services to speech, language, hearing and physically disabled
persons of all ages and without regard to ability to pay.
The Kehl Closet is a division of the clinic which provides free loan of
low and high technology devices that allow speech-impaired persons to
communicate. When founded in 1994, it
was the only service of its kind in the state.
The center also includes a state of the art Multi-Sensory
Environment for utilization with those clients with sensory processing
disorders.
The MSC Speech and Hearing Center is located on the first floor of Regis
Hall on The Ashford University campus. The
Center is presently equipped with six evaluation/therapy rooms with observation
facilities, a soundproof hearing testing suite, a large gym, a fully
operational kitchen setting for teaching transitional living skills, waiting
rooms and offices. Two sisters minister
at the Center. Two other speech-language pathologists, one with certification
as an assistive technology practitioner, and an occupational therapist complete
the professional staff at the Center.
Occupational Therapy services are
beneficial to those who are experiencing a loss of a functional ability
following a stroke or accident, or a developmental delay. The Occupational Therapist may assist these
individuals by teaching compensatory strategies, instructing in the use of
adaptive equipment, implementing a treatment program to develop these skills,
and instructing the individuals or their caregivers in how to maximize their
level of independence.
