Our Mission
The Speech Pathology Group’s: Children’s Services International (SPG: CSI) is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with speech and language disorders locally and around the world. Intervention services are often difficult to access for families and children who need it most. SPG: CSI is committed to putting the people and services in place to ensure long-term, sustainable solutions by:
- Empowering caregivers and professionals with evidence-based assessment and treatment education.
- Providing charitable assistance for intervention services in low-income communities.
- Increasing the scope and practice of speech and language services locally, in the communities we serve, as well as in developing nations.
We believe in the concept of “teaching the teachers.”
GOALS 2016-2017
Currently, we are working with local partners to offer parent training and intervention services to children in need. SPG: CSI will offer an AAC Summer Camp in 2017 for school-aged children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems to communicate. The goal is to help children and their parents, siblings and friends develop and build the skills they need to use AAC systems competently in supportive social contexts. The camp will use summer fun activities such as arts and crafts, music and other movement activities, combined with summer themes to create an immersive environment that fosters communicative independence.
In the past few years, SPG: CSI has focused primarily on international efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, Bhutan and South Africa where children with severe communication delays or diagnoses such as autism may not ever have the chance to receive the help they need. We know that without help, some of these children may never learn to talk, will never have a chance to go to school with their peers, and many eventually end up institutionalized, or worse. With this in mind, our most recent international projects have focused on training providers in those countries to serve these children in a sustainable, on-going manner.
Because of the tireless efforts from professionals across the globe, and SPG: CSI’s dedication, together we have achieved amazing results! See Accomplishments to learn more. But our mission is far from complete.
- Currently, SPG: CSI is focusing on the final phase of the Bosnian Autism Project. In phase four, the maintenance phase, we will support existing centers and professionals through continued education using a series of web-based seminars addressing assessment and evidence-based treatment for communication disorders.
- Our intent is to expand into Spanish-speaking nations, and research has begun on joining existing programs in Mexico!
- Raise awareness of the international need for treatment of communication impairments and how to provide services in developing nations by publishing a How-To Manual for creating sustainable treatment programs abroad.
- Support SLPs and graduate students in forging professional relationships and cultural exchanges through volunteer opportunities in the United States.