Oregon Scottish Rite Clinics
Helping Young Children Communicate
Since 1980
History of Oregon Scottish Rite Clinics
History || Mission || Leadership || Support Us
Oregon Scottish Rite Clinics were founded in 1980 by the leadership of Oregon's Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Initially incorporated as the Scottish Rite Institute for Childhood Aphasia, the name was later changed to the Scottish Rite Foundation for Childhood Language Disorders. In 2003, the Board of Trustees voted to shorten the official name to Oregon Scottish Rite Clinics.
The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (click here for their Website) is a Masonic fraternity devoted to high ideals and admirable benevolence. Nationwide, for more than 50 years, the major thrust of the Scottish Rite Masons' philanthropy has been the childhood language disorder clinics. At the time the first clinic opened in Colorado, few programs - public or private - were specifically geared to the needs of children whose primary problem was a language disorder.
Development in the areas of medicine, psychology, education and speech-language pathology resulted in the identification of these children as a separate population, one with its own problems and needs. Between 5 to 10 percent of children have a speech-language disorder, but often these children were incorrectly viewed as "slow learners" or grouped with the developmentally delayed or emotionally disturbed. The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry developed its first clinic to meet the needs of this under-served group. Since that time, these generous Masons have opened more than 170 clinics across the country.
Oregon's Clinics
The first Oregon clinic began service in 1980 and was housed in the Portland Scottish Rite Center. Our executive director, Dr. Philip Levinson, has been with the program since its inception. Three donations totaling more than one hundred thousand dollars enabled the clinic to relocate in 1988 to a larger facility. It was named for its principal donor, Henry J. Casey, 32°. Within four years, three satellite clinics were added: The Roseburg Clinic, The Bend Clinic and the McCarty Clinic in Klamath Falls. In late 2005, the Rogue Valley Clinic was added in Medford.