Need: The ability to listen and talk with others is sometimes taken for granted. Some children, as many as 2 to 5%, have difficulty listening and talking because they have a disorder of communication. Early identification and treatment of such children is necessary to prepare them for academic and social success and to prevent future problems.

Purpose: CLIP clinics provide intervention for children between the ages of 18 months and 6 years who have a disorder to speech and/or language.

Innovations: CLIP has several research clinics under its umbrella and children are directed to the clinic that best meets their needs. CLIP research is directed at determining which treatments are most effective for which children. CLIP is designated as a National Center for the Study of Language Intervention by the National Institutes of Health, Division of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Description: CLIP serves children with a variety of language disorders, including Down syndrome, global cognitive impairments, children who are talking but are difficult to understand, and children who are late in talking. Children referred to CLIP projects receive funded, individualized services under the direction of certified speech-language pathologists. Services include diagnostic testing and treatment. CLIP is a research clinic of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

Faculty Director: Stephen Camarata, Ph.D., Professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences and Special Education, and Kennedy Center Deputy Director of Communication and Learning Research Program. CLIP projects are directed by Ann Kaiser, PhD, Professor of Special Education and Psychology and Kennedy Center Investigator, and Paul Yoder, PhD, Professor of Special Education and Kennedy Center Investigator.

Contact: (615) 936-5125, clip@vanderbilt.edu

Link: CLIP site