The Children's Speech and Reading Center (CSRC) is Northern Colorado's only 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on reading and speech-language for young children with three primary services:• Free screenings for all children for early literacy skills, reading disorders and speech and language delays• Individual Speech-Language and Reading Therapy on a sliding scale fee structure that goes to zero so no child is ever turned away that needs our services• Pre-Literacy programs for children 4-5 years old that are determined to be delayed in their communication and pre-literacy skill developmentSpeech and language delays are one of the most common developmental disorders in young children. Children with speech-language delays are at a significantly increased risk for reading disabilities later in childhood. By age 2, children from low income families are already six months behind in their language development. These delays can have negatively impact a young child’s academic success as well as socio-emotional development. Our sliding scale fee structure and scholarships insure that no child is ever turned away that needs our services.

Dave Boon, his wife June, and a family friend survived a horrific event on January 6, 2007 when a Class IV avalanche came down and crushed their car blasting them off Highway 40 on Berthoud Pass, over the guard rail and down a 40% slope. They rolled over an over until they snapped a tree in half and came to a stop, buried alive and upside down, over 300 feet from where the avalanche first hit them. Their miracle survival was highlighted on The Today Show, CNN, MSNBC, USA Today and Oprah. This amazing survival story is described in Chapter 1 of his recently released book, My Wish: Don’t Get Swept Away As A Teen. He had only one goal in writing this book and through his daily interactions with kids. That goal, his purpose in life, his wish, is to help teens and young adults discover their gifts and their passion in life. He wants each and every one of them to become a healthy, happy, and productive member of our world. He doesn’t want them to get “swept away” and knocked off their highway toward success by peer pressure, drugs, alcohol or negative associations. That is why he wrote this book. That is his purpose—that is his wish! In Dave’s own words, “It breaks my heart to see teenagers without dreams, without guidance, without the ability to see beyond their current situations. It is my hope that this book contains some wisdom, something that strikes a chord in them to change behaviors and patterns of thought that prevent them from overcoming the difficulties that every teenager encounters and those that might be unique to them.”Dave’s innovative ideas and successful programs have been featured in The New Yorker and Shape magazines and highlighted by award winning Wall Street Journal reporters Bob Davis and David Wessel, in Prosperity: The Coming 20 Year Boom and What It Means to You. Dave has spoken at a White House conference by invitation of the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of Education.