Specialist Directory
Company:
LEAP/Language Empowers All People
Address:
180 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60601
Phone Number:
312.578.1255
Email Address:
katie@leapempowers.org
Catherine H. Gottfred, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL
Dr. Gottfred founded the non-profit Language-Empowers-All-People (LEAP) in 1986, dedicated to providing researched-based language/literacy development to children, families, home visitors, and teachers. LEAP developed a free app, Beginning-With-Babble, giving daily age-appropriate language tips to parents. Language-Through-Science, Language-for-Emergent Readers, and Language-for-Scholars are examples of programs LEAP provides in Chicago and shares nationally.
Dr. Gottfred taught at Northwestern, Illinois, and Northern Illinois universities, and worked clinically in private practice, hospitals, and schools. She was President of ASHA and ISHA and ASHA’s VP of Government Affairs. She served on the Chicago Charter School Board, Rush University ComD Advisory Board, Advocate Hospitals Foundation Board and Institutional Review Board, DePauw University Visitors Board, Glenbrook Multicultural Committee, Glenview Education Association Board, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Board, and Chicago-Youth-Centers Lower-North Board. Dr. Gottfred has received ASHA and ISHA Fellow, ISHA Honors, DiCarlo Award-Outstanding Clinical Achievement, Kleffner Lifetime Clinical Career Award, Northwestern University School of Communications Alumni of the Year in 2010, and was named one of 26 Trailblazer Alumnae Who Changed the World by Northwestern University School of Communication.
Areas of Emphasis:
- Cultural and Linguistic Diversity/Bilingual Speakers/English as a Second Language
- Language Wellness
- Parent Coaching
- Literacy: Reading/Dyslexia
- Literacy: Writing/Spelling
Other Areas of Emphasis
None
Ages of Emphasis:
- Birth to Three
- Early Education (Ages 3–5)
- Early Elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 6)
- Middle School/High School (Grades 7–12)