Partnership seeks to bridge children in need with supported services and funding Written By: Marcus Traxler | × Four-year-old Orion Steichen counts out the numbers after putting a puzzle together under the supervision of speech pathologist Kendra Abts during an appointment Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at Avera Therapy in Mitchell. (Matt Gade / Republic) Rachel Steichen admits she was kicking herself. The White Lake mother was wondering about her son, Orion, and his speech pattern. For a 4-year-old, his speech has developed well for his age. But he speaks quickly. “We have been questioning his speech for a long time and we’ve always thought we should wait and see,” she said. “And I feel that the sooner you can get at the problem, the better. And he’s to the point where now, when people can’t understand him, he gets frustrated.”