The University of Mississippi Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has observed great success in the initial months of a small program created for effective speech intervention in preschool-age children.
The Hearing-Impaired Literacy and Language Preschool Laboratory officially began operation in George Hall on Jan. 27.
“Years ago, our program operated the preschool class for children with speech, language and hearing disorders, and we’ve been wanting to re-establish that for several years now, so I went ahead and wrote the proposal to the Herrin Foundation to establish that class,” said Lennette Ivy, chair of the communications sciences and disorders department.
When applying for the grant to facilitate the program’s funding, Ivy, referenced the preschool program that the department managed from 1981-1994. The previous program ended when changes in state funding for the university preschool programs led to the classroom’s closing.
The Herrin Foundation, which typically allocates its funds toward improving literacy in Mississippi, awarded Ivy and the department the necessary grant money. They then began seeking the staff to develop the project, including clinical instructor and speech-language pathologist April Wallace.
Wallace and Ivy originally intended for six children to take part in the program, but they opened the seventh spot due to high demand. The program now has a waiting list. Currently, space in George Hall prevents expansion, but Ivy hopes the program will be able to relocate to a new facility near the Jackson Avenue Center.
The preschool students work with graduate clinicians and speech-language pathologists in George five days per week for three hours. They use picture schedules to establish a routine and help manage time between a small classroom setting with both typically-developing peer models and more individualized lessons for each child.
According to Wallace, she has seen improvement from all children in the program.
“From the time that we started until now, we have seen significant progress for all of our children,” Wallace said.
Wallace cited the amount of one-on-one time the participants have with speech-language pathologists as the primary cause for the remarkable results. She also gave credit to several departments on campus for their help, especially the Willie Price Lab School, which has allowed them to take full advantage of the university’s resources and community.
First-year graduate clinician Brea Burkett said she has observed multifaceted progress in the preschool students.
“The biggest thing for some of the kids is the social aspect of development,” Burkett said. “At first I didn’t see how so much progress was going to be made like this, but some students in particular have just come so far socially.”
Wallace explained that, for her, the most potent example of the difference they are making with the children is the feedback they have received from the students’ parents.
“This is the kind of program that a special needs mom goes to bed at night and dreams about for her special needs child,” Wallace read from a parent’s message.
The department conducts a weekly parental support group to educate parents on the challenges and rewards of raising special needs children, as well as to facilitate support networks among the parents themselves. All of the preschool students and their parents gathered with some of the staff in the Grove Thursday for the program’s Easter egg hunt in celebration of their progress.
— Drew Jansen
ajjansen@go.olemiss.edu
