Eighteen students from DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) are returning to their local school districts next year. The advancing students were recognized at a special awards celebration held at The University of Southern Mississippi.
“This has been a long-time dream for each of these students,” said Dr. Missy Schraeder, DuBard School Director. “When children begin at DuBard School, our goal is to teach them to speak, read, and write efficiently so that they can transfer back into their local districts to complete their education and continue on to becoming thriving, successful adults.”
The DuBard School for Language Disorders currently serves 80 children in its full-time enrollment program. These children have an average of seven diagnoses each, with primary disability rulings in speech, language, and/or hearing. The school is non-graded, with students progressing at their own rates of progress. On average, children attend DuBard School for four years before returning to their home school districts to continue their education.
“Some of these students had limited language skills when they began here, and now they are leaving with the ability to express themselves through spoken and written language,” Schraeder said. “We are so proud of these students and what they have achieved in their time at DuBard School. We can’t wait to see the milestones reached in years to come.”
The DuBard School for Language Disorders was established in 1962 and is a clinical division of the Southern Miss Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. The school serves children with severe language/speech disorders, including the written language disorder of dyslexia, and/or hearing impairments and provides guidance and counseling for parents and families of the children. The school is a practicum site for university students majoring in speech-language pathology, audiology or deaf education. DuBard School for Language Disorders is a United Way agency. Further information is found at www.usm.edu/dubard.