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Southern Miss to Offer Free Screenings for National Better Hearing and Speech Month
Thursday, April 24, 2008
HATTIESBURG, Miss.- The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi will offer free screenings throughout the month of May in recognition of Better Hearing and Speech Month.
Speech and hearing professionals encourage people to remember their hearing and speech when scheduling other annual examinations like dental and eye checkups.
"An annual speech and hearing evaluation should be a part of everyone's health program," said Dr. Brett Kemker, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences chair and associate dean for the College of Health. He adds that a person may have a problem and not know until its progression forces him or her to seek help.
An estimated 42 million Americans have some type of communication disorder, an equivalent to one out of every 10 families in Hattiesburg, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
"One in 10 people could benefit from hearing aid use but do not seek help," Kemker said, adding how imperative it is for children to receive screenings. "Research has made it clear that speech and hearing interventions should begin in the first two years of life. Yet only a small portion of the children needing intervention receive it as soon as they should."
Speech and hearing therapy is a way of life for 58-year-old New Orleans native Brenda Lewis, who was born with bilateral severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss. Relocating to Prentiss after Hurricane Katrina, Lewis began receiving her weekly therapy at the Southern Miss clinic.
Even though her communication ailment stems from birth, Lewis is still quick to encourage those who do not think about the well being of their hearing.
"People's hearing gets weaker," she said. "So you need to get it checked from time to time. You can get help before it becomes worse."
Kemker said Pine Belt residents have an advantage in living close to a university that offers a wide range of services dedicated speech and hearing.
"People in the Hattiesburg community have a wonderful advantage in living near the Southern Miss Speech and Hearing Outpatient Clinic - offering evaluations and therapy for those from birth through the golden years," Kemker said.
The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences is home to:
- The DuBard School for Language Disorders
- The Children's Center for Communication Disorders
- The Speech and Hearing Outpatient Clinic
- The largest speech language pathology program in the state
- The only Clinical Doctorate of Audiology program in the state
- The only Early Oral Intervention program in the southeast
To schedule an appointment for a free speech and hearing screening in May, call 601.266.5232.
Brenda Lewis of Prentiss, left, receives speech and hearing therapy from Angela Cook, right, graduate clinician with the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi. Lewis, who was born with bilateral severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss, visits the Southern Miss clinic twice a week for therapy sessions. (Southern Miss Photo by Steve Rouse)
Other Southern Miss Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences events and news surrounding Better Hearing and Speech Month include
- The university's first white coat ceremony for three audiology doctoral students at 2:30 p.m. April 26 at the Thad Cochran Center
- A service visit from York, England, students the week of May 12 at the children's center
- The Hattiesburg Sertoma Club's annual Draw Down from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 16 at The Bottling Company. Proceeds benefit children with communication disorders. Call 601.266-5223.
- Southern Miss professors Dr. John Muma and Dr. Steven Cloud are co-authors of a new textbook "Advancing Communication Disorders: 60 Basic Issues," which identifies 60 issues in speech pathology and includes results of a national survey of speech pathologists.
Department of Marketing and Public Relations
Article by Jeannie Peng [ 601.266.5568 ]