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DuBard School Jump Starts 45th Anniversary
Hattiesburg, August 2007-- Eleven-year-old Tanner Johnson is able to have an enjoyable meal with his family and play football with his brothers - activities that seemed merely a dream five years ago.
Ask his mother, Kathy Johnson of Columbus, what turned her son's life around and she'll say it was The DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi.
"I feel that we owe them our lives," said Johnson, whose son was diagnosed with autism as a young child. Johnson's feelings for DuBard reflect decades of dedicated work by language disorder professionals at the school.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of The DuBard School for Language Disorders. A Children's Kick-off Parade Party will be held at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 27 to jump start the anniversary celebration. An open house will take place from 3-6 p.m. Oct. 25 at the school and a free three-part lecture series will educate the public on common language disorders. The series will include "What Parents and Grandparents Need to Know About: Language and Speech Development" on Sept. 10, "When You and Your Child Can't Communicate: Coping with Language and Speech Disorders" on Oct. 8, and "Why Smart Kids Can't Read: The Puzzle of Dyslexia" on Nov. 5. The lectures are from 6:30-7:30 p.m. each night at the DuBard School.
"Language disorders are hidden disabilities," said director Maureen Martin. "Because one can't see these disabilities, they often go unrecognized, particularly in cases that are mild to moderate. Since, in modern life, we initiate and receive communication constantly, both spoken and written, it is critical that language disorders be identified as early as possible and remediated as comprehensively as possible."
The DuBard School.
Before the DuBard School, Tanner was nonverbal and self-abusive, Johnson said. Activities many people take for granted were rare occurrences for him.
"We could not go out to dinner because he would close down the restaurant," Johnson said, adding that she and her family would sit in closed-off sections at restaurants in fear of a meltdown, a common symptom of children with autism that is caused by frustration.
"Communication disorders are among the most common disabilities in the United States. Nearly 22 percent of school-aged children in public schools received special education services last year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Without effective intervention, young children with language disorders demonstrate persistent impairments in developmental and functional skills at school entry.
Tanner is now able to lead a more normal life because of his treatment at DuBard.
"We have a life now," she said. Tanner is playing pee wee football with his brother this year and will attend school in a couple of years after he improves on his reading through home school.
"He's got a brilliant future ahead of him," Johnson said. "He can do anything he wants. I don't think he would've ever been able to read or speak without DuBard."
The DuBard School for Language Disorders was founded in 1962 by Dr. Etoile DuBard, then known as the School for Preschool Deaf and Aphasic Children. During her 27 years with the school, DuBard worked closely with hundreds of children ages 3-13 who struggled with communication disorders. She refined and expanded the use of the renowned Association Method, considered a highly effective, multisensory, teaching and learning strategy that goes beyond the traditional visual and auditory teaching approach by incorporating tactile sense of touch and motor kinesthetics. She died in 2003, but her legacy and vision remain.
"It has been an incredible journey to be a part of the evolution of the school, first as a university student and then as a staff member," Dr. Martin said. "Many people, both staff and volunteers, have contributed much to bring the school to where it is today ... and the best is yet to come."
For more information about The DuBard School for Language Disorders, call 601.266.5223.
Source: U S M Public Relations Office