DuBard School at Southern Miss Accepting Applications for LEAP Program
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 08:59am | By: Van Arnold
The DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi is conducting open enrollment for the Language Enhancement and Achievement Program (LEAP).
The LEAP program is an after-school initiative designed for students age 5-10 with challenges in reading, spelling and written language. Paraprofessionals, under the supervision of certified speech-language pathologists, conduct the one-hour sessions held three times per week.
“Since we started LEAP in 2009, we have been able to serve more children with dyslexia in our region,” said DuBard Director Dr. Maureen Martin. “LEAP gives families another option for specialized help for students who are struggling to read and write. Unfortunately, without therapy, some children would continue to fall further behind in reading, so intervention is key to long-term educational improvement.”
The program is tailored specifically to assist children who have difficulty rhyming, sounding out words, blending sounds into words, spelling and reading. Children who may or may not have a diagnosis of dyslexia or specific learning disabilities in reading will also benefit.
The deadline to register for the August-December 2011 program is Aug. 5. The program will also be available from January-May 2012 with a Dec. 16 deadline to register.
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 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.
For more information about the LEAP program or other services offered by the DuBard School, call 601.266.5223 or visit www.usm.edu/dubard