MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2012 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Hudson, Butler (38th), Fillingane, Frazier, Lee, Montgomery, Watson, Hill
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND SALUTING THE DUBARD SCHOOL FOR LANGUAGE DISORDERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
WHEREAS, the DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi is celebrating 50 years of service to children with severe communication disorders from Mississippi and across the country; and
WHEREAS, the school was founded in 1962 when a member of the University's faculty needed specialized education for his son. At that time, the University's President, Dr. William D. McCain, appointed the late Dr. Etoile DuBard, a Grenada County native, to establish the School for Preschool Deaf and Aphasic Children with the first class having just three students; and
WHEREAS, fifty years later, the school, which was renamed the DuBard School for Language Disorders in 1996, serves more than 500 children and their families through enrollment, outclient and referral services each year. The school is a clinical program in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the College of Health at Southern Miss; and
WHEREAS, the DuBard School's full-time, public enrollment program is the total educational program for 80 children with severe language-speech disorders and/or hearing impairments, including the written language disorder of dyslexia. The students, who come from approximately 20 public school districts in 15 counties, are served until they have achieved the oral communication and academic skills necessary to be independent and successful in a typical school environment; and
WHEREAS, in addition, nearly 40 children are served through outclient therapy and some 65 students receive comprehensive evaluations each year; and
WHEREAS, many former DuBard School students are high school, community college, and university graduates who are gainfully employed and leading productive, independent and fulfilling lives; and
WHEREAS, the school is the national center for the phonetic, multisensory teaching approach, the DuBard Association Method®, and provides professional development in the method for university students, teachers, educators of deaf and hard of hearing students, and speech-language pathologists in Mississippi and across the United States; and
WHEREAS, believing that all children can learn and focusing on the whole child, the DuBard School seeks to serve as many children and their families as possible and reach children at other sites through professional development. The school works to ensure that the services are available for children and their families for the next 5O years; and
WHEREAS, the gift of communication gives hope to children and their families and helps them reach their full potential; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we join the citizens and academic community at The University of Southern Mississippi in celebrating this landmark event at an institution which works miracles with children:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize and salute the DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary, and extend our best wishes to Dr. Maureen Martin, Director of the DuBard School, and the school's children, staff and advisory board on this auspicious occasion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Dr. Martin and the President of The University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Martha D. Saunders, forwarded to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.