© 2024 Eagle Fever - Southern Miss, All Rights Reserved
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOORS OF THE CHILDREN’S CENTER FOR COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, you are instantly greeted by children who are more than their diagnoses—children who have defied odds since day one and have established their own milestones for success.
Children enrolled at The Children’s Center present a wide variety of special needs and diagnoses, ranging from (but not limited to) speech, hearing and language disorders, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome to autism spectrum disorder, rare genetic disorders or other conditions related to premature birth.
With a passionate team of specialists, The Children’s Center provides an individualized therapy plan for each child and guides families as they journey through countless challenges and triumphs.
Each infant, toddler and preschooler enrolled at The Children’s Center receives services from a specialized therapy team during small group, center-based programming or through individual, home and community-based programming.
Therapy teams are led by a speech-language pathologist or early oral interventionist and consist of one or more specialists, including a special educator, physical therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, audiologist or social worker.
SERVICES PROVIDED
Parents and guardians play an integral role in a child’s success at The Children’s Center. Focused on the child’s individual communication and developmental needs, services are extended to parents and guardians as they encounter obstacles and pathways for treatment and specialized services.
THE FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE OFFERED TO ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED:
Our children are children first, and we believe that all learning begins with play. All of our therapy rooms include a variety of toys that initiate play at many different levels.
Seating seems like a simple concept, but for many of our children it makes the biggest difference for meeting his or her potential level of learning. This specific chair is versatile for age and height.
Dedicated communication devices are very, very expensive. As technology continues to evolve, our therapists have modeled practices from all over the country that use the technology of iPads and apps in therapy. Many of our children communicate exclusively with the help of an iPad and several apps. As a Center, we loan iPads and apps to our children who need them throughout their time enrolled at the Center.
Dedicated communication devices are very, very expensive. As technology continues to evolve, our therapists have modeled practices from all over the country that use the technology of iPads and apps in therapy. Many of our children communicate exclusively with the help of an iPad and several apps. As a Center, we loan iPads and apps to our children who need them throughout their time enrolled at the Center.
Dedicated communication devices are very, very expensive. As technology continues to evolve, our therapists have modeled practices from all over the country that use the technology of iPads and apps in therapy. Many of our children communicate exclusively with the help of an iPad and several apps. As a Center, we loan iPads and apps to our children who need them throughout their time enrolled at the Center.
Mobility matters, and it's important that our children have the opportunity to play just like every other child. With the help of switches, PVC piping and simple wiring reconfigurations, our occupational therapists can turn an everyday Power Wheels vehicle into something our children can also use!
PODD stands for Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display. PODD books are an organized grouping of symbols that help our children communicate. Many of our children start with a beginner book that holds symbols and organization for basic needs and requests, while expanded books represent a larger base for communicating and may include customized images to the child's personality or home life.
We use the Crocodile Gait Trainer with our children who have mild to moderate physical involvement and support needs. This is just one type of walker/trainer that we use with our children. Like many of our resources, we loan these items out to our families who need them for the duration they are needed. Many insurance plans only cover one walker for a period of time. Because children grow so quickly at this age, it's easier on our families for us to loan out these items.
All of our rooms are equipped with a state of the art FM system that specifically removes additional "noise" and offers the listener a very clear sound. For our children with hearing loss who may have cochlear implants or aided hearing devices, they can "plug" into the system and hear their therapist directly through their own personal FM receiver which attaches to his or her device. This cost is per ear.
PODD stands for Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display. PODD books are an organized grouping of symbols that help our children communicate. Many of our children start with a beginner book that holds symbols and organization for basic needs and requests, while expanded books represent a larger base for communicating and may include customized images to the child's personality or home life.
The Kaye Suspension Walker supports a child's need to be fully weight-bearing or in a partial weight-bearing position for walking. It also includes a manually operated winch to help lift and lower the child to vary the amount of weight placed on his or her legs. Like many of our resources, we loan these items out to our families who need them for the duration they are needed. Many insurance plans only cover one walker for a period of time. Because children grow so quickly at this age, it's easier on our families for us to loan out these items.
All of our rooms are equipped with a state of the art FM system that specifically removes additional "noise" and offers the listener a very clear sound. For our children with hearing loss who may have cochlear implants or aided hearing devices, they can "plug" into the system and hear their therapist directly through their own personal device.
This computer is adapted to fit the child's needs - from the use of switches to software. This tool allows a child to communicate and play much like his or her peers, but in a way suited to him or her. (Estimate of cost includes a basic laptop, software, specialized keyboard and switches).
Rifton Pacer gait trainers are well-known for their modular design, durability and flexibility, all of which allow for our children to have independence and improved strength and confidence. This specific gait trainer has a few more bells and whistles for our children who may need more support. Like many of our resources, we loan these items out to our families who need them for the duration they are needed. Many insurance plans only cover one walker for a period of time. Because children grow so quickly at this age, it's easier on our families for us to loan out these items.