University of Southern Mississippi facility will house programs for children with communication disorders

The University of Southern Mississippi has broken ground on its Gulf Park campus in Long Beach on a facility that will provide space for the DuBard School for Language Disorders and The Children’s Center for Communication and Development.

Spanning more than 25,000 square feet, Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall will enable both programs to mirror services provided on the Hattiesburg campus. The building will include specialized classrooms, therapy and observation rooms and a multipurpose area—each planned to meet the needs of children with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, developmental language delays and hearing impairments.

“Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall represents a major step toward ensuring no child is left waiting for help,” said Lachel Story, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions. “Children from our coastal counties have traveled hours to receive care. Some families have sat on waiting lists, hoping their turn would come. That changes today.”

DuBard School and The Children’s Center have served more than 5,000 children since their founding. The programs also provide hands-on training to students in speech-language pathology, audiology, early childhood education and other related disciplines.