Baylor's New Summer Speech and Hearing Programs to Serve Central Texas

The Speech Language and Hearing Clinic in Baylor University's department of communication sciences and disorders will offer three new summer programs to better meet the needs of adults and children in Central Texas.

Two of the new day camps will be targeted specifically for children and adolescents with stuttering difficulties, and hearing-impaired children. A third session is the life enrichment program for adults who are recovering from a stroke or brain injury and need additional assistance in strengthening communication skills.

The camp for hearing-impaired children will be offered Aug. 4-8. The program for stuttering children and the life enrichment program will be offered July 14-25, with both morning and afternoon sessions.

The deadline to enroll is May 1, but participants are encouraged to enroll early as space is limited. The proposed cost is $100; however, financial assistance is available.

The department of communication sciences and disorders and its outreach programs are recognized across Central Texas for its intensive training and dramatic results. Activities during the week are designed to meet the specific needs of each participant. Participants receive therapy in both one-on-one and group sessions. The socially-enriching environments allow for participants to feel at ease among others who share their common challenges. Making the experience more like a "camp" with fun educational activities helps the participants stay fully engaged in the intensive therapy.

"Our Camp Success Summer Program has changed the lives of hundreds of children, so we decided to offer intensive treatment programs to help other children and adults in need," said Dr. David Garrett, chair of the communication sciences and disorders department at Baylor. "This university is all about 'serving others,' and there is no greater way to serve then to improve the lives of those in need."

The Life Enrichment Program is design to assist people with aphasia, the loss of the ability to produce and/or comprehend language due to injury to brain areas specialized for these functions. The program will consist of two hour group sessions with a variety of activities designed to enhance each person's participation and enjoyment of everyday life activities. Participants can look forward to activities such as arts and crafts, basic computer skills, music, woodworking without tools, conversation groups, book club, cooking and many other activities.

For more information, contact Deborah Rainer at (254) 710-6369.