Speech and Hearing Center

Changing Lives by: serving 1,200 client visits a semester for diagnostic and therapeutic sessions and treats problems with language and articulation, stuttering, voice disorders, communication impairment due to head injury or stroke, accent reduction, swallowing disorders and language impairment due to hearing loss. The Speech and Hearing Center is part of -State’s College of Human Ecology.

Made possible by: a privately funded $1.2 million project made possible by gifts from the late Ruth and Jack Rice of Hanston, Kan., and the Louis W. and Dolpha Baehr Foundation of Paola, Kan.

New features: An inviting reception area, new therapy rooms are designed for individuals who have diverse needs, an in-house, multi-channel cable television network, new classroom space, a new audiology suite, specialized laboratories space, and faculty and graduate student offices

Impact: “Everything is better for families who come to our center,” said Robert Garcia, program director of the communication sciences and disorders program. “It’s not hard to find us. It’s not hard to park. It’s not hard to check in. It’s not hard to get to your therapy room, and it’s a pleasant therapy room that is easy to observe. Everything about the experience should be less effortful, which makes it easier to focus on why you’re here. Saying it’s a night-and-day difference may be an injustice.”

What people are saying: “My son runs into the building now,” said Julie Grove, whose son attends sessions at the new center. “The services have been great all along, but the new facility is a lot warmer and a lot friendlier. Especially with kids who have issues other than just language, it’s important for them to have a place that’s friendly and warm.”