UB Receives Grant from Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo for Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic

Buffalo, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences has received a $16,169 grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (CFGB) to support materials acquisition and personnel costs needed for the UB Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic to continue and expand its services with two Buffalo Head Start programs.

The UB Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic has provided free hearing screenings at the Bethel Head Start Centers—a total of 11 sites in Buffalo and surrounding communities—for more than 10 years. Additionally, the clinic has provided speech-language and hearing screenings free of charge at 18 Bethel and Community Action Organization (CAO) Head Start centers since 2003. The screenings identify children who have speech, language and/or hearing difficulties. Early identification and remediation of delays in these areas have a high correlation to later success in school performance.

"We are pleased to be able to lend our support to this exceptional program," said Jean McKeown, senior program officer of the CFGB. "This program is the only one of its kind in Buffalo that is able to provide consistent, comprehensive speech, language and hearing screenings for multiple Head Start programs with appropriate monitoring and follow-up."

The grant allows the clinic to reach some 850 children who would otherwise be underserved. The program also trains UB students who are majoring in speech pathology and audiology.

"We are thankful for this generous grant from the CFGB," said Joan Sussman, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences. "Because of the foundation's generosity, we are able to continue our long relationship with these Head Start agencies, help the children of Buffalo, and continue to educate future speech pathologists and audiologists through this valuable hands-on learning."

The CFGB is a public charity holding more than 800 different charitable funds, large and small, established by individuals, families, nonprofit agencies and businesses to benefit Western New York. Since 1919, the foundation has served the needs of Buffalo through personalized service, financial stewardship, local expertise, and community leadership.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.