Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2006-03-02

Samford University education students Kathryn Hern and Lauren Wasby were chosen to present papers at a recent meeting of the Alabama Federation-Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The annual conference was held in Birmingham.

Hern's paper on "Recipes for Successful Independent Living" tied for first place in the student competition. The presentation highlighted a cooking guide designed to give adults with disabilities increased independence. Hern is a senior early childhood special education major from Eagen, Minn.

Wasby's paper, "Second Language Acquisition: Benefits for Young Children with Special Needs," examined the neurology behind second language acquisition. She is a senior early childhood special education major from Roswell, Ga.

In addition, educators Sara Marat and Diane Baker, who teach at Samford's Children's Learning Center, presented a paper "Using Sign Language with Very Young Children." The paper reviewed the use of sign language with children who are developing typically as well as those who have disabilities.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.