Cole Mickles
“You have this child who you know needs more help than you’re giving him at home, and you would do
anything to make sure he’s getting what he needs,” said Susanne Mickles, when speaking of her son, Cole, 7.
Mickles’ journey to help her son began on his first day of life. Cole was born with ankyloglossia or “tongue-tie,”
a condition that results when the frenulum (the band of tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue to the floor
of the mouth) is too short and tight, causing the movement of the tongue to be restricted.
In some cases, including Cole’s, the condition causes eating and language problems. As a toddler, Cole began to
exhibit delays in speech and learning.
“In kindergarten, he began having a lot of frustration and anger issues in class,” Mickles said. “But we really
realized how big the problem was when he went into first grade. His acting out became worse, and he didn’t
know his ABCs and couldn’t count to 10.”
Mickles said her son would also avoid speaking in public or to people he didn’t know well. Their constant
misunderstanding of what he was saying would discourage and embarrass him.
Cole began receiving speech-language therapy in school, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more interactive
sessions and additional one-on-one time. Cole was referred to a speech-language pathologist in Richmond –
more than an hour from the family’s home in Blackstone, Va. Taking Cole for appointments there twice a week
while caring for five other children at home wasn’t feasible.
In passing, one of Mickles’ family members, a Longwood University alumna, mentioned to her that the
university had a program that might be able to help Cole.
Longwood University’s Speech, Hearing and Learning Services, which is located in a new facility in downtown
Farmville, offers professional speech-language, educational and early intervention programs to children and
families in Southcentral, Va. The program’s clinicians, who are also faculty at Longwood University, work in
conjunction with graduate students in the university’s speech-language pathology program.
The program also offers tutoring in one-on-one and small group settings in a variety of subjects, including math,
reading, English, sciences, social studies and social skills.
Cole began receiving services there in the spring of 2013.
“In the beginning, he really gave them a run for their money,” Mickles said. “There were temper tantrums and
outbursts, but the staff never gave up and never lost patience. They found ways to connect with him, reward him
and encourage him. If he got frustrated, they moved on to the next thing.”
The staff work with Cole to learn new words, pronounce them correctly and use them in context. He also
receives tutoring in reading. Mickles said the staff’s unique ways of teaching Cole have given her new ideas to
implement at home.
“They found out he really likes bugs, so they integrated that into his sessions,” she said. “They go ‘hunting’ for
words hidden all over the room and use Legos and ‘Go Fish.’ Now I have a child who is using new words every
day, correcting himself when he makes mistakes and asking to do schoolwork. He is a totally different child
from where we started – his confidence is through the roof.”
Longwood University’s Speech, Hearing and Learning Services will open in a new facility, located at 315 Third
St. in Farmville this October. The off-campus facility will have eight individual therapy rooms, two group
therapy rooms, a large pre-school room and ample parking. Expanded programs and technology will include
swallowing evaluation, a child feeding clinic, support groups for families and audiology services. For more
information, call 434.395.2972 or visit longwood.edu/lccll.