New Center to Focus on Early Childhood Education, Autism Intervention

The center will be operated by the UM School of Education and will house the university's nationally accredited preschool, the Willie Price Lab School. It will also allow more children to receive developmental and auditory evaluations, increasing opportunities for early intervention services.

"We are pleased to expand how we serve the community through the UM Early Learning and Evaluation Center and uphold our deep commitment for caring for one another, a cornerstone of our university's values," Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. 

"It is exciting how our talented and committed faculty and students from the School of Education will provide important evaluation and education services through the center. We are grateful for the support of the state, and we eagerly anticipate the construction of the forthcoming state-of-the-art facility."

Demolition ahead of the $30 million-plus project began this spring. Construction started in June, with the center slated to open in 2027.

The Willie Price Lab School will relocate and occupy a portion of the new two-story, 51,447-square-foot facility at the South Oxford Center. The plans call for a nearly 12,000-square-foot evaluation center featuring a sensory playroom, evaluation and observation rooms, and clinical instruction space.

"Identifying students who need support early on greatly increases their chances of success and chances to graduate high school" said David Rock, dean of the education school.

"This center brings all our resources together into one location, where children can be evaluated and get treated by professionals, all within our facility. This centralized approach improves early intervention and provides a supportive environment for both students and parents."

Mississippi is considered a low-resource, high need state for child development and well-being. The center will help address the state's shortage of early intervention options, referenced in the Children's Foundation of Mississippi's 2024 Kids Count report.

The ELEC clinic will provide evidence-based evaluation services through a partnership with the Child Health and Developmental Promotion Fellowship at University of Mississippi Medical Center. The goal is to provide evaluation services and support for children with autism.

"This new center will provide people in north Mississippi and across the state with more opportunities to receive early learning and evaluation services," said Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who helped the university secure $10 million in state funds for the project.

"The quicker we can identify a child's gifts and special needs, the better chance we have to find therapies and resources which help them learn, grow and thrive."

Ole Miss is investing more than $21 million into the project and has secured nearly $1.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

The plan proposal also includes:

• 10 technology-equipped preschool classrooms
• 2 outdoor playgrounds
• A dining facility.

The larger preschool space, added evaluation services and licensed teaching staff are a recipe for added success, said Alyce Krouse, Willie Price director.

"We are thrilled that we will be able to offer even more wonderful play-based educational opportunities for our students in our new space and increase our enrollment to serve more families in our area," Krouse said.

"Combining the preschool and evaluation center will also allow students who require services to start required therapies sooner rather than having to wait for referrals and evaluations. We are also looking forward to more collaboration between the classroom teachers and the evaluation center staff."

Having the UM Speech and Hearing Clinic as a neighbor on the South Oxford Center also eases the process of providing hearing evaluations and speech therapy, services several students receive.

Besides expanding accessible options for early childhood education in Mississippi, the new center is taking aim at a national issue: a shortage of board-certified behavior analysts trained to create treatment plans that help children with autism achieve behavioral changes.

The ELEC will provide clinical practice opportunities for students in the Ole Miss schools of Education and Applied Sciences and the Department of Psychology who are learning to support children diagnosed with autism.

State Sen. Nicole Boyd, whose district include Oxford, sees the incoming center having a positive impact for families across the Magnolia State.

"We know that 90% of brain development happens before age 5, which is why early intervention and learning are so critical," Boyd said. "This new center is not just a building; it's an investment in the future of Mississippi's children and families, especially those navigating developmental delays or autism.

"For too many parents, finding quality care – particularly for children with autism or other developmental needs – is an almost impossible task, and this center offers real hope."

Rep. Clay Deweese, who also represents Oxford in the state Capitol, echoes the excitement about how the center will benefit Mississippi families.

"I am incredibly grateful to represent a university that continues to lead with vision and purpose," Deweese said. "The investment in the Early Learning and Evaluation Center reflects a strong commitment to identifying and supporting children in need.

"This initiative will have a lasting impact on families across our state, and stands as a powerful testament to the university's values and its dedication to building a brighter future for Mississippi."

This material is based on work supported in part by the U.S. Department of Education award no. S215K230087.

Top: The Early Learning and Evaluation Center at the university's South Oxford Center will include two playgrounds and 10 classrooms, increasing the number of children the university can enroll in the Willie Price Lab School and providing evaluation services that increase opportunities for early intervention services in the state. Willie Price is a nationally accredited preschool operated by the School of Education.