December 08, 2015

Speech therapy plan will help 40 Hong Kong families develop communication skills

One-on-one scheme to develop communication skills of children who suffer impaired hearing

A new one-on-one speech therapy programme is targeting around 40 families afflicted by hearing impairments after they were identified as an undersupported group.

NGO Silence began the therapy treatment to the first batch of 13 children in September.

"Over the years we've had contact with families where the parents have hearing impairments and have trouble teaching and communicating with their children … this is for children who can hear without problems and those with impairments as well," said social worker Felice Cheng Sze-man, who works with Silence.

Children in such families often have weaker communication skills and less confidence, which affects their social interaction, she said.

Shao Xiaolan and her husband have trouble teaching their daughter, who is now four years old. All three have impaired hearing.

"There are times when I feel hopeless and in the beginning it was very hard. My daughter didn't even understand sign language," she said through a sign language interpreter.

(Source: scmp.com)

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