The lives of two five-year-old boys Yaya and Jayden have been significantly improved through the gift of speech therapy, the support of University of Pretoria students and the expertise of the Clinic for High Risk Babies.
Pretoria, South Africa (01 November 2024) – Learning how to talk is a natural and exciting milestone for children, as they begin to express themselves using words they’ve picked up from those around them.
However, for some children facing additional health and speech challenges, finding their voice can be particularly difficult.
This had been a complex journey known all too well by five-year-old toddlers, Yaya and Jayden before finding support at the Clinic for High Risk Babies (CHRIB) at the University of Pretoria.
Their mothers, Thobeka Mary Sithole and Chiedza Maswa witnessed firsthand the transformative power of early intervention.
Thobeka who has been taking her autistic son, Yaya to the clinic since June 2023, has learned that communication comes in many forms.
According to the university, Yaya has already made admirable progress and can communicate with his family “in his own way”. This has also led to fewer meltdowns borne from frustration.
A grateful Thobeka also shared that her little boy has started uttering a few words during the intervention sessions, or echoes ones used by the two final-year students assigned to him.
Chiedza, Jayden’s mother, shares a similar story of hope. Though Jayden may only utter a few words such as “up”, “down” or “shake”, each one represents a significant milestone.
The support and encouragement from CHRIB have also given her the confidence to embrace new activities with her son at home.
Helping children find their voice
CHRIB has been running since 1990 and has been a lifeline for countless little ones who have struggled with various speech and communication challenges.
Staff and students from UP’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology provide early intervention to children with conditions like stuttering, craniofacial disorders, and autism while supporting their families every step of the way.
“Our mission is to help young children to communicate better, by supporting their families or other primary caregivers to walk the path with them.
“The Clinic is increasingly moving towards a caregiver-centred approach, through which we provide as much support as possible to the adults taking care of a specific child,” explains CHRIB Head and Senior Lecturer Dr Esedra Krüger.
Sources: University of Pretoria
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