00:00 Susan, one of the core memories of parents is hearing their children's first words.
00:05 That's right. Sometimes, mom and dad would argue over what to say first.
00:11 If it's dad or mom.
00:12 If it's dad or mom, then mom. If it's dad, then dad.
00:14 A lot of kids, the first word is "Yaya".
00:15 Because I'm with Yaya.
00:18 But Susan, parents should remember that it's not the same time for learning.
00:23 The good thing is, there are ways to help them more.
00:27 That's the story of Dano Tinkongko.
00:30 Zion, how do you read this?
00:34 Vehicles.
00:35 Andrea is very observant of every move of Zion's child while playing in the playroom.
00:41 She also follows her question to the puzzle pieces that the child is holding.
00:46 How do you read this?
00:47 Planet.
00:48 This activity is not just a simple game, but part of therapy to make Zion's speech come back to life.
00:56 Did you disinfect the toy?
01:05 Andrea's story is that Zion's mother hasn't spoken for less than a year.
01:10 But when the child is almost two years old, Andrea is surprised.
01:14 Zion is already so nervous that he can't speak properly.
01:17 I said, "Why isn't he speaking?"
01:20 Even the mom and dad, he's not speaking.
01:24 He's just holding your hand and pointing at what he wants.
01:29 At this age, it's expected that the children will be able to form simple conversations.
01:34 I said, "We need someone to help us to know what to do with Zion."
01:39 Even if we talk to him normally, he doesn't utter a word.
01:45 In 2016, Andrea went to a developmental pediatrician to have her child examined.
01:51 According to the examination, she has ADHD with speech delay.
01:55 Here, their doctor recommended that they consult a speech pathologist.
02:00 The SLP or Speech Language Pathologist, like Giselle, helps to bring back the speech of a person based on his age and needs.
02:09 We include the people who are struggling to speak,
02:17 who are having a hard time expressing what they want to say,
02:21 who have difficulty in terms of eating and drinking.
02:26 You should know that the BS Speech Language Pathology course is limited to four courses in the Philippines.
02:32 Because of this, the SLP has a shortage in the country.
02:36 In the first licensure exam of the SLP held in November, only more than 500 passed.
02:42 After playing, Zion is ready for the one-on-one session with Giselle.
02:47 To make Zion comfortable, she warmed up by dancing along with the nursery rhyme.
02:52 Then she tried to read a short story.
02:55 There was also an activity connected to the act of reading.
02:58 Step on the... Good job!
03:01 Throughout the session, Giselle continued to ask and talk to her.
03:05 It seems like Zion is doing a kind of preschool, far from his age of 18.
03:11 We usually give them to play because it's something very much enjoyable for them
03:16 so that they won't be able to know that I am doing something like therapy.
03:20 We would want language learning for them to be fun.
03:23 Giselle also teaches them how to move their mouth, tongue, and jaw, or what are called articulators.
03:30 Say "sagging".
03:32 "Sagging".
03:33 Not "sangging".
03:34 "Sagging".
03:35 The fingers are also used to guide the articulators and feel the right vibration of the vocal cords.
03:41 It seems like it's a signal to those who have speech delay, what sounds and words they will be learning.
03:47 It really depends on the child's skills.
03:51 And we also encourage them to also do home exercises so that we can see the progress.
03:57 After a few years of sessions, Zion's speaking is slowly returning.
04:02 Andrea is ready to wait and endure until her son's speech is back to normal.
04:07 Actually, we are also very happy because there is only a small difference.
04:12 It's important because we have a lot to say to our mom and dad.
04:15 Our journey is still long.
04:18 I am Dano Tincungco and that is the story you need to know.
04:21 [Music]
04:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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