A small step to a big speech
At the beginning of the “Protecting vulnerable children of Ukraine and their mental health” project, six-year-old Dmytro (the child’s name has been changed for ethical reasons) could not pronounce several basic sounds – “K”, “R”, “L”. Despite all the difficulties, the mother believed that this was not a sentence, and looked for opportunities for the child’s development. Finding a speech therapist or psychologist in a front-line city is extremely difficult. That is why participation in the program was an important step for the family.
Support that evolves into growth
Thanks to the family’s participation in the project, Dmytro began to work with a speech therapist and psychologist. In the first four weeks, the sound “K” appeared, and then other sounds that the boy had not previously been able to pronounce were gradually added. The learning process delights him, he happily goes to classes, which is the key to successful correction.
The psychologist helps the child overcome emotional stress, and the speech therapist helps him improve his pronunciation. The mother sees progress:
“My child is changing. He is interested, he is trying, and it is yielding results. Thank you very much to everyone involved in the project. I wish you to scale up and have even more inspiration.”
Why this story is important
The support that Dmytro received is not just about sounds. It is about a new stage of life, in which there is growth and faith. Every child deserves the opportunity to speak confidently.
This story is just one example of how timely help not only change individual sounds, but also the life of the child and his family.
The project “Protecting vulnerable children of Ukraine and their mental health” is implemented by SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine with funding from NORAD and implemented by the CodeIT4Life Foundation.
