Summer's Journey

I just returned from Yangon, Myanmar, a couple of weeks ago. That was my third trip this year, to conduct a series of training, for teachers, parents and other professionals (Physiotherapists, Principals, Psychologists, etc). It has been an awesome journey working with professionals who are so eager to learn, in Myanmar, where they have very limited Speech Therapy services. (There is only one practicing Speech Therapist in Yangon, Myanmar at the time of this writing.) Between my previous trip in May and my latest trip in August, I came to know that TalkToolsⓇ and ARK Therapeutic tools are now available in Myanmar. On one hand, I am very happy and excited about the availability. On the other hand, I am worried. There are two main considerations: Using OPT as an Only Approach to Speech Delay When I first started out as a Speech Therapist in 2008, Oral Placement Therapy (OPT; then known as Oral Motor Therapy) was a big thing in Singapore. Many parents bought the therapy tools in b...

Mingalabar! Just completed two runs of "Oral Motor Therapy" workshop with New Life Foundation and New World Therapeutic Center for Special Needs Children, in Yangon, Myanmar. Each workshop was two days and the participants were simply amazing! One of the funniest and most 'complimentary' moment for me was this... To introduce myself, I started the workshop with a few photos to tell the participants a little about myself. Below is one of the photos. It tells three things about me. From this photo, can you guess the three things about me? Quite a few could guess that (1) I work mainly with children and (2) I have nearly ten years of experience as a Speech Therapist. However, none could guess the third thing. I then gave them a clue that it has something to do with the paint on the hands. Some said "You have worked with all kinds of children, because of the many colours." (well, this is not untrue but yet not totally true. My main experience is i...

1 March 2017 marks a milestone for Summer's Therapy Services. We have a new Speech Thera pist joined us. *Yeah! More children can be served!* Let's have a chat with Magdeline to find out more... HT: Hi Mag, w elcome onboard Summer’s Therapy Services! Mag:   Thank you! I am really happy to be part of Summer’s Therapy Services and am looking forward to contribute towards providing quality therapy and support to the children and their families that we will work with. HT: So, tell us a little about yourself. Mag: I have been a Speech Therapist since 2015. Prior to joining Summer’s, I worked as a Speech Therapist at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Department of Child Development, working with children with developmental delays which had impacted their speech and language. I was formally working in the Real Estate industry after graduating from NUS,  but have always had a desire to work with children. Other than my Masters degree in Speech Pathology which I o...

Happy New Year to all! The year starts with good news! Summer's Therapy Services will be offering  VitalStim ®   Therapy   for children with dysphagia, that is, swallowing difficulties. Quoting from Djoglobal: http://www.djoglobal.com/vitalstim/patients/what-is-vitalstim "VitalStim® Therapy is a safe and effective treatment for patients suffering with difficulty swallowing or dysphagia. It was developed in response to the 15 million Americans living with dysphagia today. The VitalStim® Therapy System is a non-invasive, external electrical stimulation therapy cleared to market by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002 for the treatment of dysphagia with application on the anterior neck. VitalStim® Therapy is backed by comprehensive clinical data. The VitalStim® Therapy System is designed as an adjunct modality, meaning a clinician will apply VitalStim while simultaneously working with the patient on swallowing exercise. Used as an adjunct to traditional sw...

As the year come to an end, it is time for thanksgiving! Plentiful of Contacts I am thankful for the many clients referred by parents, ex-colleagues and friends. The referrals are affirmations that the work I do is not too bad. I am also thankful for connections to do work overseas so that my knowledge and experiences may be shared and more children can receive the support they need. Visiting New World Therapeutic Centre for Special Needs Children, Yangon, Myanmar. Best Reconnection I am thankful for reconnecting with a group of ex-colleagues from NUH, where I had worked as a therapist assistant in 2002. We have not met up since 2008? They are a reminder of how I started my journey as a Speech Therapist. I am thankful to them for being there during the crossroad of my life and hearing me out during our many lunches together. Their passion and love for the people they work with showed me what the profession is all about. I am not Alone I know I am not alone despite...

Last month, I was listening to the audiobook 'Just a Minute' by Wess Stafford. I am really excited to know that I have so many 'just a minute' moments everyday as I work with children. And Wess Stafford defines these moments as Divine Appointments. He said, "If God stands a child before you, for even just a minute, it is a divine appointment. You have the chance to launch a life if you will. You will never know when you are making a memory. With each child you encounter, you have the power, the opportunity to build up or sadly to tear down. A life can be literally launched with as little as a single word, an uplifting comment, a well-timed hug, a tender prayer, a compliment, the holding of a frightened hand or the gentle wiping of a tear. All in just a minute." As much as it is true that I have given the children many 'just a minute' moments, they have also returned the favour. And not to forget those moments their parents/caregivers hav...