For parents, the moment a child speaks their first words is a significant event. However, if speech is delayed, or if a child experiences difficulties with self-expression or understanding others, anxiety can quickly arise.
Speech therapist Wendyle Ntshali, with eleven years of experience, urges parents to seek early help as soon as they notice speech or language problems in their children. Her career has included work in hospitals, schools, clinics, private practice, and academic institutions. She explains her choice of profession by its multifaceted nature and the possibility of making a tangible contribution.
Ntshali notes: «Although I always knew my professional mission was related to healthcare, I chose speech therapy specifically because of its unparalleled versatility.»
A speech therapist does much more than just correct the proper pronunciation of sounds. This specialty includes assistance with disorders of speech, language, literacy, feeding, and swallowing. In children, this can mean support with articulation, managing stuttering, understanding instructions, expressing thoughts, as well as developing reading and writing skills. Specialists can also implement alternative communication methods for non-speaking children, including some children with autism.
According to Ntshali, early intervention is critically important because the first six years of a child's life are a key period for development. She emphasizes: «Since a child's brain is highly adaptable during the first six years of life, early identification of communication problems is crucial.»
Furthermore, she adds that oral speech «lays the foundation for the development of reading and writing skills,» making timely support vital for a child's educational path. The benefits can extend beyond the academic process. Children who struggle with communication may become frustrated when not understood, which can potentially affect their behavior, social interaction, and self-confidence.
«Ultimately, early intervention changes a child's trajectory, replacing struggle with the ability to learn, communicate, and thrive,» concludes Ntshali. One case that left a strong impression on her involved a young girl with physical and speech problems who was placed in a specialized school. After assessment, Ntshali decided that the child could successfully adapt in a regular setting. She organized a meeting involving the girl's family, a physiotherapist, a social worker, and school principals to support this transition. Teachers at the regular school were also trained to accommodate her speech needs. By the end of the semester, the girl demonstrated academic progress, which, according to her, proves that the right support can completely change a child's future.
Through the Bright Sprouts Academy, Ntshali aims to make early intervention more accessible to families in Pietermaritzburg and eventually in other areas of the province. Her advice to anxious parents is simple: trust your intuition. She insists: «We strongly oppose the 'wait and see' approach. It is much better to seek reassurance from a speech therapist and find out that intervention is not needed than to delay support.»