Fostering hope in the community of East Preston 

Ida, from East Preston, first heard about Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia (HSNS) when she brought her great-grandson, Zeondre, for a check-up visit with her family doctor. Zeondre was struggling to meet his speech and language milestones, communicating his needs with only a few words and gestures. Determined to seek help, Ida brought Zeondre to Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia for an assessment and then navigated the challenges of her demanding shift work schedule to ensure Zeondre attended his speech therapy appointments, facing numerous barriers along the way.

Then, Ida heard about HSNS clinicians providing support for caregivers and staff in Zeondre's daycare. She described how relieved it felt to make her first appointment and meet with a speech-language pathologist in Zeondre's familiar daycare environment. Ariane Tye provided Ida and the daycare staff with the right strategies to support his language during daily routines. It wasn't long before Zeondre started using new words and even combined two and three words to make simple sentences.

Using the new strategies Ida was learning, Zeondre's progress soon extended beyond language. Ida started noticing he was less upset when trying new foods. He began imitating songs, following her directions, and responding when she called his name. “The strategies we found helpful were things like giving Zeondre choices during breakfast and play time and modelling simple words when he requested through pointing,” she said.

Ida remembered the first time Zeondre asked her a question. She went into his room to get him ready for the day, and when he couldn't see her, he said "Why you hide?" She was overjoyed with his progress in a few short months.

Ida immediately started sharing the strategies she learned with other members of her family, so they could be part of this incredible journey. She is looking forward to her next session with Ariane to learn more, and she has even started encouraging others in her community to make an appointment with HSNS for their children.

As our interview came to a close, Ida finished by saying "We need this program in our community, so our children don't get left behind." She wanted to thank Ariane for teaching her how to help and shared how very hopeful she feels for Zeondre’s future.

Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia continues to adapt our services to meet the unique needs of each of our clients. For Ida, this meant bringing support directly to her community and providing her and her great-grandson's daycare staff with the strategies necessary for Zeondre to thrive. We are proud to have supported Zeondre, Ida, and the East Preston community.