Riley's Story - Hear and Say

From dancing, craft and swimming, to attending kindy four days each week, three-year-old Riley has plenty of things to keep her busy.

Born with hearing loss in both ears, Riley’s family moved to Australia from Namibia early last year and joined Hear and Say soon after. Riley comes in each week with her mum, Vicky, for listening and spoken language therapy lessons, as well as the LEAP Group Social Skills program.

“We are very proud of how Riley is making wonderful progress in her speech, language and listening development – she is using phrases and short sentences to communicate with her family, friends and teachers,” said Vicky.

Vicky reflected on the importance of being connected to the world through sound.

“It affects every aspect of Riley’s daily life. By giving her better access to sound, she can grow, develop and reach her fullest potential,” said Vicky.

“We also want her to grow up and be able to enjoy what the world has to offer via sound, and while we initially felt confused and worried for Riley’s future, we are now so grateful for the support we have received to date and have at our disposal every day.”