Rayan Mashhal is 13 years old, one of the beautiful hearts at the White Hearts Center for Children with Down Syndrome. Once the Rayan family heard about WHC, they believed it would be a safe space for their daughter to grow up with her peers, since she had not been able to previously join any specialized institute.
At the beginning, Rayan had a series of assessments and tests to measure her abilities and skills, as well as to determine her intelligence age. It became clear that Rayan suffered from severe speech disorders, including a clear defect in expressive and receptive language, a lack of language vocabularies, and difficulty using correct vocabulary. The speech therapist developed an appropriate treatment plan to improve speech skills. The program lasted approximately 6 months and included three long-term goals: developing expressive language skills, developing receptive language, and strengthening speech muscles such as the tongue, cheeks, and jaw.
By the end of the treatment program, Rayan was able to speak more clearly, use vocabulary and produce sentences correctly.
It is worth noting that Rayan’s development and improvement came as a result of the integration of the services provided at White Hearts Center. What is provided in the speech therapy department is supported and applied in other classes and group psychological support sessions in which Rayan participated with the rest of the children. This holistic approach helped Rayan become more integrated and more willing to engage with the children with love. We should not forget the great role played by Rayan’s family, who were very supportive of her through regular visits to the center, follow ups on the improvement of Rayan’s various skills, and their great keenness to practice the acquired skills with family members.Become a part of Rayan’s story by donating directly to the efforts of White Hearts Center through our partners at SAMS (the Syrian American Medical Society). Donations are secure and tax-deductible, and help children like Rayan become more confident, independent, and secure.