SUCCESS STORIES

Even if your child is not special needs, Sign Language is an awesome way to get stubborn talkers to communicate, I know, I have a grandson who is perfectly normal developing, who refused to talk, so we worked on Sign Language and after a couple of months he is starting to use appropriate words. Yeah for Sign Language!  (Grandmother - KZN)

My daughter started using Sign Language at 9 months.  She is now five years old and speaks 6 to 9 word sentences! I believe that Sign Language had a lot to do with that! (Mother - KZN)

I can truly say it is the course that I have benefited the most from and it was such an amazing practical experience.  I had such a headache on Saturday night because all could do was try to sign everything I saw, heard on the radio and my families conversations (which was cute in the beginning but I think they became irritated after a while... oops).  I have even managed to use it with my 2 paediatric profoundly deaf clients that I saw today for verification.  I strongly recommend your course to any educator as well as to anyone who would like to become a better "communicator".  I loved it and want to thank you for being so positive and motivational.  The course completely exceeded my expectations and will be referring on as many educators and therapists to you as I possibly can.  Carry on the amazing course and I wish you only the best for Tiny Handz's future!!!

(Peta Shakespeare Hoge (SLT/A), Lecturer - Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Limpopo)

I really learned allot during the Tiny Handz course. In one therapy session I could teach my kids 10 colour signs and they still remember the signs today. Yeah! I was also wondering - when is the next course going to be? Please keep a space for me! Love signing! (Speech Therapist, Cape Town)

Monita, ons het jou aanbieding baie geniet.  Jy is 'n uitstekende leermeester en behalwe vir dit wat ons daar geleer het, is jy ook baie bemoedigend.  Die kursus was dus nie net leersaam nie, maar ook motiverend.  Ons het sommer nou weer nuwe moed gekry met ons kleinkind. Hou aan met jou goeie werk en mag die Here jou seën waar jy ook al gaan! (Ouma, Uitenhage)

Baie dankie vir die heerlike "workshop" Saterdag. Dit was lekker om so saam in 'n groep te leer en nie net die "signs" uit 'n boek te probeer leer nie. Ek sukkel al lank om die alfabet te leer, maar met al jou assosiasies (ook met ander woorde), maak dit dit baie makliker. Ek sien uit na die gevorderde kursus volgende jaar. Jy gaan nog groot hoogtes bereik. (Onderwyser, Skool in Pretoria)

Ek was aanvanklik skrikkerig om gebare met my baba te gebruik, maar is vandag SO dankbaar dat ek my nie gesteur het aan ander se opinies nie. Ek het begin gebare gebruik met my dogtertjie Liana op 6-maande en sy het al op 8 maande begin terug 'sign' en dit was so ongelooflik! Dis wonderlik om te weet wat in haar klein koppie aangaan en vir haar om vir my te kan sê wat sy graag wil hê. Daar is soveel minder frustrasie! Dankie Tiny Handz! (Mamma - Oos Londen)

Ek wil sommer dankie sê vir die lekker kursus van die naweek.  Ek het vreeslik baie geleer en het die hele Saterdagaand my familie besig gehou met al my tekens. Ek weet sommer ons gaan dit met vrug toepas in ons skool. (Onderwyser, JHB)

That was a great course for 2010 and I am going to spread my skills. Surely I will come with my friends for next year - they are impressed. I was touched by your personal experience but we can do all things possible through Jesus Christ who strengthens us, who gives us wisdom to handle our challenges. (Occupational Therapist, Pretoria)

Wil net sê dat almal van ons skool die training BAIE geniet het!  Jy het dit so goed aangebied & veral die assosiasies wat jy saam met die gebare gegee het wat die onthou-werk makliker maak,  was BAIE waardevol! (Onderwyser, Pretoria)

I would also like to thank you for the superb course on Saturday. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to any parent or health professional working with babies, hearing impaired children or any learners with special needs. It was nice to hear how you started the course, and although the story itself was very sad, I do believe that many people will benefit from what you have developed as a result of your experience. Thank you for all that you are doing! Please let me know when the advanced course is because I would love to attend. (Speech & Language Therapist, JHB)

Thank you once again for providing a truly wonderful course! As I often come in to contact with individuals who are Deaf and communicate through Sign Language, your course was a great way for me to refresh my limited Sign Language that I had learnt during my first year at university. On the following Monday it just so happened that I had an adult patient who came to see me who could only communicate through Sign Language. Having just been trained I felt that I was more confident in my ability to communicate with the patient and more fluent in trying to convey my messages as well as understand what he was saying. Additionally two of my colleagues from the OT-department had been on your training 2 weeks earlier. I then went to fetch them to provide them an opportunity to practise their Sign Language with a signer. This was very successful, he was wonderful in assisting us with words we had forgotten and words we did not know. What a wider world this opens! :) (Speech/Language and Audiologist Therapist, JHB)

Monita baie dankie weer  vir n wonderlike aanbieding van Tiny Handz. Dit was my eerste formele kursus in gebaretaal en ek is sooo geïnspireer.  My klas het sommer dadelik begin gebaar en een outjie wat nog net drie maande oor het op skool, het skielik begin belangstel. Hy is mal oor die gebaar vir "skaap". Ek wens ek het die kursus vroeër gedoen.  Mag die Here jou bediening en jou seuntjie ryklik seën.  (Onderwyser, JHB)

Ek wil jou net weereens bedank vir die interessante kursus gister.  Ek het dit baie geniet en kan nie wag om ander daaraan bloot te stel nie.  Ek "oefen" tans op my man en hy gebruik ook al n paar van die 'signs' wat ek aan hom gewys het.  Dit is baie pret!  (Psigometris, Piet Retief)

It was a pleasure meeting you, and a delight to attend your course!! I can't wait to introduce signs to my kids in therapy. Thank you for an enjoyable experience and for being so open and sharing so much of your life with us. (Speech Language Therapist - Durban)

My 13-month old baby is signing when he is hungry, showing his favourite toys and even signing when we go out to the park and he sees a butterfly, a tree etc. This is so great! I am so glad we started this early communication! (Mommy - Durban)

Thank you so much for the training on Saturday. Thank you so much for your inspirational testimony - it resonated with me not only as a therapist but as a Christian working with families that often need to know that miracles and improvements do happen. I think that it is so courageous and honest of you to give your testimony at every course. I also really enjoyed being taught by a 'mom' for  change - I find that I learn so much from the moms that I work with so it just seems so fitting for you to share your experience and knowledge with therapists, other moms and teachers. I enjoyed the course! (Speech Language Therapist / Audiologist - Durban)

Monita, ek weet nie hoe om dit uit my gestel te kry nie, maar Saterdag se werkswinkel het so 'n reuse indruk op my gemaak dat ek net weer vir jou baie dankie moet sê vir die heerlike ontspanne praktiese wyse waarop jy dit aanbied het,  ek was regtig swaarmoedig Saterdagoggend toe ek die 'handout' sien en ek was redelik swartgallig aangesien dit, hoewel pragtig en kleurvol, totaal Grieks vir my was.  Nou is my familie, kollegas en vriende  werklik keelvol vir my, want nou wil ek almal leer. Nogmaals baie dankie en baie voorspoed vir jou vorentoe, ek is beslis by die opvolg opleiding!!!!!!!!!  (Maatskaplike Werker - Vredendal)

Net om baie dankie te sê vir 'n baie insiggewende en genotvolle werkswinkel. My colleague and I have been practicing on each other but realized that we have lost half of the information ........ Yet we are still able to remember a surprising amount. Thank you for opening the window on sign language for us so that we can see the tremendous possibilities it has. Nogmaals baie dankie. Ons sien uit na die volgende werkswinkel (Arbeidsterapeut, Kaapstad)

Die Tiny Handz kursus was regtig vir my 'n wonderlike ervaring en ek het elke oomblik terdeë geniet. Ek probeer hard om die gebare te onthou en te oefen. Jou aanbieding was besonders en jou getuienis oor jou spesiale kind het my hart aangeraak. Jy is voorwaar 'n spesiale mens. Ek hoop ek kan jou seun een of ander tyd ontmoet. Laat weet asb wanneer die volgende kursus is. (SNAP Onderwyser, Bloemfontein)

Ek het verlede Desember uitgevind my seuntjie het 'n erge gehoorverlies. Hy is drie jaar oud. Ek het jou "self training kit" gekoop. Ek het vir hom 'n paar gebare geleer, net sodat ons oor die weg kon kom. Louwtjie het die 20ste Julie 2010 'n kogleêre inplanting gekry en kry vroeg in die nuwe jaar sy 2de inplanting. Dit gaan baie goed met hom en hy vorder pragtig, sy gehoor is nou op die vlak van 'n eenjarige net na 3mnde se aanskakeling! Meeste van die gebare het ook intussen weggeval soos hy leer hy kan nou hoor. Die wat egter nog gebly het is die "Ek is lief vir jou", "broodjie", "tee" - wat hy natuurlik vir koffie gebruik, "melk", "dankie" en so. As dit nie vir die tekens was nie het ek ook al lankal moord gepleeg, dit het net die kommunikasie vir ons in die huis makliker gemaak, totdat ons 'n beter oplossing vir hom kon kry. Ek sal dit vir enige iemand aanbeveel en boonop wil jy die kleingoed opvreet, want hulle lyk so oulik as hulle die tekens met die ou lekker "vet" baba handjies maak. Baie, baie dankie vir 'n puik produk en dit is boonop nog so maklik om te gebruik ook. (Mamma - Kroonstad)

I bought a Self Training Kit about 10 months ago. I tried really hard to sign and my baby is now 16-months old and all of a sudden he is getting it! For the food sign he almost shoves his whole hand in his mouth and makes mmm mmm sounds and last night I said we must go brush his teeth and he started mimicking teeth brushing. So as they say, never give up, it will sink in someday. For some a bit faster but NEVER GIVE UP! (Mommy - Hermanus)

Ek wil jou net vertel hoe awesome Tiny Handz werk op my Downs Sindrome pasiënt!  Dis regtig amazing om te sien hoe vinnig hy die 'signs' aanleer en sommer spontaan begin gebruik om te versoek vir voorwerpe of aksies!!  En dit van 'n kind wat nooit die behoefte gehad het om te kommunikeer met enigiemand nie.  Hy het nooit oogkontak gemaak of iets versoek van enigiemand af nie.  Deesdae vra hy spontaan vir koeldrank en brood.  Ons wys vir hom 2 of 3 keer 'n 'sign' (bv. vark of koei) en hy boots ons na en hy kan die 'signs' onthou van die vorige terapiesessie af!   Ek wil maar eintlik net dankie sê! :)  (Spraakterapeut - Piet Retief)

I received my Tiny Handz toolkit yesterday. I am very impressed on how easy and quick it is to use the material. Thank you so much! I am sure we will have a lot of fun. (Mother - Gansbaai)