YWCA Jockey Club “Speech Up” is a support initiative for young children with speech impairment, offering targeted assistance to families with children aged 1-6 in New Territories West. It aims to help those in need of speech development interventions while they await government services. A multi-disciplinary team - comprising social workers, speech therapists, special childcare workers, and child ambassadors - delivers a 10-month intensive programme. It includes speech training for children, contextual teaching workshops for parents and parent-child activities. These components empower parents to act as “round-the-clock therapists”, leveraging daily scenarios to foster communication and bridge service gaps during the waiting period.

At the heart of the project lies the “Home-Based Contextual Teaching Strategy”, which transcends the constraints of time and space in conventional training. Parents are encouraged to incorporate learning into everyday moments – such as mealtimes, play and commutes – to support their children’s expressive development. For instance, Ching-Yu’s mother often asks open-ended questions like “How does the food taste?” to spark vocabulary growth and reinforce expressive ability. This “life-as-curriculum” approach transforms parents from passive participants into proactive educators, significantly boosting both the frequency and effectiveness of language-building activities. 

Tsz-Yu’s mother also shared, “I used to speak hastily and focus solely on efficiency; now I’ve learned to slow down and adjust how I respond.” As a result, Tsz-Yu has progressed from using single words to speaking in full sentences.

YWCA recently collaborated with The Education University of Hong Kong to assess the impact of the project. The study revealed that, prior to the intervention, fewer than half of participating children met age-appropriate benchmarks in speech development. After joining the programme, over 80% exhibited enhanced speech abilities, and 50% reached levels consistent with their chronological age. These findings demonstrate the project’s effectiveness in providing timely speech support during the government-service waiting period, enabling children to make the most of the critical window for language acquisition.

Ching-Yu’s progress has been remarkable. Initially diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and demonstrating language abilities equivalent to an 18-month-old, she now constructs full sentences like “I want lemon tea” and actively engages in social interactions. Even more encouraging is the ripple effect: her speech development has also contributed to better emotional regulation and self-care skills. As her mother shared, “She now follows daily routines, which has eased my caregiving burden.”

Incorporating positive education principles, the project enhances the quality of parent-child communication. Research indicates that participating parents experienced a significant boost in parenting confidence, creating a positive cycle: increased child responsiveness → positive parental feedback → stronger family bonds. The Association hopes this model will help maximise the benefits of early intervention and promote overall family wellness.

Application eligibility
The project is now open to applications from:

• Children aged 1-6 and their families
• Residing in New Territories West (Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai)
• Household income ≤ 75% of the monthly median income
• Suspected or diagnosed speech delay/disorder
• Not receiving government-funded preschool rehabilitation services (excludes Tier-1 Support and Waiting List Services)

Apply here

Contact
YWCA Jockey Club "Speech Up" Project
Address: YWCA Tin Shui Wai Family Wellness Centre, Unit 501, 5/F, Tin Ching Amenity and Community Building, Tin Ching Estate, Tin Shui Wai, N.T.
Tel：3907 0491
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ywca.jces/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ywca.jces/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ywca_jces

Related coverage:
2025-06-20 "Yahoo親子"「賽馬會『言晴』幼兒家庭支援計劃 以居家情境作教材 家長化身治療師提升孩子言語能力」