Until recently, two-year-old twins Cyril and Constance Mapika could not say a single word, communicating with each other through their own language made up of different sounds that only they understood.
While other toddlers their age were starting to develop their vocabulary, mum Abigail Sibanda was becoming increasing worried about her son and daughter, who had developed their own language that no one else could decipher.
Due to their close relationship, the twins were able to interact with each other and understand the other’s thoughts and feelings through simple sounds and gestures.
However this meant that interaction with other children or adults became a difficult for them and an increasing frustration for their parents.
Abigail took the twins to a drop-in clinic run by BCHC's health visiting service at her local health centre where health visitor Satnam Lgah was able to support the family with some early intervention speech development techniques while they waited to see a speech and language specialist for an assessment.
Abigail said: “It has only been a few weeks since we first went to the health visitor service, but already we are starting to see a real improvement through applying the techniques that Satnam recommended.
“Their father and I were encouraged to read to them separately which they love and have started to recognise words in the books.
“It’s been a huge help so far and the twins are trying harder to say more words. Even their behaviour has improved and I now feel more in control.”
