Gift of speech

"Before attending the class, I already knew it was important that my daughter listen and communicate with others, but I just didn't know how to do that without forcing her.

"The class makes it so natural for her to listen and speak."

Besides, Zhou adds, one of the advantages of AVT is making her the chief teacher to the girl, and that enables her to teach the child anywhere, anytime.

Within a few months, from pronouncing simple syllables, the girl gradually learned how to utter a word, then words, before forming sentences.

Most importantly, her willingness to communicate with others increased, Zhou says.

Now she is a star in singing and dancing in her class.

There are only 12 certified therapists in Jilin province.

"We need to increase the number of therapists in other cities and counties. There are so few AVT therapists in China," Chen Junlan, the therapist in Beijing, says.

Kenny Cheng, president of the Children's Hearing Foundation, says the gap between the number of therapists and number of children with hearing problems in China is still huge. Narrowing the disparity still has a long way to go.

In Taiwan, the society provides a great base to support the foundation's work, including good medical treatment, devoted volunteers and highly active parents, which the mainland lacks, Cheng adds.