PenguinSmart

10/20/2025

"Could online parent coaching really be more effective than having therapists coming to the home?" I was skeptical.
My twin boys are four years old, born 24 weeks premature with significant developmental delays. They can barely sit and are hooked up to medical devices 24/7. Most peds rehab clinics and centers reject us, so we've relied on in-home therapy sessions for all our rehabilitation needs.
On the speech-language front - since my boys don't have language yet and their physical abilities are very limited, honestly, there hasn't been much change in the past four years.

Five months ago, we started with PenguinSmart - I was blown away.

Unlike traditional speech therapy where the therapist works directly with the child, PenguinSmart's teacher sees my boys through my eyes—then teaches me how to truly observe them. Those fleeting movements and sounds I'd never noticed? The therapist helps me decode what they're trying to communicate.

I got specific guidance, like "When you want his attention, hold his arm firmly with your whole palm for a moment—give him deeper sensory input."
I tried it. Immediately—my child responded differently. Every adjustment brings new feedback!
My husband says my new motto is: "I gave birth to two geniuses!"

Now I love observing and interacting with them. Every class excites me because PenguinSmart starts from our real life, pointing out blind spots and opportunities I'd never noticed by myself. I leave energized, eager to try what we learned.

This exceeded every expectation.

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Samantha, mother of 4-yr-old twin boys with global developmental delays
Participant of the social impact initiative "Wings of Hope for the Slow Angels" mypenguinsmart.com/wingsofhope-tw

10/07/2025

You want to know what breaks me?
It's coming home after a day that's just wrung me dry, looking forward to finally have some time and space to myself. But I step into the house and see chaos - there are books. Everywhere. Scattered across the entire floor like a tornado had hit.
That's my son. Orange. He's seven. He has autism and doesn't speak. He loves books—but not the way you'd think. He would grab a book, flips a few pages, tosses it. Grabs another one. Tosses it. Another one. Until every single book is off the shelf and on the floor. He does it anywhere there is a bookshelf - at the library, at the bookstore. Anywhere.
And I'd lose it. I'd just start yelling at him, him would start melting down, and we'd both be crying. Every single day. I kept thinking: 'Why can't he just learn? It's so simple.'
Did we do interventions or therapy? Of course. I took him everywhere—countless appointments everywhere. But it always felt disconnected. Each session existed in isolation. We leave the classroom, and nothing would be different. Let's be real - the real battlefield is at home, and we were both losing.
Then we met PenguinSmart.
The therapist gave me strategies for home. She said: "You talk too much. Show him with gestures. Three words maximum. Then wait."
I thought she was crazy. How would he understand without explanation?
But I tried it. I waited. And he responded.
Turns out I was the one who didn't understand.
Small details became game-changers. When I changed, my son changed too.
Now when books are on the floor, I tap his shoulder and point. No words. He picks them up. Sometimes it takes longer, but it gets done.
Before, my detailed sorting instructions overwhelmed him—he'd throw everything in the trash. Now? He actually sorts them himself. Each book back to its right spot. Right category. Right place.
I finally have my evenings back, and he gets his peace back. Our home is no longer a battlefield but a place we can both breathe.
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Lisa, mom of a 7-yr-old boy w/ Autism. A family sponsored via the "Wings of Hope" Initiative. https://mypenguinsmart.com/wingsofhope-tw

09/26/2025

(2/2) The therapist also taught me how to read my son's signals—all those little movements and subtle sounds I had completely overlooked before actually had meaning. He was trying to tell me things all along. It turns out he wanted to make choices too, and he wanted to share what he liked with me. Through the communication board, I discovered he had his own preferences, things he wanted, and things he wanted to say. I'll never forget that moment when I first understood his choice—the light and joy that appeared in his eyes.

Five months later, just as he was starting elementary school, another miracle happened. This child who I thought would always need diapers can now be guided to use the toilet independently after just a few months of communication practice! No diapers needed at all! Now, almost 7 years old, he can start first grade with dignity and maturity. I'm so grateful.

For the first time as a mother, I feel like I can not only care for my child but actually teach him. I've also realized that my son has been trying to express himself all along.

My dear boy, I hear you now!❤️
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Sarah, mother of a 6.5-year-old boy with a rare disease (spinocerebellar ataxia,SCA)
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A family sponsored via "Wings of Hope for the Slow Angels" Initiative 202504 Batch. Learn about the initiative https://mypenguinsmart.com/wingsofhope-tw

09/26/2025

"For six and a half years, I thought I was just a caregiver. I dressed my son, prepared his meals, changed his diapers...He has a rare neurological disorder (spinocerebellar ataxia, SCA) and has never spoken a word. I thought this was just going to be our life.

The most challenging issue was toileting. He absolutely refused to relieve himself anywhere except at home, holding it in all day at preschool until he could finally go when we got back. Sometimes he couldn't hold it on the way home and his diaper would just overflow, soaking through all his clothes. I was so worried about his health, but I felt so helpless not knowing how to help him.

Then in April of this year, thanks to generous sponsors, I started my program at PenguinSmart. The speech therapist taught me how to make communication boards and how to have "conversations" with my son. At first, I was skeptical—could a child who had never expressed himself really communicate? But I decided to give it a try.

To my amazement, our lives began to change. I started using the communication boards in our daily routine under the therapist's guidance. Instead of just preparing everything for him like I used to, I learned to let him express his needs and make choices through the communication board first. After some trial and error and lots of practice, we discovered something incredible—he started wanting to communicate on his own! This was behavior I had never seen in six and a half years. I could hardly believe it. (1/2)
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mypenguinsmart.com/wingsofhope-tw

09/24/2025

PenguinSmart has had the honor to support special needs families with high risks in Taiwan through our social impact project "Wings of Hope for the Slow Angels"
Here is a story from one of the families -a family of a boy with rare neurological disease. We are honored to be the support and guidance they need to see critical change and transformation that brings about HOPE

🪽"Wings of Hope" Sponsorship Project for the underprivileged special needs families in TW:
https://mypenguinsmart.com/wingsofhope-tw

六年半了，我一直以為自己只是個照顧者。
給兒子添衣服、準備食物、換尿布⋯⋯他患有脊髓小腦退化協調障礙，從來不開口說話。我以為，這就是我們的生活了。

最困擾的是上廁所問題。他死活不願意在家以外的地方解尿，每天憋到回家才一次大量解放。有時在校車上憋不住，尿布承受不了，衣褲全濕透。我很擔心他的身體，卻完全不知道該怎麼辦。
直到今年四月，我開始參加啟兒寶的課程。語言老師教我製作溝通板，教我怎麼和兒子『對話』。一開始我很懷疑——一個從來不表達的孩子，真的能溝通嗎？但我還是照做了。

沒想到，生活竟開始改變了。我開始在治療師指導下於日常生活中使用溝通板。以前習慣直接給孩子準備好一切，現在我學會給予之前，會先讓他透過溝通板表達需求和選擇。摸索了一陣子，經過數次練習後，我們發現——他開始主動想要溝通！這是六年半來從未出現過的行為，我簡直不敢相信。
老師也教我解讀兒子的訊號——那些我以前完全忽略的小動作、細微聲音，原來都有意義，都是他在試著告訴我什麼。原來他也想做選擇，也想向我表達自己喜歡什麼。透過溝通板，我發現他有自己的偏好，有想要的東西，有話想說。我永遠記得我第一次懂了他的選擇的那瞬間，他眼神中出現了的光芒與喜悅。

五個月後，在進入小學之際，另一個奇蹟發生了。我以為會一直包著尿布的這個孩子，在幾個月的溝通練習後，現在可以直接引導他在馬桶解尿了！完全不需要尿布！即將7歲的他可以帶著尊嚴與成熟，開始小學一年級的新生活，我很感恩。

成為媽媽的6年半以來，我第一次感覺自己可以不僅‘養’更可以‘教’自己的孩子，也發現我的孩子一直以來都在努力表達自己。親愛的，我聽見你了！
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晨媽咪/六歲半男童/患有脊隨小腦退化協調障礙
參與慢飛天使雲推手公益專案202504期
👉官方LINE@ 了解更多 https://lin.ee/x1MdZt3r
✍️申請贊助： https://tcn.mypenguinsmart.com/support-signup
💝一起支持更多的慢飛天使: https://tcn.mypenguinsmart.com/tw-support

09/22/2025

🎉 HUGE NEWS! PenguinSmart is now on FL Step-Up marketplace! 🎉
Our family-centered speech support programs are now FULLY COVERED by Florida's Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities - no out-of-pocket costs for qualifying families!
🐧 Schedule a free consultation with our program specialist see which would be most suitable for you!
✨ What this means: personalized speech therapy, family-centered approach, flexible scheduling, and evidence-based interventions tailored to your child's unique needs. We're here to guide you through the FES-UA process!
💙 Every child deserves the gift of communication - let's make it happen together!

👉 SCHEDULE HERE https://course.mypenguinsmart.com/svl 🫶

09/12/2025

"FAQs | EP7-"Are PenguinSmart's services available in my language?”
Do you know which languages ​​PenguinSmart offers? Is my language available?

If you have any questions, please message us!

For more information please visit our website: https://www.mypenguinsmart.com/

09/10/2025

"FAQs | EP5-"What kind of device is required to use PenguinSmart services?"
Do you know? Now you only need a device that can connect to the Internet to use PenguinSmart's services.
It can be used easily no matter where people are.

If you have any questions, please message us!

For more information please visit our website: https://www.mypenguinsmart.com/

09/05/2025

"FAQs | EP4-"What diagnosis & conditions can PenguinSmart work with?”
Did you know there are 1/6 of children have developmental issues? PenguinSmart offers an online therapy support service that enables families to directly get involved in their loved one’s rehab.
Let’s see how we do during the process.

If you have any questions, please message us!

For more information please visit our website: https://www.mypenguinsmart.com/

09/03/2025

"How old does my child have to be to use PenguinSmart?”Early intervention means before 6 years old is the most effective time for an intervention! But is too late after six years old? The answer is NO! Our program is adaptable and we can help you out! Message us to see if you can still benefit from our globally renown intelligent parent-coaching solutions! For more information, please visit our website: https://www.mypenguinsmart.com/faq

08/11/2025

Today, on International Youth Day, PenguinSmart celebrates the creativity, resilience, and joy of neurodiverse youth! 🧩💡
Every youth deserves to be seen for their strengths, not just their challenges. With the right tools and support, they can express themselves, connect, and thrive in their unique way.

PenguinSmart family, let’s prepare our loved ones to shine for the world.🌟Find our more of our stories at mypenguinsmart.com/testimonials

08/06/2025

Who knew playtime could change everything? 🎈

Alice discovered the power of playful connection — and her son began communicating in ways she never imagined. 💬✨
At PenguinSmart, we believe that with the right support, parents can unlock the door for their child to discover the joy of connection.
💛 Want to hear more stories like Alice’s?
👉 Read real parent experiences here: mypenguinsmart.com/testimonials