A Story From Nicaragua

During spring break, we had the incredible opportunity to return to Nicaragua with a new team of dedicated UAMS students and a speech therapist. Our partner organization had expressed a deep need for this kind of specialized support, and it was a privilege to meet that need in such a meaningful way. 

One of the UAMS students shared, “They do so much with so little here. It really changes how you see the world.”

Another experience came from our speech therapist:

“A family came to the center seeking help with their son’s language development. He was non-vocal and showed no signs of joint attention. When he first walked into the room, he didn’t engage with anyone, just quietly played with the toys on his own.

So, we began a simple game: building a tower out of blocks. Each time we added a block, I signed ‘más’ (more), encouraging him to do the same. As the tower grew, I’d pretend to knock it over with a dramatic crash. The second time we played, something shifted. He signed ‘más’ on his own. Then he looked at me—not past me, at me.”