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May, 2006
Hogar Casa Alegria
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Katherin is a 3-year-old little girl who lives at
the Casa Hogar Orphanage in Guatemala City. When we
first met her, she was sitting in a stroller with
cardboard make shift braces on both arms that would
not allow her to bend her arms. She had obvious
signs of a sinus and mouth infection. We were told
that she had recently endured a second surgery for a
cleft lip. The staff asked if we would feed her.
Initially, Katherin cried. We thought she cried
because she was hungry but soon realized she cried
because of a lack of socialization. She was afraid.
With gloves on, a cup of liquid in hand and a
syringe, we began to feed Katherin. Throughout the
process, we talked to her and sang. Halfway through
the meal she stopped crying and began to respond. We
opened our mouths and she opened hers. We looked to
the right and she looked to the right. Before long,
we were playing a game of imitation and within time,
we received a smile in return to ours. Children who
are isolated from stimulation in institutions often
display many of the same symptoms as children with
autism; therefore, the treatment is the same.
After lunch, we reached down to pick her up, but she
pulled away and started to cry again. It was clear
that she was not accustomed to being touched and
held. With that in mind, we got some lotion and
began to massage her little legs and tiny hands. She
resisted at first but began to relax and enjoy the
massage. Next we read books together, and it was
amazing to see her eyes light up as she looked at
the pictures and even began to point and touch to
the things in the book. We all watched in awe as her
frightened little face relaxed and came to life.
This time when we reached down to pick her up she
allowed it. We sat out in the open corridor reading
more books and playing song games. As other children
began waking up from their naps, they joined us for
some group time of reading and singing. Katherin sat
there taking it all in. Within time, she fell asleep
while we held her. Now that we gained her
confidence, we were able to push her further and
teach her some basic communication skills: how to
request by pointing, nod her head yes or no and
begin to teach her to verbally imitate some sounds.
Katherin was a sponge trying to learn new skills!
We left the first day feeling we had seen the full
affect of our program in Guatemala City. Within only
a few hours of group interaction, singing, visual
and tactile stimulation, Katherin’s barrier had been
broken down to allow a little girl to open up and
learn. Katherin did not spend the next day sitting
in a stroller in the infant room. Rather she spent
the day taking part in group activities and
interacting with other children. The staff and nuns
at the orphanage saw the affects of our program and
the importance of appropriate socialization and
stimulation for all children. We feel confident with
each returning trip we will continue to see positive
results from our program in Guatemala City.
Thank
you to everyone who has helped us create and
maintain this program at Hogar Casa Alegria! It is
truly a success!
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