A parent has praised a private-run school that caters for people living with disability, saying her daughter is gradually starting to communicate as well as write and differentiate colors and numbers after she got enrolled.

Uatifoti Tupuai Fatu, whose daughter attends the Loto Taumafai Society, told the Samoa Observer that since she enrolled her daughter in the school there has been a marked difference in her performance.

“Although I just got the letter yesterday I am very happy to be here. I think that Loto Taumafai has helped many children and especially the parents too with communication and understanding how our children can connect better with us,” she said. 

“My daughter speaks but not fluently so she uses both sign language and speech and this has given us a big opportunity to understand her better because of how big of an improvement she has made when she joined this school about four years ago.”

A few years ago Mrs Fatu’s daughter attended a normal school, where her mother said the teachers “let her do what she wanted” as they identified as a child with special-needs.

But that changed when she got enrolled at the Loto Taumafai Society.

“A few years ago, before Loto Taumafai, she had attended a normal school where teachers would let her do what she would want because they identified her as a special-needs individual.

“But now that I’ve brought her here we have seen improvement in her writing and her speech. 

“She now also knows the difference between her numbers and her colors. 

“Apart from the work that we do with her at home, the work done here by her teachers really reflects how well she has improved.”

Mrs Fatu hopes there will be more opportunities for her to fully learn sign language in the future so she can also be informed and be of help.

An end of second term show was held on Wednesday at Loto Taumafai Society and saw the presentation of various speeches including one by Chief Executive Officer Leta’a Daniel Devoe.

The program also included performances by children between 5 and 21 years of age who were split into dancing and singing groups as well as a whole student group vocal performance. 

Loto Taumafai Society as a non-governmental organisation was established in 1989 and continues to flourish with more equipment, more staff and more programs devoted to helping the community, individual families and children living with a disability.