Parrots teach children to practice speaking

The South American parrot Barney has brought to the Hargreaves family in Blackburn city (UK) the amazing miracle: its verbal mouth has helped 4-year-old Dylan - who can't speak because of autism - may babble for the first few hours.

4 years old, Dylan Hargreaves still can't pronounce a word to his family and even the boy himself tried his best. All he could do was cry out in a puzzled voice and spit out.

Michelle's mother, 33, said: 'We bought Barney parrots to be friends with Dylan. Unexpectedly, only a few months later, Dylan began babbling for the first few hours, though it sounded strange but I still understood what he meant. I think that because the parrot speaks more slowly, Dylan can understand and imitate it. '

So far, the unfortunate boy has firmly spoken simple words like 'Evening', 'Dad', 'Mother', 'Hello', 'Goodbye'.

Dr. Hazel Roddham of Lancashire University - a speech language researcher - has confirmed the value of learning to say ' parody in parrot '. 'Children will learn very quickly if they enjoy it. Barney parrots not only elicited Dylan's attention but also said several words at a slow pace, making it easier for him to learn. '

Barley and the Hargreaves mother and daughter. (Photo: The Sun).

HM