Jefferson Awards

Charlene Sigman: Solving Kids' Speech Problems

(CBS 5) An East Bay woman is breaking the silence for hundreds of children with speech problems.

As Kate Kelly reports, this week's Jefferson Award winner has her own husband and kids involved in her passion for helping other families.

"He wasn't making any sounds, he wasn't talking … not any sounds, whatsoever.." Eric Jennings son, David, was just two years old when doctors diagnosed a developmental speech delay that makes it difficult to process and form words. "We were very upset and very anxious to figure out what we were going to do next."

Fortunately David's parents found Happy Talkers.and Charlene Sigman, founder of this full immersion speech and language program for children.

"I've always loved working with children," Sigman told CBS 5. "I got my bachelor's degree in dance so I worked a lot with children initially that were very severely impaired just doing movement therapy."

But it was a medical emergency that focused Charlene's work on speech therapy. "My mom was very ill and had a stroke and I got to see the therapy she was going through," said Sigman. "I realized that this was a wonderful field."

Sigman got her master's degree in education and communication disorders and launched Happy Talkers five years ago.

She started her unique program with just four children, working out of her Pleasanton home, but it grew quickly, as did word of her small miracles."

Soon Charlene's husband Mitch and their two children were literally living out of their bedroom, turning over the rest of their house to Happy Talkers.

The Sigmans eventually outgrew their house and last year leased this office space in Dublin, but already they are experiencing growing pains.

Today there's a staff of 23 and programs for 200 children a week. Funding comes from school districts, insurance, individual families--but no one is turned away because of lack of money.

And it's become a family affair. Mitch Sigman recently quit his job to work full time alongside his wife.

"When you see these families and you see these kids and you see what a difference Charlene is making," said Mitch, "you can't help but do everything you can to help her. It's been great."

"These kids need help," said Charlene, "when they come here not talking … parents in tears … it's hard to see a child that is not talking or not able to communicate or interact with their environment.

"We do our best to make it normal for them. When a parent comes to me and says, 'he did this,' they are so happy … that's what does it for me."

Parent Eric Jennings knows how much Charlene has helped his son, David. "We wouldn't know where we would be if we didn't find Charlene," said Jennings. "I mean, David … he's learned leaps and bounds, we don't know where we would be without her."

For helping families and children with disabilities and helping develop every child to his or her full potential, this week's Jefferson Award goes to Charlene Sigman.

For more on Happy Talkers, please visit http://www.happytalkers.com/

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