A speech therapy center in Hong Kong is facing a public backlash after a video emerged showing an instructor who allegedly works there shouting at a sobbing young child.
Educator and YouTuber Miss OP on Sunday shared on her YouTube channel a clip in which she talked about the shocking “therapy” for the girl, who she said is younger than 3 years old.
In snippets of what appears to be a therapy session, the girl can be seen leaning against the wall of a room, walking around and turning around.
A woman, who Miss OP said is an instructor at the center, can be heard using a stern voice to tell the child to stand properly, not lean against the wall and not play with her dress.
In the next scene, the therapist raises her voice even more at the girl, shouting: “I told you to stand. I shouted five times. Where did you stand?”
Visibly shaken, the girl begins sobbing.
However, the instructor continues to shout at the girl.
“I’ll count to 10 and you stop crying. You suffer the consequences [of your acts]… You continue yelling,” she says before walking off and leaving the child in the room, seemingly alone.
Miss OP, who said she received the clip from someone she knows, said the incident has already been reported to the police.
“I’m so angry [after watching the clip]. I can’t sleep,” she added.
The YouTuber called the actions of the therapist a “serious crime”, adding the instructor should be the one getting therapy.
“Are you just throwing a tantrum because you can’t teach the child,” she asked.
Many netizens also expressed their anger in the comments section of Miss OP’s video.
“How can we have instructors like this,” one asked, adding that this was “no different from child abuse.”
“😡😡😡 We shouldn’t treat any child like this,” said another.
Some YouTube users alleged that the incident took place at Sincere Development Center in Tsim Sha Tsui.
According to its website, it is a speech therapy center, which was set up in 2021 and has served more than 200 children through “understanding and listening attentively to each child’s learning needs.”
In a statement posted to Facebook in the early hours of Tuesday, Sincere Development Center apologized for the incident, adding that it has terminated the employment of the therapist on Monday.
The center said it hired the therapist on May 11. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA) and has six years of relevant experience, it added.
The center also said it monitored her teaching for the first two classes, during which she showed that she was gentle and patient with the children.
It said the incident happened on May 24.
“It is a pity that [the therapist] did not want to cooperate with our communication with the parents,” said the center.
“She explained that she had sought professional advice from the Hong Kong Psychological Society and believed that her approach was appropriate.”
The center added that in the future, it aims to have two instructors in a class and will invite parents to sit in.
It also said it is willing to refund families that have signed up for its classes.
Editor’s note: The story has been updated to include Sincere Development Center’s statement and apology.
