The Story Behind Swise

The name Swise (睿橋) brings together two concepts: wisdom (睿 Rui) and bridge (橋 Qiao). To us, it symbolizes bridging communication gaps through expert, compassionate care. But on a deeper level, it’s a tribute to my niece, Qiao, whose personal hearing journey is the reason Swise exists today.

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Like many families we work with, our path through hearing rehabilitation was full of unexpected turns, fear, and uncertainty. But it ultimate shaped our purpose.

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​​​​​​​​​​​​A Diagnosis That Changed Everything

When Qiao was just one month old, she was diagnosed with bilateral severe-to-profound hearing loss.

Even though I had been practicing as a speech therapist for years, infant hearing impairment wasn't my specialty. Facing a case this young and severe within my own family, I felt as overwhelmed and terrified as any parent. 

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​​​​​​​​​​Finding a Lifeline in Auditory-Verbal Therapy

Determined to find answers, I turned to Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT)—a specialized approach I had studied in passing. I bought textbooks and spent countless nights researching.

 

The science was clear: a child’s brain has incredible plasticity before the age of three. If we could give Qiao early access to sound and pair it with a structured listening-and-spoken-language approach, we could actually help rewire her brain. We could give her a genuine chance to speak and communicate naturally.

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To give Qiao the absolute best support, I enrolled in a rigorous certification program. After four years of intense dedication, I earned my credentials as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS Cert. AVT). Looking back, that training was a complete blessing—it gave me the exact skills we needed for the complex journey ahead.

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Overcoming the Odds

Qiao was fitted with hearing aids at two months old, and our family poured everything into narrating her world every single day.​

Despite the severity of her loss, she made incredible progress with her residual hearing—saying her first "Mama" at nine months, and speaking in full sentences at age one. To help her hear high-frequency sounds more clearly, she underwent cochlear implant surgeries at 18 and 22 months old.

We thought we were finally out of the woods. But even after the surgeries, Qiao's speech remained unclear, and listening seemed to exhaust her.

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​​​​​​​​Desperate for answers, we flew to the United States for specialized mapping. There, we learned Qiao had Cochlear Nerve Deficiency—meaning her implants would never function "normally." It was a heavy diagnosis, but having the truth brought us peace. We stopped searching for a quick fix and poured all our energy back into targeted therapy.

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​​​​​​​​​​​​Today, Qiao has completely defied the odds. She is thriving in a mainstream primary school, excelling academically, and genuinely loves learning.

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Why Swise Exists

I founded Swise so that no family in Hong Kong ever has to cross oceans to find answers or access world-class care.​

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I want parents to have immediate, local access to Auditory-Verbal Therapy—the global gold standard for hearing rehabilitation—right when their child's brain development matters most.​

 

Every child deserves the chance to hear clearly, speak confidently, and step into a future filled with endless possibilities. We are here to walk that path with you.​​

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—— Theresa Wong

Founder ｜ Speech Therapist ｜ Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT)