Another heart-warming story of courage, commitment and achievement in our Sunshine Superstars series. Today, we celebrate little Miandabu and her teacher, Flora. Miandabu Kabangu was born with hydrocephalus – (from Greek hydro, meaning “water”, and kephalos, meaning “head”) a rare medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the …

The Loving Spoonful Read More »

The world is filled with stories – many of them negative. We’re focusing on the positive and doing our bit to dispel negativity by celebrating the success stories of our children and our staff. They are our everyday inspiration and we are immensely proud of them! In April 2011 Siphokazi Kwinana began working as a …

Meet Siphokazi, this month’s Sunshine Superstar Read More »

Infants don’t often develop full control of swallowing and the muscles of the mouth until they are between 18 and 24 months old, so drooling is normal in the first two years of life. Babies might also drool when they’re teething. Drooling is part of normal development in almost all children, however not every child …

Drooling – what to do when it doesn’t stop Read More »

Although the cause is often unknown, most scientists believe clefts are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Another potential cause is medication a mother may have taken during her pregnancy. Some drugs may cause the conditions, among them: anti- seizure/ anticonvulsant drugs, acne drugs containing Accutane, and Methotrexate, a drug commonly used …

Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate – The Facts Read More »

If you thought that incontinence was something that only the elderly suffer from, think again. Urinary incontinence, often caused by an overactive bladder, is a condition that also affects children often causing embarrassment and tears. Read on to arm yourself with information on the causes and treatment of overactive bladder: What Are the Signs of …

Overactive Bladder in Children – When they’ve got to go, and go, and go… Read More »

Early Intervention programmes enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, minimise potential developmental delay, and reduce educational costs to our society by minimising the need for special education services when children with disabilities reach school age. Why Intervene Early? Decades of rigorous research show that children’s earliest experiences play a critical role in …

Don’t Be Late With Early Intervention Read More »

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis, it’s because the brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. Although not all the signs listed below …

Helping Children with Apraxia of Speech Read More »

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, these tips may give you some ideas to try – but remember to be consistent before you say, ‘this doesn’t work for me. Keep a journal Keeping a journal and recording incidents can help you to look back and see if there are any patterns or contributing factors. It …

Special Needs Parenting: 12 Tips for Managing Challenging Behavior Read More »

All children have worries and doubts. But kids with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often can’t stop worrying, no matter how much they want to. These worries frequently compel them to behave in certain ways over and over again. OCD in kids is usually diagnosed between the ages of 7 and 12. Since these are the years …

Just a Habit or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? Read More »

Admit it – you love your children beyond measure, but there are times when you find being a mom the hardest thing you’ve ever done. When you have your first child, you are overwhelmed by the miracle of birth, by this tiny, perfect human being you have helped bring into the world. But you soon …

Cut Moms Some Slack Read More »

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is the term used to describe various methods of communication that can ‘add-on’ to speech and help to get around problems with ordinary speech. We all use some form of AAC in our everyday life – waving goodbye or giving a thumbs up for example – however, some people with …

The Right to Communicate Read More »