Therapies
Occupational Therapy
Tayla Thorpe is the Centre's full-time occupational therapist. As an involved member of the team, she works throughout the Centre, and is able to provide valuable input into all learners’ programmes. She is involved in the various class settings in the Centre, both with the planning and execution of gross and fine motor skills strengthening activities as well as with assisting to provide strategies to enhance a learner’s ability to learn and perform optimally in the classroom setting. As well as ensuring occupational therapy targets are integrated into the learners programmes, she also completes individual sessions for those who have chosen to do individual occupational therapy session. Sessions typically target areas such as sensory modulation, sensory processing, sensory motor skill development, perceptual motor skill development, as well as gross motor and fine motor skill development.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy sessions are available at the Centre with our consultant speech and language therapist, Arlene Bloch. Arlene obtained a BA in speech and hearing therapy from the University of Witwatersrand in 1990, followed by a BA (Hons) in Psychology from UNISA. Arlene is a private practitioner with a special interest in developmental speech and language and has consulted at the Centre since 2010. During sessions, Arlene uses a comprehensive approach to enhancing a child's functional communication skills. She is also involved in the screening, identification, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of any areas impacting a child’s maximal developmental, social and educational progress. Areas focused on during speech and language therapy sessions may include; articulation, receptive and expressive language development, fluency/stuttering, as well as auditory processing skills. Therapy aims to foster better language skills, to improve the flow and rhythm of speech, to build the learner’s confidence, and to enhance both learning in school and interacting in everyday life. Arlene acts as a valuable team member by providing input into learners' programmes, as well as implementing individual speech and language sessions when requested.
Physiotherapy
Jenny Lange is a neuro-developmental physiotherapist with a special interest in treating children with neurodevelopmental difficulties. She qualified at the University of Cape Town in 2000 and has since gained significant experience in both the private and government sectors, working with children with a range of neurodiverse conditions. She has been consulting at
the Centre since 2016. Physiotherapists work with children to improve gross motor skills that may be lacking or weak. Physiotherapy assessments work to look at how children perform their movements, identify their strengths and weaknesses and work out how to build on the skills that they have, while supporting their underlying weaknesses. Jenny provides specific support into learners’ programmes when needed and provides onsite individual physiotherapy sessions for those choosing to be enrolled in individual therapy sessions. Jenny's sessions are
carried out in a play-based fashion, aiming to encourage learners to try things that are really hard for them without them realising it, in fun and interactive ways.
Music Therapy
Mari Stevens is a registered music therapist. She completed her BMus (Hons) at Stellenbosch in 2009 followed by her masters in music therapy at the University of Pretoria in 2013 and a post-graduate diploma in Paediatric Palliative Medicine at UCT in 2023. Music therapy is a clinical intervention which uses music in a variety of ways to help address individual behavioural, social, psychological, communicative, physical, sensorimotor, and/or cognitive needs and functioning. This type of therapy is particularly helpful for children with ASD or developmental delays, as music is motivating and enjoyable, and can promote relatedness, relaxation, learning, and self-expression. It helps with appropriate emotional expression, non-verbal communication, and the development of speech, language and social skills. Music therapy also focuses on an individual’s strengths, which in turn can increase their self-esteem and confidence. Mari has a private practice and has extensive experience in the field of paediatric special needs, psychiatry, complex trauma and specialist paediatric palliative care. She has been consulting at the Centre since 2021. She carries out individual sessions with learners at the Centre on referral through the Centre team or at the request of a learner’s carers.
