Episode 17: Homework & Home Programs Made Easier
It has been a long break between podcasts this time, but we hope you think it's worth it This week Lisa and I are talking about how to navigate the hectic pace and demands of life with the added burden of homework and home programs. We're all too familiar with how...

Episode 16: Kicking Goals For Learning
One question our guest Kaye Dixon is often asked at parties is "Should I be worried that my child can't kick a ball?". The reason they ask her that question is that Kaye has worked for decades in the area of developmental physiotherapy and is well respected for her...
Episode 15: Happy Travels – Hints & Tips For Happier School Vacations
As another term draws to a close, many children and families are happily looking forward to a restful break and an adventure or two. For others, the break from school can bring a shudder of dread! Some children, particularly those with special needs, rely on the...
Episode 14: They Just Won’t Listen!
Not listening, distractibility and inattention are some of the most common reasons for referral to our clinics. They are also the source of a great deal of frustration on the part of both teachers and parents. There can be a number of reasons for failure to follow...
Episode 13: Parent Perspectives: Special Needs – Getting The Best From Your School
Most parents think long and hard about the kind of schooling that they want for their children. We want a place that nurtures and respects them and ultimately helps them grow into confident, happy adults with full lives. We look forward to our children developing...
Episode 12: How To Prevent Short-Sightedness In Children
A vision check prior to school and regularly thereafter is important for all children. It's all the more vital considering the concerning figures for increasing short-sightedness that our guest, Behavioural Optometrist, Antoinette Du Preez shares in this episode. The...
Episode 11: Cut It Out! Scissor Skills For Early Learning
In this week's podcast I am taking a look at scissor skills. They are one of the fine motor skills considered to be important for school readiness. Yet often, although children are supposed to have been playing with child friendly scissors since the age of 2 years,...
Episode 10: When Is A Lisp A Lisp?
Sid The Sloth, Tweety Bird and Daffy Duck all share a similar problem but in different ways - lisps! In my speech pathology practice every week I get questions about whether a child has a lisp that needs therapy - and the children concerned range in age from 2.5 to 12...
Episode 9: Mealtime Mindfulness
Children who have trouble sitting still and paying attention in class, often also have difficulty with sitting still for mealtimes. Working on changing the routines and habits around meals and snacks helps children practice and develop attention, concentration and...
Episode 8: Which Hand? Developing Dominance For School Readiness
In this week's podcast, I sit down with fellow Occupational Therapist, Marga Grey, author and developer of "Co-ordikids". Together we explore the importance of establishing a consistent hand preference or dominance for learning. So what's the big deal!? It's kind of...