Elaine Brink Spraakterapie/ Speech Therapy

15/05/2026

A child who cannot put shoes on.
A child who explodes over homework.
A child who says “no” to everything.
A child who seems desperate to stay in control.

People often see bad behaviour.

But sometimes there is far more going on underneath.

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a term used to describe children who experience an extreme need to avoid everyday demands and expectations. For many, demands can trigger intense anxiety, overwhelm or distress - especially when they feel pressured, unsafe or out of control.

These children are often labelled manipulative, oppositional, rude, lazy or attention seeking.

But many are struggling far more than people realise.

The heartbreaking part?
The more pressure they feel, the harder things can become.

Too many families are judged.
Too many children are punished instead of understood.

Please note - PDA is not currently recognised as a separate diagnosis in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM-5 or ICD-11. However, organisations including the NHS, the National Autistic Society and PDA Society use the term to describe and support children who show this pattern of behaviours and experiences.

Free UNDERSTANDING PATHOLOGICAL DEMAND AVOIDANCE (PDA) IN CHILDREN POSTERUNDERSTANDING PATHOLOGICAL DEMAND AVOIDANCE (PDA) IN CHILDREN POSTER

LIKE the photo and comment "PDA" and we will send you a message with a link to a free PDF of this resource.

14/05/2026

“Speech Therapy is a work of heart” 💜

06/05/2026

05/05/2026

Let’s start being intentional..

Studies show parental phone use during interactions is directly linked to higher anxiety in children — and the reason is neurological rather than simply emotional in a way that most parents have not been told clearly enough.
A child's nervous system is built to search the parent's face for continuous cues of safety, attention, and emotional regulation. Eye contact. Responsive expression. Attuned tone. These are not comfort extras — they are the signals the developing brain uses to calibrate its own sense of whether the world is safe and whether connection is reliable.
When the parent's face is repeatedly behind a screen, those signals go missing. The child's nervous system does not read this as Mom or Dad is busy. It reads it as disconnection — a withdrawal of the relational presence the brain depends on for its own regulation.
Research on technoference — the interference of technology in parent-child interaction — documents this at scale. Over 48 percent of parents admit their phone disrupts interactions with their child three or more times per day. Around 76 percent report using their phone at the playground. Approximately 35 percent of caregivers are on their phone for at least one out of every five minutes during park time. Parents check their phones approximately 67 times daily and use them an average of four hours per day.
The documented effects on children are specific. More frequent parental phone use during conversations is associated with higher levels of anger and sadness in children, more persistent attempts to regain the parent's attention, and over time — increasing withdrawal from seeking connection. That withdrawal is tied directly to lower wellbeing and life satisfaction.
The child who stops trying to get your attention has not become more independent. They have learned that the attempt is unlikely to succeed.
Even 15 to 20 minutes of genuinely undistracted daily connection has a measurable regulating effect on a child's nervous system.
Put the phone down. Look at them. That is the intervention."

21/04/2026

Lekker aktiwiteit wat aan verskillende konsepte kan werk:
- Versoeke (ek soek die__)
- Negatiewe sinne (ek soek NIE die neus NIE)
- Die gebruik van "se" om besit aan te dui (ek soek die man SE oog)

16/04/2026

Joint-attention, turn-taking, and following of instructions, but make it fun and competitive😁

Each person gets a turn to roll the dice and see how many sea animals they get to catch on their turn. The person with the most animals gets to pick the next activity. A sneaky way of giving a child an opportunity to exercise their own choices while completing set goals for the session. 😉

13/04/2026

Providing a visual schedule helps a lot for our friends who have difficulty completing tasks and focusing for long periods.

This young man has long passed the stage of pasting stickers in a book when a task is completed; instead, we like to use a "to-do list" or, in this case, ticking off a block that represents one task.

09/04/2026

School support-based team meeting with very dedicated team members at Meridian Pinehurst . These support-based structures play a fundamental role in giving support to both learners and teachers in mainstream schools

Teamwork makes the dream work!

09/04/2026

Not all signs of autism are obvious, but recognizing them early can change everything.

Every child develops differently, but some behaviors may be early indicators of autism, like avoiding eye contact, delayed speech, sensory sensitivities, or a strong preference for routines.

Early awareness leads to early support, and that can make a lifelong difference. If you’ve noticed any of these signs, trust your instincts and seek guidance. You are not alone on this journey.

At Apex Social, we support families and connect them with trained Apex Care Professionals who provide meaningful, one-on-one support for children with disabilities.

Learn more and find the right support today 👉 www.apex-social.com

09/04/2026

Meet Chelsea Hach Van Den Berg:

She is filling in at The Dream Tree school. Her compassion and warm hearted nature is inspiring and she has the knowledge and skill to back it up 😉

She earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science and first Speech Language Pathology accreditation in the USA prior to moving to South Africa in 2010. Since achieving HPCSA accreditation, she consulted for various non-profits primarily focused on serving children with a wide variety of severe-profound disabilities.