The Carel du Toit Centre’s Audiology team offers comprehensive diagnostic audiological assessments and intervention for all infants and children enrolled in our programme. This ensures that all infants and children have access to quality and comprehensive audiological services on site.
The audiologists have regular team discussions with parents and caregivers, teachers, therapists and other professionals involved in the child’s care. Our team at the Carel du Toit Centre follow evidence-based practices and protocols. Recognising the importance of consistent hearing and optimal access to sound with hearing technology, our audiological services are available year-round, independent of the school calendar.
Audiological services:
Speech Therapy Services at the Carel du Toit Centre are vital for the continuous development of our learners. What sets our Centre apart is that every learner, starting from the age of 4 and up to Grade 3, benefits from weekly speech therapy sessions. Through bi-annual assessments, personalised intervention plans are crafted to enhance each learner’s speech, language, and listening skills.
We actively encourage parents to participate in these sessions, empowering them to support their child’s progress at home. Our goal is to equip parents with the knowledge and skills to facilitate their child’s listening and spoken language acquisition optimally.
In addition to individual therapy, our speech therapists provide classroom intervention for learners in Grades R to 3. These sessions focus on enhancing early literacy and auditory skills, while also supporting educators in achieving their classroom objectives.
Occupational Therapy (OT) at the Carel du Toit Centre plays a crucial role in supporting learners with various diagnoses such as developmental delays and sensory issues in addition to hearing loss. Our Occupational Therapists collaborate closely with speech therapists and parent guidance professionals to maximise the effectiveness of therapy sessions.
Parents are encouraged to actively participate in their child’s therapy. By observing sessions, they gain valuable insights and receive specific guidelines to further enhance the therapeutic process and promote independent development at home.
Additionally, our Occupational therapists support our class teachers by equipping them with strategies to incorporate OT techniques into their teaching practices. The ultimate goal is to foster functional independence in each child’s life by setting individualised objectives and employing play-based activities to achieve these milestones progressively.
Social work at Carel du Toit and CHAT is rooted in the core principles outlined by South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP), which define social work as a practice-based profession dedicated to promoting social change, development, empowerment, and liberation. These principles include social justice, human rights, collective responsibility, and respect for diversities.
At Carel du Toit and CHAT, social work is focused on empowering children, parents, and families as a whole. Families are seen as integral parts of the systems from which they originate, emphasising the importance of understanding and valuing the child and family within their specific context.
Early prevention and intervention at CHAT and Carel du Toit Centre, provide safety, routine, containment and emotional support for our learners. The teachers, therapists and supportive staff are dedicated towards our learners, but it is also the responsibility of the social worker to attend to the emotional development of the children, especially preventative work.