Tributes

Often we receive testimonials. They speak to the advances our young scholars achieve in social interaction, personal behaviour, speech, and academic learning. As parents tell us, Mindstretch children literally beg to come to school.

Our tributes and stories give a fuller picture of what we offer.

Mindstretch School - Special needs school in Cape Town - Autism, ADHD, Learning delays.

Noah

Shared by his mother, Ivana

Noah was diagnosed with speech apraxia at the age of 3. We had no idea what it meant or what it would entail for Noah going forward…

Corom

Corom’s parents moved from Rwanda to South Africa to find help for their son. They enrolled him at Mindstretch. He excelled. He’s now in mainstream grade 1.

Intern Nicolas is Charmed by Mindstretch

Shared by his mother, Aneesah

As a parent of a special needs child, I remember clearly the first day we met Jennifer from Mindstretch School. Yaseen had just been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What Mindstretch Staff Say

Our Staff’s Voices

We asked our staff what they like best about Mindstretch, simply that, no prompting or guiding. Here’s what they say.

Yaseen

Shared by his mother, Aneesah

As a parent of a special needs child, I remember clearly the first day we met Jennifer from Mindstretch School. Yaseen had just been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Radhi

Shared by his mother, Rushda

Radhi was diagnosed with Autism in 2014, at the age of 2. It is a tribute to Mindstretch that he has journeyed so far in the 6 years since then. His story says it all!

Lamar

Shared by his mother, Samantha

Lamar was lucky to have his autism diagnosed early and to get quick entry to the right school to help him reach his full potential. His mother tells the story.

Simeon

Shared by his mother, Asfaneh

When we stepped into Mindstretch it was one of the first time we didn’t feel the need to translate our son, Simeon. We felt safe, we felt seen.

Sahra

Shared by her father, Winslow

Sahra has lived in several countries, but it was in South Africa that her parents found inclusion at Mindstretch, and the perfect programme for unfolding Sahra’s full potential.

James

Shared by his mother, Samantha

James was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when just 2 and 1/2 years old, while we were living in Pietermaritzburg. We then relocated back to Cape Town. For the next 18 months he struggled at school. It was a tough time – but finally we found Mindstretch.

Seth

Shared by his mother, Arline

Seth was 2 and attending a daycare in Pinelands when the Principal approached us, worried about his development. He was a happy child who loved playing with his friends, but he had a speech delay. We were a bit worried …

Jason

Shared by his mother, Sharon

I am so thankful for the 3 years Jason had at Mindstretch. You welcomed us with open arms. There is no amount of money a parent can put on the value of all you have done for our boy …

Testimonials

Okay so happy I want to cry! Sounds dramatic I know, but after everything my son and I have been through your school feels like it fell from heaven!”

“Our son recites all the things that you do with him. He also calls out the kids’ names and repeats what his teachers say. He sings along and does days of the week. And he better understands now that he needs to communicate verbally when he needs things. And because he is the one talking, he gives me eye contact.”

Our son is progressing beautifully and very fast. Not only are the words coming fast and furious these days, but he is also more independent. He dresses himself and eats by himself. And, he’s a lot more cheeky too :-).

“I am SO happy and relieved our son settled so well and is happy. He is much calmer at home. He says the “new school is fun”. I have never heard him use the word fun before, and he is speaking more. Also, he is less exhausted. This afternoon he was playing on the computer, but I asked him to finish his game as I needed the computer. He was about to have a temper tantrum, slam the door and hit and push me (as usual), but he stopped himself and didn’t do it. He wanted to make his own sandwich, but struggled to butter it. He let me show him how to do it without shouting at me to leave him, like he usually does. He seemed to listen to me better. I am so excited!”

“We had an amazing weekend with our son, the best ever. We had a braai with friends and normally he hangs out in his bedroom, but this time he played with the other kids and hung with us the whole day. He is noticing everything. We’re very happy with the change.”

“Thank you for everything. The enthusiasm and passion for what you do is refreshing and absolutely outstanding. Coming from a background of conventional medicine, I am particularly interested in the therapeutic, holistic and nurturing approach HANDLE offers.”

“I am grateful for the amazing effort you put into our son and his development. I had my first ever interactive telephone conversation with him last week. He was responding, asking questions, answering correctly and not parroting. We’ve never had an interactive conversation on the phone, only in person.”

“Our daughter is a different child to the one she was at the beginning of the year. She has grown in confidence and independence and is not afraid to try new things. Her artwork is amazing! It’s so comforting when your child literally begs to go to school, even on weekends.”

“Our son has been accepted at Vista Nova. A simple ‘thank you’ to Mindstretch doesn’t seem enough. We simply cannot express the emotions we are going through. We sincerely thank the Mindstretch family who adopted our son as their own. The kindness, support and encouragement shown has contributed greatly to his development and growth as a learner and an individual. This is in no small part due to the calibre of people with whom he has been surrounded, which has helped him reach his potential. We shed tears, tears of extreme gratitude for the sincerity shown us by Mindstretch. Just as a house is only as strong as the foundation upon which it is laid, so we are eternally grateful for the platform that Mindstretch has laid in our son’s life.”

“I saw our daughter’s photo that you sent the other day. I adore that one; she is looking up to the heavens while she is in deep concentration drinking from a glass using a ‘crazy’ straw. You have no idea how much joy this milestone brings us: this is a child that never breastfed and did not drink any fluids through her mouth until she was nearly 3. At a certain point, I thought she would never know how it feels to drink a glass of water…”

“I am happy to report that my patient’s progress is so satisfying to see. He is really doing so well since being at Mindstretch ... Look forward to working together with you all in helping these special children and their families.”

“I hear that the child I referred to your preschool is talking spontaneously (and is also asking for her phone). This is amazing progress! I am so pleased that you have been able to break through his communication barrier. Thank you again for all your assistance with helping him.”

The Mindstretch Way

We believe that every child can reach their full potential if learning challenges are addressed early in development. We individualise our programme to the needs of each child. Progress and inclusion are our goal.

Tributes

Testimonials

The Mindstretch Way

Mindstretch School

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