Creatively Empowering Children to Flourish
Discover the therapeutic power of art-making for children with learning differences
Join the Create2Grow training & become an accredited facilitator
HELLO!
I’m Noni - an occupational therapist, trainer, researcher, and advocate working to make meaningful developmental support accessible to all children.
The Dream
All children should have access to opportunities that enable them to thrive.
My research as a paediatric occupational therapist, as well as my lived experience as a person with a ‘differently-wired brain’, suggests that shared art-making can offer a transformative activity that allows children to achieve just that.
Research increasingly shows that arts-based group therapy effectively supports children with neurodivergence in achieving higher levels of well-being and active participation in everyday life. Therefore, Create2Grow was designed to be an accessible program that helps more children realise their full developmental potential.
To make a lasting impact, we need to find creative solutions to increase access to therapy in low-resource settings!
Join the training today and become an agent for change.
Background
Created by South African Occupational Therapists, Create2Grow was designed to address the lack of feasible and effective services for children with learning differences in low-resource areas.
Create2Grow harnesses the power of art-making and group therapy as therapeutic tools with small groups of 8 to 12-year-old children with mild to moderate learning differences in school settings. When piloted in 2023, the program proved to be very effective in improving participants’ ability to engage in their school, home and social activities. Caregivers also rated Create2Grow as feasible for their context.
Create2Grow brings evidence-based therapeutic principles into schools or local community centers, helping more children to thrive!
Testimonials
Create2Grow…
“is accessible to community leaders and workers”
“promotes social cohesion”
“uses materials that are easily accessible and versatile!”
“is easily adaptable and cost-effective”
“can be used to achieve different goals and objectives”
- OTASA Congress 2024 (Stakeholder Engagement)
“Create2Grow is empowering. To our children who cannot grow academically,
Create2Grow gives them a sense of hope each time they master a piece of art.”
- Create2Grow Community Facilitator (Niesha Februarie)
“I finished Create2Grow and really enjoyed it. I am super impressed - this is such a relevant and accessible intervention programme.”
- Occupational Therapist (Renita Qoza)
“Creative ability is one’s preparedness to function freely and with originality at one’s maximum level of competence.”
— Vona du Toit (1991)
Training
How it works
4 simple steps:
Sign up for the online Create2Grow training.
Receive a link to the training and the Create2Grow manual after payment.
Complete the training and multiple-choice questions.
Receive 2 CPD points.
R400 for 2 hours of online training and clinical CEUS (for HPCSA-registered professionals).