René de Bruin Occupational Therapy specialises in Neuro-developmental techniques for infants and toddlers

I focus on the first 1 000 days of life, as it is a unique window of opportunity where the foundations for long-term health and optimal development are established.

My aim is educating and helping parents read, interpret and respond to infant behaviour, to build well developed relationships and enhance normal developmental milestones, through age-appropriate play activities.

I am one of 4 therapists in the country to be named Neonatal Therapist, accredited by Neonatal Therapy National Certification Board (NTNCB), USA and there are ONLY 500 qualified in the world. I am also a Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI).

As for my practice, it is rooted in goodness and growth. There’s that African Proverb that says “When the root is deep, there is no reason to fear the wind”. The same is true for your child’s development, if they have a solid foundation, they will learn to unlock their true potential.

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees; under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
Nelson Henderson

My Approach

Every tree, both great and small starts with a tiny seed. With the right amount of water and sunlight, that tree grows into a beautiful work of art. The same is true for a baby: feed it, nurture it and stimulate it and it will grow up to move mountains.

Leaves

Leaves remind us to delight in our own natural beauty and enjoy the view when we stand tall. Autumn leaves show us how good it feels to let go of something that no longer serves us well, to make way for new life.

I will enable you to turn over a new leaf in your relationship with your child. Allowing them to one day bloom in life, by giving them the attention they need in their first 1000 days.

Branches

Branches teach us that we should bend before we break and that sometimes you need to go out on a limb to grow.

I help babies and toddlers grow and develop – to reach new developmental milestones and slowly but surely reach their full potential.

Trunk

The trunk keeps the tree standing tall and firm. The bark shows where trauma has occurred and where healing has taken place. And with every year that passes the trunk gets a new ring of life.

I support and guide parents of babies and toddlers to overcome the trauma of a birth story gone wrong or by your child having a developmental delay or disability.

Roots

Roots keep us grounded and remind us that life happens.

My therapy and suggested solutions are the roots of my practice, grounding you in solid foundations to allow you to reach for the stars.

“Storms make trees take deeper roots”
Dolly Parton

I am one of 4 therapists in the country to be named Neonatal Therapist, accredited by Neonatal Therapy National Certification Board (NTNCB), USA and there are ONLY 500 qualified in the world. I am also a Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI).

My Occupational Therapy Assessment and Treatments for infants and toddlers (0-3 years) include:

Normal developmental milestones
Sensory integration difficulties
Neuro-developmental challenges

My Neuro-developmental principles are facilitated by:

Correct positioning of the infant for containment, through nesting
Accurate handling of the infant for containment
Using positive touch techniques and infant massage for organised infant behaviour
Creating an optimal environment in terms of reducing sensory stimuli

My experience helps me to educate parents on the following:

Fetal development
Behavioural states/sub-systems
Stress cues
Calming techniques
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
Neonatal Terminology
Knowing the difference between chronological age and adjusted age
Normal development

I specialise in the following:

Pre-term infants
Infants who struggle to sleep, struggle with excessive crying and feeding difficulties
Disorganised/irritable infants, who are experiencing stress and can’t self-regulate
Toddlers with developmental problems and delays
Maternal anxiety and/or fear
Post-natal depressed mothers
Mothers with first born babies

“Two of the greatest gifts we can give our children are roots and wings.”
Hodding Carter

Testimonials

On the 7th of October 2014 my husband and I were blessed with beautiful twin boys, and we named them Vuyo and Vuyani. As I wake up from theatre I was informed the younger twin Vuyani is in ICU he had lack of oxygen. My baby stayed in ICU for 27 days by God's grace he survived and was discharged. At 3 months I took them to see Paediatrician. He noticed that Vuyani is not following on the toy sounds like his brother. He noticed that they are not on the same pace.

Mbali was born weighing 1.1kg. She was the smallest baby I had ever seen. Ever since the first moment I saw her, I wanted to take her into my arms and take her home with me. But, that is not how things work in the NICU. The hardest thing about the NICU is leaving there every day and not taking your baby with you, and one of the hardest things about it, is actually being able to take your baby home from the NICU. The most unnatural feeling for me was going home every day and leaving my daughter in the NICU. I would always sit at home and wonder: was she hungry, cold, or scared? I drove myself crazy for 2 months worrying about these questions. Mbali was born at 29 weeks via an emergency C-section.

Occupational therapy changed our child’s life! Our child was born prematurely at 28 weeks and weighed 940 gram. We were in the Neonatal Unit for 11 weeks- it was a very tough time for us. Our baby started to receive occupational therapy in the NICU from Renè. We visited her frequently after the NICU time until my son was 3 years old. These visits helped him with normal things which he struggled with. Basic milestones come easily and on the right time for children born at 38-40 weeks, but for our prematurely born baby these basic milestones was a constant struggle.

Ek wil graag vertel hoe René de Bruyn my en my dogter se lewe verander het. My dogter was 15 weke oud toe sy op 4 Maart 2017 opgeneem in Mediclinic Hoogland agv swelling op die brein wat toegeskryf is aan vog of ‘n tumor. Die onmiddellike prognose was dat sy waarskynlik nie die nag sou oorleef nie en indien wel, sou sy massiewe breinskade oorhou. Naas die omstandighede rondom haar opname, was dit min of meer die vreeslikste nuus wat ek al ooit ontvang het. Die swart deel op die scan is die vog wat haar brein begin in mekaar gedruk het.

His OT René was there with him from the start and the moment he was ready for physical contact / touching she immediately started with the therapy he needed so much. It was so beautiful to see his reaction to her touch as time went on. How he reacted to her soft, kind, and loving voice. And yes people, those small babies can hear everything that we say, and I strongly believe that René’s positive attitude towards him made a big difference

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specialises in Neuro-developmental techniques for infants and toddlers.