Kristen Buys Speech Therapy

11/04/2023

That question never works on kids anyway. Here are the best questions that will actually foster a fun conversation with your child.

19/08/2022

Love these visuals

11/08/2022

Container Syndrome is a term used to describe the lack of skill in infants who are not allowed ample movement opportunities. Container Baby Syndrome is the result of an infant being placed in a container for an excessive amount of time during the day. This extended time leads to structural, movement, and behavioral challenges as a result.

Baby containers include baby equipment and items such as:

👣Restrictive playpens
👣Crib
👣Car seats
👣Strollers
👣Bumbo seats
👣Bouncy seats and swings
👣Rockers
👣Nursing cushions
👣Vibrating chairs
👣Jumpers
👣Exersaucers
👣Positioning pillows
👣Slings
👣Floor seats
👣Infant swings
👣Walkers
👣Jumpers

All of the time spent in these baby containers adds up! When in a positioning device such as the ones listed above, little ones are limited in the motor development that results from stretching, wiggling, turning, reaching, and otherwise moving.

https://www.theottoolbox.com/container-baby-syndrome/

23/05/2022

Love this ❤️

Autism is a spectrum, not a gradient. Every Autistic person has their own set of strengths and difficulties.

Image credit: Réka (/Instagram).

29/03/2022

08/09/2021

Happy international literacy day! Take a brief look at the benefits of reading with your children and engaging in the stories with them !

02/08/2021

I absolutely love my job. Working with all my clients, young and old, brings such joy to my life. Unbeknownst to many, I also share a passion for research and the academic world.
So, I am very excited to share that an article I wrote based on my Masters research has been published in a medical journal: Health SA Gesondheid. The article is titled ‘Maternal experiences of caring for preterm infants in a vulnerable South African population.’
I could have written 20 articles on my overall research findings, but this is a very interesting little snippet.

If you would be interested in taking a look, you can find it online at

Health SA Gesondheid promotes communication, collaboration and teamwork between professions and disciplines within the health sciences to address problems that cross and affect disciplinary boundaries.

10/05/2021

Hi all!
As Facebook generously reminds me, I have been a little silent on my end for the past month. As my clients would know, this is because I recently got married to my long-time partner and best friend. As of this month, my personal name will change to Kristen van Romburgh (as will be signed on documents), however my practice name will remain Kristen Buys.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again this week!

Many thanks
Kristen van Romburgh (Buys)

06/04/2021

April is world Autism Awareness Month!
Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a commonly misunderstood condition, and children with ASD can present very differently. Commonly, children are diagnosed before and around 3 years of age. Below is some broad, basic information about ASD and I will post some useful sites in the comments that you can use to read up more!

03/03/2021

HAPPY WORLD HEARING DAY!

It is an extra-difficult time for those people with a hearing loss! Wearing masks both muffle sound clarity, volume and hide your lips - making lip-reading impossible!

Successful communication requires the efforts of all people involved in a conversation. Even when the person with hearing loss utilizes hearing aids and active listening strategies, it is crucial that others involved in the communication process consistently use good communication strategies, including the following:
- Ideally you would need good light for the speaker to facilitate lip reading, but with masks one can speak on or towards the hearing-impaired persons' better side if they have one
- Most hearing-impaired people have greater difficulty understanding speech when there is background noise. Try to minimize extraneous noise when talking.
- Say the person's name before beginning a conversation. This gives the listener a chance to focus attention and reduces the chance of missing words at the beginning of the conversation.
- Acquaint the listener with the general topic of the conversation. Avoid sudden changes of topic. If the subject is changed, tell the hearing impaired person what you are talking about now. In a group setting, repeat questions or key facts before continuing with the discussion.
- Take turns speaking and avoid interrupting other speakers.

01/03/2021

After many COVID disruptions and many hours in and out of quarantine, I am finally fully back at work and seeing clients! Hope to see all your wonderful faces soon!

Thank you for all the support🌿