Natasha Smit - Clinical Neuropsychologist

07/03/2026

🫶
~ Melody Godfred

05/03/2026

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 🧑‍🍼
(Tiny tweaks with big impact - for busy households)

Parenting Hack: Neurodivergent (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia etc.)
#𝟮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄

Many neurodivergent kids arrive home from school like a coke bottle that’s been shaken all day.

They’ve spent hours managing things most people don’t see: sensory input, social navigation, transitions, focus, and self-regulation. By the time they get in the car or walk through the door, their nervous system is often running on empty.

That’s why something small like
“Put your bag away” or
“How was your day?”
can suddenly trigger a meltdown.

💡 Tiny Tweak:
Give your child about 45 minutes of regulation time after school.

No questions.
No instructions.
No problem-solving.

Just a smile, a snack, and space to decompress (quiet play, screens, movement, or alone time).

When their nervous system settles, they have far more capacity for connection, conversation, and cooperation.

Remember: many neurodivergent kids are effectively taking extra subjects at school — managing sensory input, navigating social dynamics, and working much harder to stay regulated.

Regulation first. Expectations later.

04/03/2026

We’re really looking forward to this one!

𝐀𝐃𝐇𝐃: 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞.

If you’re parenting it, living it, or teaching it…
this conversation is for you.

We’ll be unpacking the ADHD brain with Liette Wood (Neuropsychologist) and translating it into practical, real-world tools with Ale Radmore (Psychologist & Executive Functioning Coach).

🗓 Saturday, 28 March
⏰ 09:00 – 11:30
💰R400pp
☕ Coffee included, of course.
(Spaces are limited)

03/03/2026

𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 🧠
Stress shrinks thinking capacity (temporarily).

Brain fact:
When the brain senses threat, the amygdala switches on survival mode. In that moment, the prefrontal cortex — the part responsible for reasoning, planning, decision-making and emotional regulation — takes a back seat.

Translation?
When we’re stressed, overwhelmed, or in meltdown mode, we literally can’t think clearly.

This happens in adults.
It happens in children.
It happens in marriages, friendships, and workplace conversations.

✨ Use it wisely:
Don’t try to solve big problems or have important discussions in high-stress moments.

First regulate.
Then reason.

Calm the nervous system with deep breathing, grounding, connection, or simply creating a sense of safety. Once the brain feels safe again, clear thinking returns — and problem-solving becomes possible.

Regulate → then relate → then resolve.

01/03/2026

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 🧑‍🍼
(Tiny tweaks with big impact — for busy households)

#1 General Parenting Hack:
One of the most effective parenting strategies to strengthen attachment is to give your child just 20 minutes of undivided attention every day.

Research shows that consistent, focused presence builds trust, safety, and resilience — even in the busiest households.

No phone. No TV. No instructions. No questions.
Just be there, in their space, doing something they choose.

28/02/2026

🫶
Connect > Correct

Emotions Need Connection, Not Correction

A child sits on the floor crying after being told it’s time to leave the playground.

The first instinct might be to correct the behavior, reminding them of the rules or rushing them along.

But beneath the tears is disappointment, not defiance.

Instead of correcting, the caregiver sits beside them and says, “You really wanted more time to play.”

The child’s sobs soften as they feel seen and understood.

A hand on the back and a calm presence help their nervous system settle.

Only after the child feels connected can they hear what comes next.

“Let’s take one last deep breath together, then we’ll go,” the caregiver offers.

The transition becomes smoother because the emotion was met with empathy first.

Connection creates safety, and safety allows cooperation to follow.

When emotions are honored instead of corrected, children learn they are not alone in their feelings.

26/02/2026

𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡.

Your brain mirrors the nervous system around you 👥

Brain fact:
Brains co-regulate. We borrow each other’s nervous system states.
A dysregulated brain can activate stress in others — adults, children, or peers.
Children borrow adult nervous systems.
A dysregulated adult brain activates a child’s stress system.

Use it:
Lower your voice. Slow your pace.
Your calm is neurological input for everyone around you.

25/02/2026

Forgive yourself for not knowing earlier what only time could teach.

Especially when it comes to brain wiring.
To parenting.
To understanding behaviour through a nervous system lens instead of a discipline lens.

We cannot apply insight we didn’t yet have.
We cannot respond with regulation we hadn’t yet learned.

Growth often comes after the hard seasons.
After the missteps.
After the burnout.

What you know now changes what you do next.
And that’s enough 💛

23/02/2026

𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡.

The brain chooses immediate reward over long-term benefit 🏆

Brain fact:
The dopamine system is wired for now, not later.
Instant gratification activates reward pathways faster than future success.

Why this matters:
Scrolling beats studying.
Chocolate beats long-term health.

It’s biology — not moral weakness.

Use it:
Pair effort with immediate reward.
Study + a good cup of tea / coffee.
Exercise + podcast.
Cleaning + favourite music.

21/02/2026

Our February event was a huge success! We had so much fun learning about how to work best with children who have PDA. Thank you, Natasha, for sharing your knowledge with us!

17/02/2026

Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed, rushed, or behind?

The solution isn’t more time — it’s more of what matters most.

You don’t find time.
You choose it.

Research suggests the average person spends:
• 706 hours per year on social media (≈ 4.5 months of 8-hour workdays)
• 2,737 hours per year watching TV / binge-watching series

We often say, “I just don’t have time.”
But the truth is — time is being spent somewhere.

The real question is:
Does how I’m spending my time reflect what I value most?

Tiny Tweak:
Choose one small daily ritual that reflects your priorities.
20 minutes of uninterrupted connection with your child.
A walk without your phone.
A slow cup of coffee before the day begins.

Not more time.
More intention.

Because what we repeatedly choose becomes the life we build.

13/02/2026

A drizzly Cape Town morning, strong coffee, and an incredible group — diving into a conversation on Pathological Demand Avoidance.

Thank you to the Western Cape Paediatric Practitioner's Group for intentionally creating spaces that equip and encourage reflective practice.

Grateful to have been part of it!