By Dr Eugene Brink The odds are that you’ve heard about rhinoviruses, but what are they exactly and should we be worried about them this winter? Medical doctor Shravani Vundavalli says rhinovirus (rhin means “nose”) infections cause the common cold. “About 50% of common colds are caused by some kind  … Read more

By Melodie Veldhuizen Most children have problems falling asleep some nights. In the case of diagnosed attention-deficiency hyperactivity syndrome (ADHD, however, sleeping problems are the norm rather than the exception. Why do children with ADHD have problems sleeping? One of the most important reasons is that the ADHD brain is  … Read more

By Marli Naidoo Last year 76,2% of matriculants passed their final examination. Approximately 210 000 (36,4%) of these matriculants gained access to degree studies and approximately 150 000 got diploma passes. Most matriculants, however, are not going to study further and are excited to enter the labour market. There, however, they are  … Read more

By Marli Naidoo Play may be the last thing you want to do after a long day’s adult responsibilities. You enjoy spending time with your child, but you don’t feel like playing games. Less than a century ago children mainly played with each other where children of all ages could  … Read more

By Melodie Veldhuizen What is auditory processing disorder (OPD)? This problem is created when the hearing and the brain aren’t in sync. Normal auditory processing takes place when the brain receives inputs and processes the information into a sensible message at an acceptable speed. OPD can cause limitations at any  … Read more

By Melodie Veldhuizen The silent treatment is the refusal of one person to communicate with another verbally, or to even acknowledge the other person’s presence. This is a behavioural pattern that occurs in different kinds of relationships, for example between parents and their children, adult children and their parents, between  … Read more

By Emsie Martin Autism is on the increase worldwide and for that reason we have World Autism Day on 2 April to create awareness. What is autism? Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of genetic conditions that cause abnormal brain development and functioning. A lot of research is currently  … Read more

By Essie Bester When it comes to handling your child’s behaviour, none of your efforts seem to be effective.  It frustrates you and you are at your wit’s end. But there is hope. The reasons why discipline does not work, could include one of the following: You give up too  … Read more

By Wilma Bedford The transition to adulthood reconfigures what it means to be attached to the people who raised you − especially when you’re no longer living under their roof, says family therapist Judye Hess. The evolving shift in how dependent you are on mom and dad, how much you’d  … Read more

By Nico Strydom Instagram is one of the most popular social-media platforms among young people and it is therefore important to make sure that they are protected against its dangers. According to research by World Wide Worx in collaboration with Ornico there are 10 million Instagram users in South Africa,  … Read more