the Create2Grow Program

Creatively Empowering Children to Flourish!

welcome - Wamkelekile - Welkom

Discover the healing potential of art-making for neurodivergent children

join the training & GRAB YOUR FREE CREATE2GROW MANUAL!

Foot with paint on paper background, featuring blue, red, and yellow colors.

Background

Creating hope and discovering potential WITH THE CREATE2GROW PROGRAM

Created by South African Occupational Therapists Ms Beth Conolly, Mrs Munira Hoosain and Prof. Nicola Ann Plastow, the Create2Grow Program was designed to address the lack of feasible occupational therapy services for children with learning differences in low-resource areas, where access to quality intervention is often limited.

Create2Grow harnesses the power of artmaking as a therapeutic tool to achieve functional goals in small groups of 8 to 12-year-old children within school settings. When piloted in 2023, the program demonstrated significant improvements in occupational performance, proving its feasibility and effectiveness.

What makes Create2Grow truly special is its adaptability. Whether led by healthcare professionals or trained community members, this program is designed to close the gap in service delivery between different socio-economic classes, particularly in low-to-middle-income countries like South Africa. By bringing evidence-based therapeutic principles into schools or local community centres, Create2Grow is a promising solution for impacting the lives of children who need it most.

Purple baby footprints on white background

HELLO!

I am Naomi (‘Noni’) Beth Conolly, a sensory-sensitive OT passionate about creative therapies and equal access to paediatric services.

Person smiling in a sunny outdoor setting with trees and fields in the background. Naomi Beth Conolly ('Noni').

The Dream

My journey in this field has taught me that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, no matter their circumstances.

Making art was a key that opened the door out of the cognitive rigidities and fears I felt trapped within as a child. Engaging in creative activities that challenged my mind gave me tools to navigate my low sensory threshold and childhood obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Therefore, my knowledge and research as a paediatric occupational therapist, together with my lived experience as a person with a ‘differently-wired brain’, can testify to the following:

Art-making is a refuge and a powerful means which helps children transform challenges into strengths.

My personal journey and exposure to the critical need for paediatric occupational therapy services for children with learning differences has fueled much of my research and work within low-resource communities.

This has culminated in the creation of the Create2Grow Program. All glory to God for the insights and breakthroughs that have brought this manual to life! I hope that it will serve as a valuable resource and blessing to others.

Please join me to ignite hope and transform possibilities into realities for those who need it most!

Purple baby footprints on white background
A child crawling through a colorful play tunnel on artificial grass next to a occupational therapist squatting, playing with small colored cards outside near a building.
Occupational therapist and child interacting in a classroom with educational posters and toys.
Child drawing on paper with colorful markers on a table.
Silhouette of two children jumping on a rocky surface at sunset.
A community training held in a large hall with many people seated in a circle. Participants are paying attention to a speaker standing and gesturing towards them. The room is equipped with informational posters, and some attendees are wearing masks.
A therapist assisting a child with an activity on colorful foam mats in a therapy room, featuring chairs and bright light coming from a window.
Occupational therapist interacting with a child doing an activity on the classroom floor, educational charts on the wall, colorful numbers displayed.
Hands holding a small yellow flower
Woman sitting on floor in a cozy room with a smile, wearing casual attire. Red bolster swing used for sensory integration therapy in background.
Purple baby footprints on white background

Comments from other Occupational therapists

“It is accessible to community leaders and workers”

“It is accessible to community leaders and workers”

“The program promotes social cohesion”

“The program promotes social cohesion”

“The materials are easily accessible and versatile!”

“The materials are easily accessible and versatile!”

“Create2Grow can be used to achieve different goals and objectives”

“Create2Grow can be used to achieve different goals and objectives”

“It is easily adaptable and cost-effective”

“It is easily adaptable and cost-effective”

Purple baby footprints on white background.

Interested in the research?

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Ready to grow?

SIGN up for The online training program!

“Creative ability is one’s preparedness to function freely and with originality at one’s maximum level of competence.”

— Vona du Toit (1991)

Child in striped shirt standing on beach facing ocean waves under a blue sky.
Two purple baby footprints on a white background.

Training

How it works

3 simple steps:

  1. Sign up for the online Create2Grow program training course and complete it within a month.

  2. Receive your free manual and training certificate via email once you have completed your training.

  3. Consider purchasing a Create2Grow box for convenience.

Cover of 'Create2Grow Program: Intervention Manual' featuring colorful decorations and abstract designs. The manual focuses on empowering children through a visual arts program developed by occupational therapists. It is authored by Ms. Naomi Beth Conolly, Mrs. Munira Hoosain, and Prof. Nicola Ann Plastow.

  • R350 for two hours worth of online training

  • Applying for CPD points for HPCSA-registered professionals

  • R2699 for a Create2Grow box (optional)