This is our story
Capable Kids was started at St Mary’s School in 2013 by Samantha Smith. Sarah-Kay Williams joined the team in 2014, where the practice soon diversified to include two more schools, namely Broadacres Academy and Skye College. Sam and Sarah-Kay make a diverse team where the focus is placed on each of their strengths. They have a passion for working as a team and sharing their knowledge with other professionals. As a team they have enjoyed assisting in the training of new therapists, problem-solving and continually questioning how to improve their intervention. Our practice values the input of all staff members and we have regular team building, training or collaborative discussions in order to further our knowledge. The practice also collaborates with multiple professionals including speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, remedial therapists, teachers and doctors. We value a multidisciplinary approach to ensure that a child is viewed holistically.
Leading Ladies
Samantha Smith
Sam qualified in 2007 with a BSc in Occupational therapy from Wits University. She gained a variety of experience in both government and private settings, including hospitals, remedial schools, mainstream schools and private practice. She completed her Masters in Sensory Perception and Cognitive Processing at Wits in 2013, resulting in her becoming sensory integration qualified. Her research focused on classroom strategies for children with learning difficulties. In addition, she completed the first three courses of the Ayres sensory integration certificate by the South African Institute for Sensory Integration. Sam has always had a thirst for knowledge and values courses that place emphasis on expanding her knowledge in understanding the younger child. She has completed her introduction into DIR Floortime and hopes to receive her full qualification with time. Sam was the founder of Capable Kids Occupational Therapy in 2013. She has always had a passion for children finding it essential to be approachable and playful in nature. Having three young children of her own, Sam understands the stress of parenting and ensuring that intervention is achievable and practical, by fitting it into your current routine. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others and aims to facilitate more practical implementation and understanding of the values of occupational therapy in schools and within home environments.
Sarah-Kay Williams
Sarah-Kay has always loved children and therefore choose to study occupational therapy in order to help children achieve their potential. She completed her BSc Occupational Therapy Degree at the University of Cape Town in 2010. Sarah-Kay worked in a variety of settings, heading up a government occupational therapy department, gaining experience in adult neurology as well as working with a huge variety of children, from varying backgrounds and experiencing vast difficulties. In 2014, Sarah-Kay started working at Capable Kids with Samantha Smith. Together, over the years their partnership has continued to grow along with their incredible practice. Sarah-Kay completed her sensory integration qualification in 2018. She continues to further her knowledge in a variety of areas including doing her introduction to DIR Floortime, although has a special interest is working with sensory integration difficulties. Sarah-Kay absolutely loves her job, loving the smiley faces and resilient little people she gets to work with every day. As a new mom, Sarah-Kay is especially passionate about understanding every child as a unique being, understanding their sensory systems and how she can assist each child to reach their optimal potential.
Our Talented Team
Tanym Burger
Tanym attended Stellenbosch University and graduated with a BSc in Sport Science in 2012 and an Honours in Sport Science specialising in Kinderkinetics in 2013. She then continued with her studies and qualified with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2017 also from Stellenbosch University. Tanym gained experience in a government hospital setting working with a variety of adult and paediatric conditions. She is passionate about working with children and making sure they reach their full potential in school, in their social lives and family lives assisting children to dream big and believe in themselves and their abilities. She believes that each child is different, and a single solution will not fit every child, therefore an individualised treatment plan based on the child’s unique needs and interests is needed. She enjoys working with children of a variety of ages and developmental difficulties including Autism Spectrum disorder. Tanym has always strived to continue learning and she is currently completing her sensory integration certification through the South African Institute for Sensory Integration. She has also completed her introduction to DIR Floortime and plans to complete the full qualification.
Teagen Naidoo
Teagen is passionate about her job as she thrives when given the opportunity to assist children to meaningfully participate in their everyday activities. Her main goal is to support her clients and their families through tailored treatment, advice and give them hope when they are despondent about the future, as she believes in the ability to show children how to empower themselves and have fun while doing it! She has also developed a passion for sensory integration and is continuing her studies in this field to further benefit the lives of her clients. Teagen plans to complete her Sensory Integration certification as well as the DIR Floortime training in the near future.
Julia Baylis
Julia completed her BSc Occupational Therapy degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2021. She fulfilled her community service year with Johannesburg Metro District Rehabilitation, based at Chiawelo Community Healthcare Centre in Soweto, where she worked with a variety of different diagnoses. Julia then worked at Little Forest Centre, where her interest in working with children grew, before joining Capable Kids in September 2024. Julia enjoys being able to engage with children and their families and endeavours to nurture children’s current abilities whilst also guiding them to discover their unique potential. Continuing to improve her understanding of children is important, and thus Julia has completed various paediatric courses and plans to begin her Masters degree in the near future.
Amy Shackleton
Amy graduated with a BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Witwatersrand in 2022. Amy gained experience working at Van Velden Hospital in Limpopo. She worked with a variety of paediatric conditions such as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities. She then worked at a school for autism where she developed a passion for children with autism. She is committed to furthering her knowledge and growing in her profession. She has a special interest in sensory integration and school readiness. She is in the process of completing her Sensory Integration Certification. She believes that play is a child’s most important occupation and form of learning.
Tanym Burger
Tanym attended Stellenbosch University and graduated with a BSc in Sport Science in 2012 and an Honours in Sport Science specialising in Kinderkinetics in 2013. She then continued with her studies and qualified with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2017 also from Stellenbosch University. Tanym gained experience in a government hospital setting working with a variety of adult and paediatric conditions. She is passionate about working with children and making sure they reach their full potential in school, in their social lives and family lives assisting children to dream big and believe in themselves and their abilities. She believes that each child is different, and a single solution will not fit every child, therefore an individualised treatment plan based on the child’s unique needs and interests is needed. She enjoys working with children of a variety of ages and developmental difficulties including Autism Spectrum disorder. Tanym has always strived to continue learning and she is currently completing her sensory integration certification through the South African Institute for Sensory Integration. She has also completed her introduction to DIR Floortime and plans to complete the full qualification.
Teagen Naidoo
Teagen is passionate about her job as she thrives when given the opportunity to assist children to meaningfully participate in their everyday activities. Her main goal is to support her clients and their families through tailored treatment, advice and give them hope when they are despondent about the future, as she believes in the ability to show children how to empower themselves and have fun while doing it! She has also developed a passion for sensory integration and is continuing her studies in this field to further benefit the lives of her clients. Teagen plans to complete her Sensory Integration certification as well as the DIR Floortime training in the near future.
Julia Baylis
Julia completed her BSc Occupational Therapy degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2021. She fulfilled her community service year with Johannesburg Metro District Rehabilitation, based at Chiawelo Community Healthcare Centre in Soweto, where she worked with a variety of different diagnoses. Julia then worked at Little Forest Centre, where her interest in working with children grew, before joining Capable Kids in September 2024. Julia enjoys being able to engage with children and their families and endeavours to nurture children’s current abilities whilst also guiding them to discover their unique potential. Continuing to improve her understanding of children is important, and thus Julia has completed various paediatric courses and plans to begin her Masters degree in the near future.
Amy Shackleton
Amy graduated with a BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Witwatersrand in 2022. Amy gained experience working at Van Velden Hospital in Limpopo. She worked with a variety of paediatric conditions such as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities. She then worked at a school for autism where she developed a passion for children with autism. She is committed to furthering her knowledge and growing in her profession. She has a special interest in sensory integration and school readiness. She is in the process of completing her Sensory Integration Certification. She believes that play is a child’s most important occupation and form of learning.
Tanym Burger
Tanym attended Stellenbosch University and graduated with a BSc in Sport Science in 2012 and an Honours in Sport Science specialising in Kinderkinetics in 2013. She then continued with her studies and qualified with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2017 also from Stellenbosch University. Tanym gained experience in a government hospital setting working with a variety of adult and paediatric conditions. She is passionate about working with children and making sure they reach their full potential in school, in their social lives and family lives assisting children to dream big and believe in themselves and their abilities. She believes that each child is different, and a single solution will not fit every child, therefore an individualised treatment plan based on the child’s unique needs and interests is needed. She enjoys working with children of a variety of ages and developmental difficulties including Autism Spectrum disorder. Tanym has always strived to continue learning and she is currently completing her sensory integration certification through the South African Institute for Sensory Integration. She has also completed her introduction to DIR Floortime and plans to complete the full qualification.
Teagen Naidoo
Teagen is passionate about her job as she thrives when given the opportunity to assist children to meaningfully participate in their everyday activities. Her main goal is to support her clients and their families through tailored treatment, advice and give them hope when they are despondent about the future, as she believes in the ability to show children how to empower themselves and have fun while doing it! She has also developed a passion for sensory integration and is continuing her studies in this field to further benefit the lives of her clients. Teagen plans to complete her Sensory Integration certification as well as the DIR Floortime training in the near future.
Julia Baylis
Julia completed her BSc Occupational Therapy degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2021. She fulfilled her community service year with Johannesburg Metro District Rehabilitation, based at Chiawelo Community Healthcare Centre in Soweto, where she worked with a variety of different diagnoses. Julia then worked at Little Forest Centre, where her interest in working with children grew, before joining Capable Kids in September 2024. Julia enjoys being able to engage with children and their families and endeavours to nurture children’s current abilities whilst also guiding them to discover their unique potential. Continuing to improve her understanding of children is important, and thus Julia has completed various paediatric courses and plans to begin her Masters degree in the near future.
Amy Shackleton
Amy graduated with a BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Witwatersrand in 2022. Amy gained experience working at Van Velden Hospital in Limpopo. She worked with a variety of paediatric conditions such as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities. She then worked at a school for autism where she developed a passion for children with autism. She is committed to furthering her knowledge and growing in her profession. She has a special interest in sensory integration and school readiness. She is in the process of completing her Sensory Integration Certification. She believes that play is a child’s most important occupation and form of learning.
Tanym Burger
Tanym attended Stellenbosch University and graduated with a BSc in Sport Science in 2012 and an Honours in Sport Science specialising in Kinderkinetics in 2013. She then continued with her studies and qualified with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2017 also from Stellenbosch University. Tanym gained experience in a government hospital setting working with a variety of adult and paediatric conditions. She is passionate about working with children and making sure they reach their full potential in school, in their social lives and family lives assisting children to dream big and believe in themselves and their abilities. She believes that each child is different, and a single solution will not fit every child, therefore an individualised treatment plan based on the child’s unique needs and interests is needed. She enjoys working with children of a variety of ages and developmental difficulties including Autism Spectrum disorder. Tanym has always strived to continue learning and she is currently completing her sensory integration certification through the South African Institute for Sensory Integration. She has also completed her introduction to DIR Floortime and plans to complete the full qualification.
Teagen Naidoo
Teagen is passionate about her job as she thrives when given the opportunity to assist children to meaningfully participate in their everyday activities. Her main goal is to support her clients and their families through tailored treatment, advice and give them hope when they are despondent about the future, as she believes in the ability to show children how to empower themselves and have fun while doing it! She has also developed a passion for sensory integration and is continuing her studies in this field to further benefit the lives of her clients. Teagen plans to complete her Sensory Integration certification as well as the DIR Floortime training in the near future.
Julia Baylis
Julia completed her BSc Occupational Therapy degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2021. She fulfilled her community service year with Johannesburg Metro District Rehabilitation, based at Chiawelo Community Healthcare Centre in Soweto, where she worked with a variety of different diagnoses. Julia then worked at Little Forest Centre, where her interest in working with children grew, before joining Capable Kids in September 2024. Julia enjoys being able to engage with children and their families and endeavours to nurture children’s current abilities whilst also guiding them to discover their unique potential. Continuing to improve her understanding of children is important, and thus Julia has completed various paediatric courses and plans to begin her Masters degree in the near future.
Amy Shackleton
Amy graduated with a BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Witwatersrand in 2022. Amy gained experience working at Van Velden Hospital in Limpopo. She worked with a variety of paediatric conditions such as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities. She then worked at a school for autism where she developed a passion for children with autism. She is committed to furthering her knowledge and growing in her profession. She has a special interest in sensory integration and school readiness. She is in the process of completing her Sensory Integration Certification. She believes that play is a child’s most important occupation and form of learning.
Surè Howell
Suré completed her BSc Occupational Therapy degree at the University of the Free State. After completing her community service year, she travelled for a year to the USA as an Au Pair, where she gained invaluable cultural and personal insights. Upon returning to South Africa, she worked as an Occupational Therapist in both remedial and special needs schools, which deepened her passion for supporting children with unique learning and developmental needs. In 2021, Suré began her journey in private practice. She is Ayres Sensory Integration trained and has a special interest in helping children with sensory integration challenges. She has a soft spot for working with children on the autism spectrum and takes great joy in celebrating the individuality and strengths of every child she works with.