Our story
Help My Child began in the space between parents and therapists.
It Takes a Community to Understand a Child
Every child is understood a little differently by the people around them.
A parent knows the child at home. A teacher sees them in the classroom. A therapist brings professional knowledge and insight into their development.
Each perspective matters. But when these perspectives remain separate, important pieces of the picture can be missed.
Help My Child was built on the belief that we understand children better when we learn from one another.
Learning together
Some of the most meaningful experiences in the early Help My Child workshops happened around a table.
Parents sat alongside occupational therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and teachers. Everyone brought their own questions, experiences and expertise. Professionals gained a deeper understanding of family life. Parents discovered new ways of understanding their children. And everyone left having learned something from someone else.
Those workshops shaped the philosophy behind Help My Child — and continue to influence everything we create.
Although our learning now takes place online, the principle remains unchanged: knowledge should be shared, perspectives should be valued, and learning should bring people together.
How the courses are written
Knowledge is freedom
Knowledge is power, but I believe it is also freedom. Understanding why a child learns, behaves or responds as they do brings:
- Freedom from bias
- Freedom from fear
- Freedom from confusion
- Freedom from stigma
- Freedom from helplessness
For this reason the courses are open to everyone, and I, together with the experts I consult, remain available to answer questions from anyone who takes them.
CPD accreditation
Many professionals need CPD points each year to stay current or keep their registration. When professionals began asking whether the courses were accredited, I submitted them to The CPD Group in the United Kingdom. I chose international accreditation because learners join from around the world.
Accredited courses are assessed individually against The CPD Group’s quality framework and listed on The CPD Register, so learners and employers can verify them. Accredited courses carry a CPD badge on the course page.
Meet Jouré Rustemeyer, CEO and Founder
Help My Child began with a simple belief: children benefit when the adults around them understand them better.
With more than two decades of hands-on experience working in neurodiversity, I’ve seen how much difference understanding can make. I’ve also seen how easily parents and professionals can find themselves working towards the same goals without always understanding one another’s perspectives.
Some of my most memorable experiences were in-person workshops where parents sat alongside teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists. Everyone arrived with their own questions, experiences and expertise. And everyone left having learned something new.
Those moments shaped the philosophy behind Help My Child.
I created this platform to make practical, evidence-informed knowledge accessible to the people who need it, whether you’re a parent trying to understand your child better or a professional wanting to strengthen your practice.
Although our learning now takes place online, the purpose remains the same: bringing people together through understanding, sharing knowledge and helping children thrive.
Because every child deserves adults who understand them.
— Jouré Rustemeyer
Founder, Help My Child
Jouré is also OT CPD Courses Lead at The OT Hub and a Fellow of the International Forum for Inclusion Practitioners, and has written for practitioners in both The OT Hub and The Inclusionista. She was a finalist in the Santam Women of the Future Awards.
Our mission
To close the gap between home, school and therapy, so that the adults around every child share one understanding of that child and can act on it together.
Caring Together
Where understanding comes together
Understanding a child is only the beginning. What we do with that understanding matters.
When parents and professionals share knowledge and appreciate one another’s perspectives, support becomes more connected. Strategies make more sense across home and school. Conversations become more meaningful. And children benefit from adults who understand them more fully.
Caring Together is about building that shared understanding — not expecting everyone to know everything, but recognising that we each have something valuable to contribute.
Because supporting a child was never meant to be something one person does alone.