Here’s How Tax Relief for Neurodivergent Kids Actually WorksIf you’re raising a neurodivergent child in South Africa, you’re already doing a lot.
Appointments. School meetings. Forms. “Can you just send that report again?” moments. The daily juggling act of home + school + therapy + life.
So when someone says, “You might be able to claim tax relief,” it can feel like one more admin mountain… right when you’re already running on fumes.
Here’s the good news: tax relief is available, and there’s a real framework designed to give families some breathing room.
The bad news is: it’s not always obvious how it works, and the internet is full of conflicting advice.
This guide will help you understand the basics without spiralling.
Tax relief is available in South Africa
South Africa’s tax system includes support for families who carry additional medical and care costs. The main mechanism is the Additional Medical Expenses Tax Credit (AMTC).
It’s not a cash payout. It’s a tax credit that reduces the amount of normal tax you pay.
For many families, it becomes a crucial “safety valve”, especially when you’re paying for the kind of support your child needs to function well in the real world.
Where neurodiversity fits into the SARS framework
SARS doesn’t have a neat category called “neurodivergence.”
Instead, conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, and PDA are considered based on their functional impact, in other words, how much they limit day-to-day life.
For tax purposes, a “disability” is defined as a moderate to severe limitation in a person’s ability to function or perform daily activities (including learning, thinking, communicating).
If your child’s challenges create a moderate to severe limitation that is expected to last more than a year, your family may qualify for tax relief.
If the limitations are considered milder, the condition may fall under what SARS calls a “physical impairment.” (Despite the name, this category isn’t limited to physical conditions and can still apply in some neurodevelopmental contexts.)
Relief may still be available, but often with different thresholds and limits.
The common misunderstanding that trips parents up
One of the biggest myths is:
“If I have the diagnosis, we automatically qualify.”
Not necessarily.
SARS looks at whether the condition remains a significant limitation even after what it calls “maximum correction” (including appropriate therapy, treatment, or medication).
Because every child is different, eligibility is assessed case by case. Two families can have the same diagnosis and still have different outcomes depending on how the condition impacts daily functioning.
Which is frustrating, yes.
But also: it’s why getting clarity early matters.
Why paperwork and medical confirmation matter (even if you hate admin)
The admin requirements can feel like adding weight to an already heavy load.
But they’re also the keys to unlocking tax relief.
A diagnosis label isn’t enough. You need formal medical confirmation from a registered practitioner who is trained to give an opinion on your child’s condition.
The key document is the ITR-DD form (Confirmation of Diagnosis of Disability).
Whether this form is required in your situation can depend on how your child’s needs are classified (which is exactly where many parents get stuck).
Important: you typically don’t submit the form with your annual return, but you must keep it, along with invoices and proof of payments, for at least five years.
SARS often verifies these claims, so having your paperwork organised from the start protects you later.
Think of it like this: a few clicks to save documents today can save you hours of stress later.
You don’t have to figure it all out today
If this feels complex, you’re not meant to decode it alone in between lunchboxes and meltdowns.
So we created a simple starting point for parents:
✅ Download the tax relief cheat sheet at www.dalza.com/tax-relief-cheat-sheet/
A clear summary of what you need to know (and what to gather), without the jargon.
Supporting a neurodivergent child requires enough time, energy, and emotional bandwidth as it is. Tax admin shouldn’t be another thing you have to white-knuckle your way through.
Start with the cheat sheet.
Get the lay of the land.
And take it one step at a time.
👉 Download the free tax relief cheat sheet at www.dalza.com/tax-relief-cheat-sheet/
Disclaimer:
This content is provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended as legal, tax, or financial advice. Tax outcomes depend on individual circumstances, and eligibility for tax relief is assessed by SARS on a case-by-case basis. We recommend consulting a registered tax practitioner or qualified professional before submitting any tax claims
Dalza empowers parents, educators and healthcare professionals to effectively support children who learn and think differently.
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From Lonely Lunches to Gentle Connections: Helping Your Neurodivergent Child Find “Safe” Friends at SchoolIt’s the first term of the year. Your child is met with a sea of unfamiliar faces, and your stomach flips as you think about them enduring more lonely lunches.
Social safety can be shaky for children who learn, think, move, or communicate a little differently. For many, wobbles occur not because they don’t want friends, but because friendship, including reading social cues, sharing airtime, and switching topics, feels like a maze.
What a “safe friend” looks like (and why it matters)
A safe friend is a peer who respects boundaries, shares an interest (even one!), and doesn’t pressure. For many neurodivergent kids, this kind of companionship keeps their nervous system steadier, helps them be seen for more than their challenges, and also meets a core need: to belong.
Be gentle with the realities. As one parent shared, “My kiddo can be overbearing and doesn’t always pick up when others don’t want to play, but is so loving and wants to play with everyone.” That intensity is part of who they are; our job is to channel it toward kinder matches and clearer cues.
Start a home conversation: What makes a good friend?
Turn “friendship” into an ongoing, low-pressure chat. Together, name what kindness looks like (takes turns, checks in, doesn’t tease). Use concrete examples “A good friend lets you take a quiet break” and role-play both sides: how to invite, how to pause, how to exit kindly.
Explain why others don’t always want “the hobby talk” for hours.
Special interests are wonderful. They build joy, expertise, and identity when shared with consent. Try this kid-friendly explanation:
- “A conversation is like passing a ball. If we hold it the whole time, others don’t get to play.”
- “Some people love shark facts as much as you do. Others have a tiny ‘listening cup.’ When it’s full, we pause.”
Three conversation-sharing rules to practise
- Ask–Share–Ask: “Can I tell you one cool thing about ___?” → share one short fact → “Want another, or your turn?”
- One-breath bites: Say one or two things, then stop and look and your friend.
- Topic switch consent: “Shall we talk more about sharks, or something you like?”
Teach social cues based on a traffic light system.
- Green lights (keep going): They face you, nod, smile, ask follow-ups, add ideas.
- Yellow lights (slow down): Short answers (“uh-huh”), looking away, fidgeting, checking the door/clock, changing topic.
- Red lights (pause/repair): They walk away, put headphones on, say “not now,” or look upset.
Coaching at home
- 10-minute role-play: You be the classmate. Practise Ask–Share–Ask and cue-spotting. Keep it playful, swap roles, award a silly “good listener” badge.
- Mirror moments: Act out a yellow light; your child guesses the cue and picks a next move.
- Celebrate micro-wins: “You paused and asked a question, that was generous.”
Keep a quick note on what works
Keeping brief notes as the school weeks progress, such as who they sat with, what worked, what didn’t, will help parents and teachers spot patterns and act sooner.
If you prefer one place to keep that picture (and share it with the teacher when needed), you can use Dalza to centralise your notes, spot patterns, give feedback to the teacher (and vice versa) and create an action plan.
Try Dalza for free dalza.com
Dalza empowers parents, educators and healthcare professionals to effectively support children who learn and think differently.
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Starting the School Year Without Starting from Scratch: Smoother Transitions for Kids with Additional Needs (and Their Parents)The new school year can dial up parent anxiety, especially if your child has additional learning needs.
New class, new teacher, new routines (maybe a whole new school) can all come with an uneasy feeling: will the teacher know what my child needs to settle?
The night before day one, you find yourself scrolling through emails and WhatsApp threads at 11 p.m., piecing together a “what works” list and wondering when you’ll find time with the teacher to explain your child, without reducing them to a list of challenges.
Meanwhile, your child is facing new rooms, new rules, and often making new friends. It’s a lot – for both of you.
Transitions are a high-risk zone. For many neurodivergent children, predictability is essential for regulation. Parents feel the strain of advocacy fatigue; retelling the same story, hoping the crucial parts aren’t lost in translation, and worrying about how much to share with each new adult.
Schools work hard to bridge these gaps, and a beginning-of-term transition plan is a helpful start. Here’s what you might let the teacher know about your child:
- What they might notice in class: 3–5 specific, observable behaviours.
What helps: 3–6 concrete supports, with simple if–then examples.
How to handle challenging moments: the response that works if things escalate.
If your child is finding the transition particularly tough, some parents recommend:
- Sending a favourite book or small item from home for the teacher to share with the class.
Visiting a quiet, familiar space at school before heading into the classroom.
Arriving a few minutes early and asking the teacher to give your child a purposeful job as classmates arrive.
Still, even the best handover is just a snapshot in time. Children grow; strategies evolve week by week.
Without a record that lives and breathes with your child, continuity cracks appear. Teachers may miss last term’s wins, therapists may lack context, and you’re back to starting from scratch.
That “remember everything” pressure is real. Reports here, notes there, a dozen threads everywhere. Holding it all in your head makes it harder to think clearly and to show up calm.
Research shows that when parents and teachers are well-connected partners, children do better academically, socially, and emotionally, another reason to make sharing easier and more consistent.
That’s where Dalza comes in. Dalza is an award-winning, secure app where your child’s story lives and evolves across home, school, and therapy. Dalza gives you one organised place for strengths, supports, reports, and real-life notes, so this term’s teacher and next term’s therapist don’t start from zero.
You decide who sees what, when (POPIA/GDPR-compliant by design). And when staff or schools change, the record goes with your child. No more re-explaining the same history.
Transitions will never be completely friction-free. New terms bring new faces, timetables, and friendships. But you don’t have to hold every detail.
Keeping a living record in Dalza protects what you’ve already built, honours your child beyond a checklist of challenges, and makes collaboration simpler for everyone who supports them.
Start your secure, living record today at dalza.com.
Dalza empowers parents, educators and healthcare professionals to effectively support children who learn and think differently.
Post Views: 36,025
