Practicing occupational therapists aren’t usually inclined to use visual media as a treatment modality. We might assume such media would be too passive to meet our treatment objectives. MeMoves, a powerful DVD that many occupational therapists have begun to use as part of a therapeutic support regimen, delivers remarkable benefits through active participation.
Everything about MeMoves is designed to support calm state, social connection, orientation to non-verbal communication, and joint attention through the use of carefully staged visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activity. With 3-5 minutes of participation with this DVD program, children and adults are making changes.
Background music specifically composed for calm, joyful, or attentive states is used throughout the DVD. The music, without language, places the client’s focus on visual and kinesthetic experiences. This also makes it a “safe feeling” activity for children who are challenged in their language development: yet it invites full participation. Visually, the DVD program is designed to support focus on the people demonstrating gestures on the screen. These people were selected because of their ability to “relate” to the audience through body and facial expression, emoting acceptance and invitation, which engages viewers. The kinesthetic task of MeMoves for viewers is to imitate the arm movements of the individuals on the screen along with them. The movements are slow and rhythmic. Some movements are symmetrical, some are asymmetrical. The movements were selected carefully for impact on brain function. The visual program combine with the auditory music and rhythms to make participation irresistible. Even children with attention challenges become quickly engaged.
The apparent simplicity of this DVD program can be deceptive, but the results of frequent or even intermittent use are quite startling. Clinically we are noting changes in calm state, social interaction, expressive language, attention, behavioral organization and imitation, and group unity.
Therapists are using it as a set up for therapy because it calms and organizes a child for purposeful engagement in therapeutic activity. Parents are using it daily in home programs with significant improvements in all areas mentioned. Teachers (in both special education and regular education settings) are using it with classrooms of children. In the classroom it settles groups of children down into “ready to learn” states and assists in group cohesiveness.
MeMoves is available from: www.thinkingmoves.com
This blog was authored by Nancy Lawton-Shirley, OTR and Eileen Richter, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA.
Everything about MeMoves is designed to support calm state, social connection, orientation to non-verbal communication, and joint attention through the use of carefully staged visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activity. With 3-5 minutes of participation with this DVD program, children and adults are making changes.
Background music specifically composed for calm, joyful, or attentive states is used throughout the DVD. The music, without language, places the client’s focus on visual and kinesthetic experiences. This also makes it a “safe feeling” activity for children who are challenged in their language development: yet it invites full participation. Visually, the DVD program is designed to support focus on the people demonstrating gestures on the screen. These people were selected because of their ability to “relate” to the audience through body and facial expression, emoting acceptance and invitation, which engages viewers. The kinesthetic task of MeMoves for viewers is to imitate the arm movements of the individuals on the screen along with them. The movements are slow and rhythmic. Some movements are symmetrical, some are asymmetrical. The movements were selected carefully for impact on brain function. The visual program combine with the auditory music and rhythms to make participation irresistible. Even children with attention challenges become quickly engaged.
The apparent simplicity of this DVD program can be deceptive, but the results of frequent or even intermittent use are quite startling. Clinically we are noting changes in calm state, social interaction, expressive language, attention, behavioral organization and imitation, and group unity.
Therapists are using it as a set up for therapy because it calms and organizes a child for purposeful engagement in therapeutic activity. Parents are using it daily in home programs with significant improvements in all areas mentioned. Teachers (in both special education and regular education settings) are using it with classrooms of children. In the classroom it settles groups of children down into “ready to learn” states and assists in group cohesiveness.
MeMoves is available from: www.thinkingmoves.com
This blog was authored by Nancy Lawton-Shirley, OTR and Eileen Richter, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA.
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