Parents of unique or special needs children worry a lot about their kids and want the best for them. Feldenkrais helps parents by helping their child learn to gain control of their body and better interact with their environment.
The Feldenkrais Method helps children developmentally, and therefore benefits any or all of the following: movement, coordination, balance, social regulation and self regulation.
The Feldenkrais Method is known for treating children with respect, meeting them eye to eye and working with them, not on them. I started working with kids with special and unique needs at the Viktor Frankl school for severely physically and mentally handicapped children in Frankfurt, Germany. I had so many great experiences during this work. In 2020 I did the advanced training in JKA, the Jeremy Krauss Approach for working with children with special needs. I have also attended a workshop delivered by Anat Baniel, of the Anat Baniel Method (ABM).
Image ©Ben Parsons
Children’s sessions are usally done live, or online if you live in a different country. With online video sessions, older children may be able to follow my instructions directly, with or without the assistance of a parent. With younger children or those with greater needs, I can guide the parent to do movements like I do them, showing how to hold and move a young child like I would do if we were physically present, so that the child experiences similar benefits to being treated directly by me.
Children’s case studies.
A 12 year old girl, severely disabled from birth, unable to talk, sit or walk, rapidly developed greater self awareness and as a consequence there were positive changes to her movement, sleep, biological self control, such as bladder control, mood and social interaction.
A healthy and fit 13 year old boy with a 60 degree scoliosis, operated twice with spine stiffening procedures. He comes to me to reduce back pain exacerbated by sitting at school.
A 9 year old girl, severely disabled, lacking the ability to hold herself upright in her wheelchair and unable to sit with a straight head. She is kept vertical in the wheelchair using straps. She learnt to bring and maintain her trunk into vertical alignment so finally her eyes were level to the horizon and she could see the world straight and with a smile.
Movement Solutions 