The Start of a Movement?

Part 2:  The Story of George

2 Families Struggling with the affects of

Autism, ADHD, PDD, and Anxiety Disorder NOS

 

By Elizabeth Rick

 

Claire is 6, and diagnosed with Autism.  George now 13, was diagnosed with ADHD, PDD  and Anxiety Disorder NOS.  Nevertheless, parents can’t believe the new sense of order and new freedoms as they watch their children learning, behaving and moving towards independence.   As both mothers said together, ”This is huge.  This is magnitude.”

 

They credit a 10 Minute Bedtime Movement Program.

 

Here’s the story of George, a very courageous teen-ager who has come a long way.
At 18 months, parents knew his development was not progressing like other children his age.  His mother noticed, “He wasn’t learning words. He had severe separation issues and difficulties playing with toys as other children would. He was very active…”
He received early intervention services through the school district.  George also had a full assessment done at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, MN., when he was 2.9 years old.       
He was diagnosed with ADHD, PDD (part of the Autism spectrum) and at 6 years of age, Anxiety Disorder NOS.  The doctors started George on medications.  Anna recalls George being on Effexor, Prozac, Busparine and Metadate at the same time, 9 pills total.  Parents noticed some improvement in his behaviors. Over the years, more symptoms popped up.  Here are the overall challenges George has faced:
 

1. Intense Anxiety – George lived in fear, couldn’t handle even hearing the words – emergency, tornado, fire drill or thunder storm, would get physically sick, sweat profusely or throw up, and then be laughed at by other children who didn’t understand
2. Hyperactivity – Anna said, ”He couldn’t sit still.  His body was always, always in movement.”
3. Impulsivity
4. Could not follow I step directions
5. “Socially, George didn’t have the play skills, language , or comprehension of spoken information to make friends,” his mother shared.
6. As the years passed George fell further and further behind in academics.  At 9, he wasn’t even reading at kindergarten level. Janet Oliver, a Neuro-developmental specialist has often said, it is very difficult to learn when our system is stressed.   

 
His mother describes a typical day:  “From morning ‘til night I felt like I was chasing him all over.  He was like a living tornado…He would get into one thing and before I could resolve it or clean it up, he had already destroyed, or was into something else.”
 
Anna has sought many forms of help for her son.  In February of 2007, she went for instruction in  Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT).    Anna says, ”I could not wait to take it home and use it with my son, because in class, I myself had very positive results experiencing these simple RMT movements in my body.”  

From February 2007 – August 2007, Anna and George did RMT for approximately 10 minutes at bedtime, 5-6 days a week.  “It was really, really exciting,” states Anna.
Here are the results:

1. George experienced a great decrease in his anxiety and panic attacks,  when he’s worried, he doesn’t get sick any more, he asks a lot of questions, he may have to remind himself to breath, but that communication piece is now there
2. Georges body responded well to the movements, tight  muscles relaxed
3. Increased calm
4. Improved ability to sit and attend
5. Spring of  2007, doctor recommended decrease in medications from 7 pills to 5 after only a couple of months of RMT,  in October meds were again decreased to 3 pills,

In  August of 2007,  George started seeing Janet Oliver, a Neuro-developmental Specialist who continued with some of the rhythmic movements and added several new integrative activities.
Anna shared,” I believe with RMT we were just starting to make a lot of the brain connections and with time and more integration opportunities we continue to build and establish deeper connections and pathways (in the brain).”  Today George continues to gain more independence both academically and socially.  His mother reports, “He continues to make progress, he’s continuing to learn…he’s continuing to shock and surprise me.  He’s doing so well in school right now…and he’s enjoying, he’s enjoying life!”  She goes on to say, “George is developing a wonderful social personality.  He loves making phone calls to his grandpa, grandma, aunt and cousin and has memorized their numbers.  He does this independently, daily.” He also enjoys walks with his mom, hanging out with friends, throwing the football and talking about girls.
Comparing earlier years with the present, Anna reflects, “He’s always been ready to fight/ (take) flight/or freeze.  He’s always lived in fear and now finally with RMT and other integrative techniques, I’m seeing a different George.  Sarah, (Claire’s mom) stated,” If we jump to medication so quickly, we don’t even think about helping at the brain level.  I do believe that there is a place for medication at times. “Anna continues, “With RMT... we have found a solution, whereas, with traditional medicine it’s a bandage and doesn’t address the underlying issue;  rather provides a temporary intervention with a load of possible side effects.  This (RMT) is life altering.”

What is Rhythmic Movement Training?

  
Simply put, it’s a movement program which calms the nervous system and matures the brain. According to Dr. Harald Blomberg, a Swedish Psychaitrist,  RMT consists of 17 gentle rocking exercises.  These movements imitate the baby’s natural developmental movements, such as rocking on hands and knees.  These motions are the key to integrating primary reflexes which in turn, hooks-up the brain.  You see at birth, only one part of the brain is fully functioning – the brainstem (controls heartbeat, breathing, digestion).  Three other main parts – the basal ganglia (controls posture, walking, standing, etc.), the limbic system (manages emotions, memory, learning, play) and the cortex (in charge of judgement, attention, control of impulses) are not fully engaged yet.  It is essential for these infant reflexes to integrate so that all parts of the brain can hook-up for full operation.  The rocking movements also stimulate the growth of nerve cells which branch off connecting the different parts of the brain.  Albert Einstein’s brain was loaded with these.

Interested in learning more about Rhythmic Movement Training?

Please visit:
www.haraldblomberg.com ,click on English and www.rhythmicmovement.com
Contact : Elizabeth Rick  763-479-2566 or email edreducation@yahoo.com
        Mary Gazca  612-870-8785 or email la.casita.montessori@juno.com