|
|
 |
Miscellaneous Articles
|
|
NON-PROFIT, ~.BON-SECTARIAN ORGANIZATION FOR THE PERCEPTUALLY HANDICAPPED
During the summer of 1963, three children went through a series of muscular manipulation by a licensed therapist utilizing the Rolf Technique of Structural Integration®. In order to optimize its functioning and coordination. Through a working knowledge of the scientific application of principles of Biophysics and Bio-chemistry, trained hands have sought to free the musculature of the body of its mal-adoption to the environmental stresses which characterizes the facility of our every movement.
The technique was demonstrated at our last meeting before a large audience of over 80 parents, teachers, therapists and lay people who had witnessed the changes in our children during the summer and had come to see for themselves how the Rolf® technique was implemented. For those who weren¹t able to attend that meeting, another opportunity to see this effort, will be given at the showing of the movie, which documented the changes in the children before and during the course of treatment.
This project, dubbed ³Project Breakthrough² was one of the first of a series under way by the Foundation for Brain-Injured children. Through the volunteered efforts of Dr. R. Demmerle, Jim Frasio, participating parents and lots of volunteers, this project was completed last fall and only final editing of the film remains. This technique was selected as being the most promising of physical therapies to meet the unique requirements of the brain-injured child and to quickly further his muscular development.
One of the most striking characteristics of the brain-injured child is his poor coordination, his apparent disorganization and the relative immaturity of his movements as compared to his chronological age. These differences can¹t be ascribed to his chronological age alone. Although the original causes may have been due to other reasons, the muscular structure with which the child now faces his present environment deems to prevent him from achieving the capability expected by virtue of his other levels of skill,
Accordingly, it was asked whether it would be possible to reorganize the body relationships from the inside, instead of from without the body.
This teaching of internal awareness through a balancing of muscular relationships is what the Rolf® technique does, as we all witnessed at our last meeting.
For the purpose of our initial study, the three children represented, one very impaired BI child; one not so impaired BI child one normal. Photos were taken throughout. All children cooperated willingly with the exception of our normal child, who much later began to appreciate the changes in his structure.
The physical changes were most dramatic in the case of our very impaired child, who¹s limp penguin type stance changed into an erect assured gait.
The personality changes were unexpected. He was no longer afraid of falling objects or of falling himself. Noises did not distract him. The protruding teeth assumed a more normal attitude and the voice quality changed from animal like sounds to the normal voice range. The desire to talk was facilitated and although speech had not emerged as a useful tool for this child, his total involvement and understanding of language is evident in his social contacts.
Academically this youngster went from 2nd to 5th grade work to the surprise and delight of everyone. The others didn¹t make such a dramatic increment in academics, although the other BI child greatly improved in social responsiveness and language repertoire. He went from a passive type to the gregarious talkative type. Academics improved accordingly.
The grace and movement achieved in all the children was so noticeable to everyone that the Rolf® technique was considered worthy for our children and certainly for further evaluation.
While it is cautioned that this technique is definitely no cure-all for the common problems of the Brain-injured children, it is tentatively considered as a useful procedure to tone body muscles and assist proper functioning.
|
|
|
|
