How Rhythmic Movements Catalyzed Growth for Charlotte’s Development
Join us as we read about the incredible strides made by Charlotte, a resilient young individual with a genetic disorder. Facing global developmental challenges, Charlotte’s progress has been marked by peaks and plateaus. However, a turning point came with her engagement in rhythmic movement exercises, demonstrating remarkable improvements in speech, physical coordination, and overall engagement, showcasing the transformative potential of alternative therapeutic approaches. Read on to see how rhythmic movements catalyzed growth for Charlotte’s development.
From Maggie:
My daughter, Charlotte, has a genetic disorder called Insertion/ Deletion/Inversion of Chromosome 8. This condition results in global developmental delays. She has worked with multiple therapists since she was 18 months old and continues to work with the therapists at her school.
Charlotte’s progress has always fluctuated. It will spike and she will have a rapid increase across the board and then we will see little or no progress for what seems to be a long time.
Since she’s been going to ECC and working with the various therapists and teachers there, I have not only seen a huge change in the speed at which she is progressing but also more consistency with her pattern of development. I think there are many factors that contribute to this, but the work she has done with the PT at her school has given her, what I believe, is a solid and effective base for her growth and progress.
In the nine or so months Charlotte has been subjected to the rhythmic movement exercises I have seen a steady increase across the board with her development, but specifically mainly her speech, physical coordination and activity level have increased dramatically. She is speaking her mind more, making choices without being prompted, and much more physically active then she was a year ago. (Much more climbing and running and jumping is happening now.)
We have implemented some of the movements into our daily routine at home and the immediate effects I see are that she is more alert, focused and aware of her surroundings (she tends to be a bit clumsy).
When Charlotte was a baby she was very content with being still. Any physical task that was at all laboring she would avoid and it was very difficult to get her moving. Because the movements are mimicking the movements of babies to stimulate brain growth, I think Charlotte missed out on this natural part of how children develop. Coming back to basics with such primitive yet necessary simulating movements has really worked wonders for Charlotte. She has responded so well to this type of treatment, much better, in my opinion, than the standard practices most therapists use. (This is based on our experience with some very talented therapists through the Early Intervention program.)
I am very pleased with Charlotte’s overall progress this school year and will continue to do the rhythmic exercises with her as long as I feel they are beneficial to her growth and development. I truly believe these rhythmic movements help tremendously in multiple areas Charlotte struggles with and I could not be happier with how far she has come since practicing them.
-Maggie Fleming, Illinois, USA – June 2015
