Most parents of special kids have experimented with therapy cocktails that we hope will move the kiddos closer to “normal”. We try some standard ingredients in the early years, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, and then we might add some mildly exotic mixers like applied behavior analysis therapy or a social skills group to address a particular deficit. They all can be found on the government-paid menu.
The cocktail has made a difference over the years, but over time we begin to feel like regulars at the therapy bar. Progress has slowed or stopped, yet we come back day after day. It’s a comfortable habit, so we keep it up, not knowing what else to do.
But hidden on a back shelf behind the bar are alternative ingredients, a number of therapies and programs that offer a fresh approach that might be better for your child. They’re not on the government menu, so you have to do the research to find them.
Since launching Special Ops last spring, I’ve come across some unique programs that are making an amazing difference. And many of them are so much fun the kids don’t even realizing they are in therapy.
Jennifer helps a student achieve the monkey pose in her yoga hammock.
High-flying Fun
One such program is aerial yoga, and I recently had the pleasure of watching Jennifer Hector, a gifted instructor/therapist with Firefly Yoga Arts, lead a small group of special kids and their parents through a variety of yoga poses while suspended a couple feet above the floor. Jennifer offers 45-minute aerial yoga classes in Walnut Creek, CA, for school-aged kids.
The benefits of yoga for improving mind and body are well known, and therapists have used it to help people with developmental disabilities for many years. The relatively new aerial yoga discipline adds some unique dimensions that are particularly effective in helping increase mindfulness, body awareness, and strength.
The session begins much like a traditional yoga class, on the floor with a centering exercise and a series of poses bringing attention and mindfulness to one’s movement and breath. Then each student moves into a special yoga hammock, a stretchy sling hanging from the ceiling that supports the student while executing a variety of poses. Parents assist the children throughout the class to insure safety and success, build their confidence, and have a lot of fun together.
Mind, Body and Spirit
Jennifer explained that the hammocks provide a different type of feedback to the student that increases body awareness. Without the solid support of the floor, they must engage their strength differently to move into each position, which requires more mindfulness.
Aerial yoga, says Jennifer, can help build a more resilient nervous system, increasing body awareness, strength, and balance. Each pose involves multiple steps, which help improve key areas of executive functioning, such as attendance, initiation, and motor planning. It also can enhance overall well-being by boosting self-esteem, encouraging them to stretch beyond their comfort zone, and providing a sense of accomplishment.
Students have fun while benefitting from the physical, mental, and social aspects of aerial yoga.
Fun and Safe for Everyone
On the day I observed the class, Anna Tague was helping her 12-year-old daughter, Nicole, with each movement. Nicole was born with Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a genetic condition resulting from an abnormality of the 22nd chromosome. It is an extremely rare condition (only about 1,600 known cases globally) that causes global learning and expressive language delays.
“Nicole has very low body awareness,” says Anna, “so aerial yoga helps her be more aware.” Anna noted the importance of Jennifer’s calm, supportive approach. “She creates a very comfortable and safe place for the children and parents, which isn’t always the case with other programs.”
They met Jennifer at Anna’s school in Moraga, CA, where she was a paraeducator for 10 years and led a yoga program for special needs kids. She is now a Marriage and Family Therapist, continuing to work with special kids and their families in her psychotherapy practice at Treehouse Family Counseling Services in San Ramon, CA.
She learned of aerial yoga and was trained in the Yogapeutics method by founder Lindsey Lieneck in Austin, TX. She launched Firefly Yoga Arts and began teaching aerial yoga in 2016. If you’re interested in learning more or registering your child for a class, check out her new website at http://www.fireflyyogaarts.com/. If you live outside of Contra Costa County in northern California, look for another program closer to your home. It is growing in popularity across the country.
“The kids think it’s super fun,” says Jennifer. “That’s the best scenario for learning.”
About me: I am Pete Resler, a dad of two boys with special
needs. I created this blog to tell stories of exceptional people, including those with special needs and those who give of themselves to make life better for them. My hope is that these stories expose more people to what’s good in the special needs world and inspire them to give of themselves to make life better for those with special needs.
You can help: I’m always looking for new ideas. If you know someone you think should be featured, shoot me a note at specialopstories@gmail.com.
Special Ops 