MOVE offers hope

movetrain052: MOVE offers hope
As part a MOVE training exercise, Salt Lake City’s Ben Thompson prepares to throw a ball to assistance dog Duke.
It is perhaps an overused quotation, but when Confucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," he apparently was on to something that could well be the motto for an organization called MOVE International. MOVE stands for Mobility Opportunities Via Education, and on June 25 it completed its annual four-day training of basic providers and trainers at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office in Bakersfield.

Single steps are what the training is all about. Each of the 80 participants, coming from as far away as Scotland and 10 of the United States, serves children for whom severe physical challenges have presented obstacles to sitting, standing and walking independently. Before founder Linda Bidabe, a former special education teacher from Bakersfield, created the curriculum in the 1980s, there was little hope for children afflicted with severe disabilities. MOVE changed all that, and made a believer out of Katrina Michael, an occupational therapist from Indianapolis, who was back in Bakersfield for more training.

"In 1997, I had two responsibilities for the children -- keep them from having contraction or deformity, and I was doing my job," Michael said. "We didn't have a curriculum. We used a lot of bean bags and other materials just to make them comfortable. We didn't think they could move. Then the MOVE trainer came to my site and showed us how they could be taught mobility. I had no idea that it would take 2,000 repetitions to acquire a skill. I cried. It brought hope to me and my profession. It was something everyone could do."

Through the use of repetition and specially designed equipment with restraints for stability and wheels for mobility, moderately and severely disabled children are being taught to sit, stand and walk every day throughout the United States and much of the world.

"I think there is one other primary component of MOVE and that is motivation," said MOVE International Executive Director David Schreuder. "That is one reason that each year we encourage parents to bring their physically challenged children to our "Basic Providers" training. The children become models for our assessments. And nothing can motivate a child and all of us more than seeing them confidently making progress across a room on their own."

There was ample demonstration of that on June 24. Trainer Jerry Goebel from Indianapolis brought his assistance dog, a golden retriever named Duke, to help with instruction. Dianne Thompson was present with her two children, seven-year-old Berkeley and three-year-old Ben, all the way from Salt Lake City. Both children have a rare, genetic affliction known as Carbohydrate Deficient Glycoprotein Syndrome (CDG), which effects gross motor skills, balance and muscular support.

Goebel brought Duke and a plastic wiffle ball over to each child who was restrained in a "pacer gait trainer." Without much prompting, Berkeley took the ball and threw it for Duke to chase. Seeing how much fun she was having, Ben repeatedly called out for the dog. When it would not come to him, Ben moved himself closer to get his chance at throwing the ball. After a couple of throws, Goebel deliberately let Duke wander off. Anxious to do it again, Berkeley and Ben both moved themselves to Duke, where the process began anew. Then, Bidabe, who was teaching, helped Berkeley out of her pacer and, holding her hand, walked her to Duke where she began smiling and petting him. By this time, Berkeley and Duke were across the room from Ben who had been helped out of his pacer. Ben began calling out "doggie" and without any assistance, crawled, jumped and hopped to join the others. When he arrived a huge smile came across his face, and, as he petted Duke, Ben was heard to say, "Nice." For the next few minutes, wherever Duke went, Ben and Berkeley were not far behind.

Dianne Thompson was thrilled.

"We will benefit from seeing the equipment in use and how to use it," Thompson said. "Watching Linda (Bidabe) hold Berkeley's hands and help her walk was so exciting. Just seeing my kids doing weight-bearing activities gives me a lot of hope that they will be able to live independent lives someday. We don't have a MOVE program in Salt Lake, and I want to develop one to give every child more independence and dignity and to help my own children progress, too."

Check the MOVE International Web site, http://www.move-international.org, for more information.
Print This Page   Email This Page