HANDLE and RMT therapy are about integrating the brain functions in children and adults with neuro development delays or challenges.

HANDLE means Holistic Approach to Neuro – Development and Learning Efficiency. It is simple, non-invasive, empowering and non-drug. It is a crossover of occupational therapy meets physiotherapy. The relationship between movement and thinking are one and the same.

One activity that HANDLE gives as an example is drinking through a crazy straw. What are crazy straws? Crazy straws are those plastic straws with loops and comes in different colors. What do you do with the crazy straw? You basically pour a cup of water and suck on the straw with your eyes closed as you sip and swallow in a rhythmic pattern. It is that simple.

Just a simple activity translate into the following benefits:

inter hemispheric integration –

binocular functions (eye teaming)

light sensitivity

sound sensitivity

articulation

bowel and bladder control

tongue and lip control for articulation

facial muscle tone for nonverbal communication

Judith Bluestone developed the HANDLE program 40 years ago. She was born with neuro development challenges and also cranial abnormalities due to profound prenatal chemical toxicity. She knew she was different from other children at the age of 4. By age 8, she turned deaf because of fused bones in her inner ear. She couldn’t articulate and could only eat puree food since her upper jaw and palate had stopped growing. She also suffered from seizures.

Judith approached to neuro development is from the outside in. She has 12 years of study in neuroscience, neuropsychology, neuro-rehabilitation, human development, visual processing, sensory-motor integration, education and more. With those knowledge she was able to apply and create the HANDLE approach and founded HANDLE Institute in 1994. She has personally treated over 4,000 individuals and families using HANDLE before her passing in 2009.

http://www.handle.org/

RMT means Rhythmic Movement Training and it works with integrating retained or under developed infant reflexes that causes learning challenges such as ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, etc. RMT replicates the developmental movements of infant reflexes by using gentle isometric pressure to bring back awareness to the body and also releases stress and learned patterns of behavior.

Dr.Harald Blomberg is a Swedish psychiatrist who founded the method of rhythmic movement after working with Kerstin Linde who is a body-therapist who had worked with many children and adults with neurological disabilities. Dr. Blomberg had motor problems because of childhood polio and Linde’s treatment has greatly impacted him to improve in his ability to move. He has continued to learn and to investigate into the role of movement and learning. He created the Rhythmic Movement and Infant Reflexes Integration since 1990.