Private Sessions

The Spiral Movement Center offers world-class holistic somatic motor re-education for children who need intensive movement interventions. We use an original somatic discipline, Adapted Spiral Praxis, which consists of gentle manipulation, stretching and strengthening of individual body zones to integrate the body more fully in locomotive and postural actions.  This cutting-edge, non-invasive intervention has helped children with autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, genetic syndromes and ataxia obtain greater gains in recovering their movement abilities.  It is a unique treatment not found anywhere else in the world.

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A typical Spiral Praxis somatic re-education session lasts about 1 hour with two instructors.  The session is divided into two main categories:  (1) passive motor re-education; (2) active motor re-education. Passive motor re-education consists of body manipulations to free contractures in the body, tone postural muscles, and create a well-supported range of motion. Typically the practitioners will place the child in different physical equilibrium positions and then perform various oscillatory motions called “learning reflexes” to release muscular tensions and stress. The motions are smooth and practitioners are careful never to induce any pain on children—they often use songs and stories to help children relax and make the experience fun.

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In active motor re-education, children are placed in various movement activities where they are challenged to expand the range of their self-initiated movements.  The activities are very carefully graduated so the children can improve at their own pace.  During this phase of treatment, the children will learn all the basic movement co-ordinations of the body as well as re-visit physical milestones of infancy.  The goal in this phase is to prepare children for regular locomotive activities and to strengthen their love and desire to move.

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Unlike more traditional, medically-oriented treatment, Spiral Praxis techniques are designed to evoke a child’s natural motivation to developmentally explore movement.  It is non-invasive, gentle, and fun for children but can be extremely effective for their development.  We never push the child to do something they don't want to do.  Many of our children have recovered movement abilities without the use of surgery, medication, splints or other external aids.  Watch the videos below to see some of the gains that some of our children have made through a natural somatic healing process.

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