Joyful learning
ABM® NeuroMovement® boosts the brain's capability to learn, by helping the child take notice and make sense of what they feel as they move.
This gentle movement approach have helped thousands of children connect to themselves and their surroundings. And boosted joyful learning processes for children with celebral parese, ADHD, autism, genetic disorders and undiagnosed developmental delays.
Boost brainplasticity with gentle movements
The brains job is to create order and make sense of the stimulation we receive via our sense organs. The brain needs to filter out noise, and convert the stimuli to useful information. For most children this process happen spontaneously. However some children struggle to handle this process on their own, due to brain trauma or other neurological, psychological or physical reason. This may result in the child not reaching the expected milestones, and not being able to live comfortably in our world of constant stimuli.
No matter the reason behind a developmental challenge, all brains are capable of creating new connection and re-organise how it operates, given the right conditions. Anat Baniel Method® NeuroMovement® lessons are providing such conditions, using slow gentle movements that help the child feel safe, notice and make sense of their experience. The lessons are never aimed at "fixing a problem", but at supporting the brain to do its job better. The result is better organised movements, cognitive development and joyful experiential learning processes.
Movement is the language of the brain
The method doesn't focus on diagnosis, but on the unique learning opportunities in each child. It is not a form for therapy, but it may have therapeutical effect, as the child becomes better at learning. If you want to read more about the method connected to a given diagnosis, you may do that on the page of Anat Baniel, the woman behind the method ABM® NeuroMovement®, often called just ABM® or just NeuroMovement®.
NeuroMovement® is a holistic approach to human functioning and action, based in the understanding that the brain organizes all movement. Movement includes not only the movement in space of the skeleton and muscles, but also the movement of thinking, emotion, and feelings. With NeuroMovement®, the person is seen as an integrated, highly complex system, where movement is the language of the brain and the mechanism through which we live, survive and thrive.
From Fixing to Connecting
The underlying process leading to growth and improvement of brain functioning, and with it the improvement in skills and well-being, is the continued process of differentiation, refinement, and increased complexity in the brain. With this method we don’t try to change behavior or "fix a problem". We connect with the child where they are at, and provide experiences from which they can create new neural pathways and improve the functioning of their own brain. With a more attentive and better functioning brain, positive changes can occur in all aspects of life. The children gets a better sense of themselves and their experiences. They are more connected to themselves and the world outside them, and they often get calmer and more joyful as a result.
Learning to learn joyfully
The creation of neural pathways is what we call learning. NeuroMovement® provides joyful learning opportunities, avoiding the strain of repetitive training for both child and the parent. I offer NeuroMovement® lessons for families with children with special needs, in Norway, and abroad, on request. For those who are new to the method, the lessons are given as an intensive, with 6-8 lessons. At least one of these lessons should be for the parent or caretaker. This is to provide continued learning opportunities after or in between intensives. Parents taking one or more lessons, will get a bodily experience that will deepen their understanding of the 9 Essentials, which are the conditions for learning, which in turn will help the child. We all learn our experiences, and a lot of the things we learn cannot be converted into words without loosing its richness. Learning with your whole self gives you, and your child, greater opportunities for growth and vitality.
Want to learn more?
If you are curious to learn more about the method, feel free to contact me and I may call you for a free 30 min consultation. I also recommend parents of children with challenges to read the book "Kids Beyond Limits" by Anat Baniel. If what you read hear resonates with you, this method is most likely a nice way forward for you and your child.
Testimonials children
Increased focus, vitality and agency for learning
Our daughter have practised ABM® NeuroMovement® for many years, and continues to develop new skills. The last two years she has had lessons with Ann Iren.
The ABM® lessons has helped her develope motor skills and prove her cognitive strengths. She is more aware of her own movements, organises them better and is able to stay focused longer. She also sleeps better.
After lessons we find her more curious, and open for new ways of doing things. She is aware of herself in the lessons and afterwards, and when she senses something new, she grabs the opportunity to learn and is eager to repeat it at home and use it in daily life. Lately she has gone from "bunny jumping" to crawling on all four. We find that the lessons gives our daughter increased vitality and agency, and makes her more open to new input. She has become a brilliant learner.
-Parents of 11 year old girl with delayed development and epilepsy
Attention and new motorskills
After the intensive we noticed that he started exploring toys with more attention than before. He was more calm. He used to lose interest half way when I read him books, but he now showed interest until the final page of the book. But most significantly, he started climbing stairs of his own, and started playing with a ball in the playground. And we see from his body language that he is more confident. We are trying our best to help him overcome his challenges. ABM® gives us hope with confidence that our son will make it possible one day. We are eagerly looking forward to the next intensive.
- Parents of four year old, diagonosed with delayed development and ASD -