By Susan Perry
Published Thu, Mar 18 2010 9:24 am
Although I’ve never read the late Roald Dahl’s ghost stories and other works of adult fiction, nor his autobiographical volumes, I’m a huge fan of his children’s books (such classics as “James and the Giant Peach,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the pull-the-covers-up-over-your-head-scary “The Witches”). Best read-aloud-to-kids books ever.
So, when British psychologist Vaughan Bell blogged in MindHacks earlier this week about an article that focused on Dahl’s contributions to neurology, I immediately read it.
The 2008 article [PDF], which appeared in the journal Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, begins by describing how Dahl experienced a World War II head injury (he was a pilot) that temporarily left him blind. The article’s author, British neurologist Andrew Larner, also suggests that Dahl later exhibited what may have been symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“[F]or example,” notes Larner, “when writing in his famous shed, he had to have a particular type of paper (yellow American Legal), and both a particular brand and a specific number (6) of pencils.”
But Dahl’s real interest in — and contributions to — clinical neurology stemmed from two personal tragedies. The first occurred in New York in 1960, when Dahl’s infant son, Theo, was injured in a car accident. The boy developed some brain damage and secondary hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid inside the skull that can damage the brain if not drained, or shunted, away.
Dahl took a very active role in his son’s neurological care. Writes Larner:
The family returned to England and Theo came under the care of Kenneth Till, a neurosurgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital (1956-80). Prompted by Dahl, and in collaboration with Stanley Wade, an hydraulic engineer, a new type of shunt valve was designed. Reported in the Lancet by Kenneth Till, under the rubric of “New Inventions,” the special characteristics were reported to be “low resistance, ease of sterilization, no reflux, robust construction, and negligible risk of blockage.” The author acknowledged that the valve was “designed by Mr. Stanley C. Wade…with the assistance of Mr. Roald Dahl and myself.” The Wade-Dahl-Till (or WDT) valve became widely used.
The second tragedy that linked Dahl to the world of neurology occurred a few years later:
In 1965, Dahl’s first wife, the American actress Patricia Neal, suffered a stroke due to a ruptured intracranial aneurysm, one of the consequences of which was marked aphasia [an inability to communicate through spoken and/or written words], a potential career-ending misfortune for an actress. … Dahl appealed to Valerie Eaton Griffith, who lived in the same village, for help. With Dahl, she devised a rota of volunteer carers to engage the patient in conversation and hence to stimulate language recovery. This approach, different from formal speech therapy, was documented in Griffith’s [1970] book. … It earned the approbation, as “treatment of a surreptitious character,” of no less a neurological figure than Macdonald Critchely, and still has advocates today.
Dahl, who died in 1990, left behind, in addition to his wonderful writings, the Roald Dahl Foundation, which continues to fund research into neurological conditions affecting children.
31 March 2010
4 Paws For Ability
Nampa, Idaho -- Man's best friend could give a 2 year old his independence.
One Nampa boy is hoping for the dog that can make that wish come true. Christian Westby, according to his mother, is a wonderful, almost typical, 2 year old except for being able to get around. His cerebral palsy slows his muscles down, but not his spirit.
"He's a spectacular little boy. I wouldn't change anything about him," Kristina Westby said about her son.
"The physical therapist looked at him and said, ‘You know what? If he had a mobility dog, he could get out of his walker and walk,' and said ‘That's it, we have to do it,'" said Kristina.
The dog will be trained specifically for Christian, but costs $13,000 dollars. It would come from, and get the special training from, 4 Paws For Ability.
"There's just penny jars everywhere and we've put out fliers," said Kristina.
A few Karcher Mall shops are pitching in. Some store owners thought that "nickel and diming" their way to $13,000 wasn't going to get there fast enough.
"I went around and asked people to volunteer and I got quite a few other people in the mall to participate," said Rochelle Weller of The Candy Stand.
"Most of the guys in the RC community, I think are pretty giving and they're always up for a good cause so I thought it would be a lot quicker way in trying to raise some money for them," said Troy Dewey from Dewey's Hobbies.
Saturday's fundraiser should help out. With games, raffles, racing, and junk food.
"All of the proceeds are going to go directly to Christian's fund for the dog," said Dewey.
All to get Christian a helpful friend so that his mom can keep chasing after him.
"For him to be able to go out in the yard and play, and me to just be able to leave the door open," said Kristina. "He's so bright, and he has so much to accomplish, and we want to see him do it as soon as possible."
Christian's friends and family will rally at the Northwest end of Karcher Mall Saturday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The racing is at Dewey's Toys and Hobbies, with The Candy Stand right across the way offering baked goods and the raffle.
Many shops in the mall have donated gifts and gift certificates for the raffle.
For more information about 4 Paws For Mobility and how you can help Christian, visit http://www.4pawsforability.com/.
One Nampa boy is hoping for the dog that can make that wish come true. Christian Westby, according to his mother, is a wonderful, almost typical, 2 year old except for being able to get around. His cerebral palsy slows his muscles down, but not his spirit.
"He's a spectacular little boy. I wouldn't change anything about him," Kristina Westby said about her son.
"The physical therapist looked at him and said, ‘You know what? If he had a mobility dog, he could get out of his walker and walk,' and said ‘That's it, we have to do it,'" said Kristina.
The dog will be trained specifically for Christian, but costs $13,000 dollars. It would come from, and get the special training from, 4 Paws For Ability.
"There's just penny jars everywhere and we've put out fliers," said Kristina.
A few Karcher Mall shops are pitching in. Some store owners thought that "nickel and diming" their way to $13,000 wasn't going to get there fast enough.
"I went around and asked people to volunteer and I got quite a few other people in the mall to participate," said Rochelle Weller of The Candy Stand.
"Most of the guys in the RC community, I think are pretty giving and they're always up for a good cause so I thought it would be a lot quicker way in trying to raise some money for them," said Troy Dewey from Dewey's Hobbies.
Saturday's fundraiser should help out. With games, raffles, racing, and junk food.
"All of the proceeds are going to go directly to Christian's fund for the dog," said Dewey.
All to get Christian a helpful friend so that his mom can keep chasing after him.
"For him to be able to go out in the yard and play, and me to just be able to leave the door open," said Kristina. "He's so bright, and he has so much to accomplish, and we want to see him do it as soon as possible."
Christian's friends and family will rally at the Northwest end of Karcher Mall Saturday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The racing is at Dewey's Toys and Hobbies, with The Candy Stand right across the way offering baked goods and the raffle.
Many shops in the mall have donated gifts and gift certificates for the raffle.
For more information about 4 Paws For Mobility and how you can help Christian, visit http://www.4pawsforability.com/.
27 March 2010
Stretching the Mind and Body: The Benefits of Yoga for Children with Special Needs
NEW YORK, March 25, 2010 — In 2007, when Kami Evans’ daughter was diagnosed with hemi paresis, which is a mild case of cerebral palsy, she wondered: What can she do to help her? How active should she be? And how can she not be overprotective of her, especially when she goes off to school?
“The answer seemed to be involving my daughter in as many activities as I could. As a result, she was signed up for swimming, gym and music classes all by her first birthday. My daughter also had eight hours of physical and occupational therapy each week,” said Mrs. Evans.
As many doctors have stated to Mr. and Mrs. Evans, “The brain is so plastic.” Mrs. Evans continued, “And how active we remained with her treatment before she turned 24 months would impact how successful her recovery would be. We were on a mission.”
Then they found yoga. When a class with a few participants got cancelled, they hired the instructor to lead the lessons out of their home. At 15 months, she started to crawl by incorporating the rocking table and downward dog poses in her movements. At 20 months, she progressed to trying poses such as mountain, squats and elevator. Every day she would get the movements more and more.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans saw such a difference in their daughter’s development that they asked the instructor to come over three times per week. Meanwhile, they continued to take her to her usual classes and have her weekly eight hours of therapy sessions. But the yoga instruction was unique in that it was playful and enjoyable for her, prompting her to consider her time with the instructor as a play date.
When the instructor chose to pursue other interests, it encouraged Mrs. Evans to become certified. She first took a teacher training course at a Manhattan studio for children’s yoga, followed by training and certification working with children with special needs.
“Not only did I learn more about her yoga practice and how it enabled her to become increasingly aware of her body and personal space, but I was able to share this with other families as well. Inspired by this journey, I opened a yoga studio for children in Manhattan. This led me to share the benefits of yoga for children in more locations throughout New York City,” said Mrs. Evans.
Contact:
Kami Evans
Elahi Children’s Yoga
130 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065
http://www.elahiyoga.com
212-249-0607
“The answer seemed to be involving my daughter in as many activities as I could. As a result, she was signed up for swimming, gym and music classes all by her first birthday. My daughter also had eight hours of physical and occupational therapy each week,” said Mrs. Evans.
As many doctors have stated to Mr. and Mrs. Evans, “The brain is so plastic.” Mrs. Evans continued, “And how active we remained with her treatment before she turned 24 months would impact how successful her recovery would be. We were on a mission.”
Then they found yoga. When a class with a few participants got cancelled, they hired the instructor to lead the lessons out of their home. At 15 months, she started to crawl by incorporating the rocking table and downward dog poses in her movements. At 20 months, she progressed to trying poses such as mountain, squats and elevator. Every day she would get the movements more and more.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans saw such a difference in their daughter’s development that they asked the instructor to come over three times per week. Meanwhile, they continued to take her to her usual classes and have her weekly eight hours of therapy sessions. But the yoga instruction was unique in that it was playful and enjoyable for her, prompting her to consider her time with the instructor as a play date.
When the instructor chose to pursue other interests, it encouraged Mrs. Evans to become certified. She first took a teacher training course at a Manhattan studio for children’s yoga, followed by training and certification working with children with special needs.
“Not only did I learn more about her yoga practice and how it enabled her to become increasingly aware of her body and personal space, but I was able to share this with other families as well. Inspired by this journey, I opened a yoga studio for children in Manhattan. This led me to share the benefits of yoga for children in more locations throughout New York City,” said Mrs. Evans.
Contact:
Kami Evans
Elahi Children’s Yoga
130 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065
http://www.elahiyoga.com
212-249-0607
Boat for wheelchair users launched on lake in Cornwall
The vessel is aimed at anglers but can also be used for trips
A special boat which gives disabled people access to the water has been launched on a lake in Cornwall.
The new Wheelyboat, on Stithians Lake, near Redruth, has cost £16,000 and has a ramp allowing access for wheelchair users so they can go sailing.
The outboard motor-powered vessel is mainly aimed at anglers but can also be used for trips.
It is the third in the county. The other two sail on Siblyback Lake and on the River Fowey.
The Environment Agency has also been involved in the project.
KENNY’S KIDS, INC.
Dear Friend,
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Kenny’s Kids has been accepted to participate in a Pepsi Grant Contest.. You can also visit our website at http://www.kennyskids.org/ for additional information.
Starting April 1st, we are competing in the Pepsi Grant contest to win $250,000. This should complete the construction and help us help the Kids. The winner is determined by YOU, the voting public. You can go online and vote once a day every day in April. It does not cost anything to vote and you do not have to receive any type of spam by voting. You should be able to go directly online and vote at this link http://www.refresheverything.com/kennyskids. We also have a link you can click on at the Kenny’s web site to go directly to vote. We are concentrating on getting help from new friends, our old friends, family, churches and schools. Any other good ideas will be greatly appreciated. With your help, and your friends, we can all make a difference in these Kids lives. Please spread this around as far as you can, every vote counts. Please help us help others.
Channel 11, CBS recently did a news story on us. You can go on and view it or tell others to at http://cbs11tv.com/local/kennys.kids.muscular.2.1557516.html. You can also see us on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcdSZ041E6U (just cut and paste this link and you should go directly to our videos or search www.youtube.com for “Soaring Eagle Ranch”). We will be putting new video up as construction progresses and events for the Kids commence.
Best regards,
Gary Gresham
Executive Director
Kenny’s Kids, Inc.
(817) 917-9114
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Kenny’s Kids has been accepted to participate in a Pepsi Grant Contest.. You can also visit our website at http://www.kennyskids.org/ for additional information.
Starting April 1st, we are competing in the Pepsi Grant contest to win $250,000. This should complete the construction and help us help the Kids. The winner is determined by YOU, the voting public. You can go online and vote once a day every day in April. It does not cost anything to vote and you do not have to receive any type of spam by voting. You should be able to go directly online and vote at this link http://www.refresheverything.com/kennyskids. We also have a link you can click on at the Kenny’s web site to go directly to vote. We are concentrating on getting help from new friends, our old friends, family, churches and schools. Any other good ideas will be greatly appreciated. With your help, and your friends, we can all make a difference in these Kids lives. Please spread this around as far as you can, every vote counts. Please help us help others.
Channel 11, CBS recently did a news story on us. You can go on and view it or tell others to at http://cbs11tv.com/local/kennys.kids.muscular.2.1557516.html. You can also see us on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcdSZ041E6U (just cut and paste this link and you should go directly to our videos or search www.youtube.com for “Soaring Eagle Ranch”). We will be putting new video up as construction progresses and events for the Kids commence.
Best regards,
Gary Gresham
Executive Director
Kenny’s Kids, Inc.
(817) 917-9114
26 March 2010
Hell Yeah!! The Scott Weir story
"This is a tribute documentary I made for my brother, Scott Weir. He was born with severe Cerebral Palsy in 1961, but that did not stop him from living his dreams. He was happiest whenever those dreams put a steering wheel in his hand, whether it be driving an airboat thru the Everglades, a go-cart with his friends or driving his truck a little to fast on his way home, this is what made him smile. NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt was Scott's life long hero, and after my brother's passing in 2007, I decided to fulfill his dream of getting him to victory lane. So put on your seat belts & Enjoy the ride!!"
Rob weir...
Bolt productions
Hell Yeah!! The Scott Weir story from Rob Weir on Vimeo.
Rob weir...
Bolt productions
Hell Yeah!! The Scott Weir story from Rob Weir on Vimeo.
BBC - Disability barrier for jobseekers in Somerset
A man from Weston claims more barriers need to be removed in order to help disabled people find jobs. Stephen Ledbrook is working with the charity Trailblazers, which claims there are 1.3m disabled people in the UK who want work but can't get it. He says he's dealt with advisors before who "don't understand disability and put them all under one umbrella". Local job centre managers say advisors are specially trained and everyone is dealt with on a case by case basis.
BBC - Disability barrier for jobseekers in Somerset
BBC - Disability barrier for jobseekers in Somerset
20 March 2010
Promise For Improving Hand Function In Teens With Cerebral Palsy: Modified Home Video Game
Engineers at Rutgers University have modified a popular home video game system to help teenagers with cerebral palsy improve hand functions. In a pilot trial with three participants, the system improved the teens' abilities to perform a range of daily personal and household activities.
The modified system combined a Sony PlayStation 3 console and a commercial gaming glove with custom-developed software and games to provide exercise routines aimed at improving hand speed and range of finger motion.
The Rutgers engineers, who are members of the university's Tele-Rehabilitation Institute, worked with clinicians at the Indiana University School of Medicine to deploy systems in participants' homes for up to 10 months. A description of the modified system and its use in the pilot trial appeared this week in the journal, IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine.
"Based on early experience, the system engages the interest of teens with cerebral palsy and makes it convenient for them to perform the exercises they need to achieve results," said Grigore Burdea, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Rutgers Tele-Rehabilitation Institute.
Each system communicated via the Internet to allow the Indiana and Rutgers researchers to oversee participants' exercise routines and evaluate the effectiveness of the systems. The system is an example of both virtual rehabilitation, where patients interact with computer-generated visual environments to perform exercises, and tele-rehabilitation, where patients perform exercises under remote supervision by physical or occupational therapists.
"All three teens were more than a decade out from their perinatal strokes, yet we showed that improvement was still possible ," said Meredith Golomb, associate professor of neurology at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children pediatric neurologist in this study. "The virtual reality telerehabiltiaiton system kept them exercising by rewarding whatever movements they could make, and all three showed significant progress in hand function."
Golomb oversaw the pilot study where participants were asked to exercise their affected hand 30 minutes a day, five days a week, using games custom developed by the Rutgers engineers. The games were calibrated to the individual teen's hand functionality. An on-screen image of a hand showing normal movements guided the participants in their exercises.
After three months of therapy, two participants progressed from being unable to lift large, heavy objects to being able to do so. Participants showed varying improvement in such activities as brushing teeth, shampooing, dressing, and using a spoon. At 10 months, one participant was able to open a heavy door.
The modified PlayStation 3 is the second system based on commercial video gaming technology that Burdea and his institute have developed to investigate economical and engaging rehabilitation therapy tools. Earlier work involved modifying an older model Microsoft Xbox to help stroke victims recover hand functions.
"Systems like this have the potential for widespread deployment in outpatient clinics or the homes of people needing rehabilitation services for any number of illnesses or injuries," said Burdea, a noted inventor of virtual rehabilitation technology. "Well-designed custom games are likely to hold patients' attention and motivate them to complete their exercises, versus conventional therapy regimens, which patients may find boring or tedious."
Burdea acknowledged the popularity of gaming platforms and many newer games that physically engage their players, but noted that they generally are not suitable off-the-shelf for rehabilitation needs. Games for rehabilitation need to focus on the specific impairment, and they require professional oversight to ensure that patients exercise within therapeutic bounds while not over-exercising and risking stress or injury.
The systems that Burdea and his colleagues built combined a PlayStation 3 console with a Fifth Dimension Technologies 5 Ultra sensing glove, a flat-panel television, mouse, keyboard and digital subscriber line modem for Internet communication. They reprogrammed the game console using the open-source Linux operating system and developed games written in Java3D.
One game promoted range of finger motion by asking participants to clean up bars of "dirty" pixels on the screen to reveal an image. Another promoted finger movement speed by asking participants to flick away an on-screen butterfly. A third promoted hand opening and closing speed by asking participants to manipulate an on-screen unidentified flying object.
The developers also wrote software to manage participant scheduling and performance data and to administer subjective evaluation questionnaires.
In addition to Burdea and Golomb, the article's co-authors are Meghan Huber and Bryan Rabin, both Rutgers undergraduates during the study, and Ciprian Docan and Moustafa AbdelBaky, Rutgers graduate students. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Clarian Foundation.
Source:
Carl Blesch
Rutgers University
The modified system combined a Sony PlayStation 3 console and a commercial gaming glove with custom-developed software and games to provide exercise routines aimed at improving hand speed and range of finger motion.
The Rutgers engineers, who are members of the university's Tele-Rehabilitation Institute, worked with clinicians at the Indiana University School of Medicine to deploy systems in participants' homes for up to 10 months. A description of the modified system and its use in the pilot trial appeared this week in the journal, IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine.
"Based on early experience, the system engages the interest of teens with cerebral palsy and makes it convenient for them to perform the exercises they need to achieve results," said Grigore Burdea, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Rutgers Tele-Rehabilitation Institute.
Each system communicated via the Internet to allow the Indiana and Rutgers researchers to oversee participants' exercise routines and evaluate the effectiveness of the systems. The system is an example of both virtual rehabilitation, where patients interact with computer-generated visual environments to perform exercises, and tele-rehabilitation, where patients perform exercises under remote supervision by physical or occupational therapists.
"All three teens were more than a decade out from their perinatal strokes, yet we showed that improvement was still possible ," said Meredith Golomb, associate professor of neurology at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children pediatric neurologist in this study. "The virtual reality telerehabiltiaiton system kept them exercising by rewarding whatever movements they could make, and all three showed significant progress in hand function."
Golomb oversaw the pilot study where participants were asked to exercise their affected hand 30 minutes a day, five days a week, using games custom developed by the Rutgers engineers. The games were calibrated to the individual teen's hand functionality. An on-screen image of a hand showing normal movements guided the participants in their exercises.
After three months of therapy, two participants progressed from being unable to lift large, heavy objects to being able to do so. Participants showed varying improvement in such activities as brushing teeth, shampooing, dressing, and using a spoon. At 10 months, one participant was able to open a heavy door.
The modified PlayStation 3 is the second system based on commercial video gaming technology that Burdea and his institute have developed to investigate economical and engaging rehabilitation therapy tools. Earlier work involved modifying an older model Microsoft Xbox to help stroke victims recover hand functions.
"Systems like this have the potential for widespread deployment in outpatient clinics or the homes of people needing rehabilitation services for any number of illnesses or injuries," said Burdea, a noted inventor of virtual rehabilitation technology. "Well-designed custom games are likely to hold patients' attention and motivate them to complete their exercises, versus conventional therapy regimens, which patients may find boring or tedious."
Burdea acknowledged the popularity of gaming platforms and many newer games that physically engage their players, but noted that they generally are not suitable off-the-shelf for rehabilitation needs. Games for rehabilitation need to focus on the specific impairment, and they require professional oversight to ensure that patients exercise within therapeutic bounds while not over-exercising and risking stress or injury.
The systems that Burdea and his colleagues built combined a PlayStation 3 console with a Fifth Dimension Technologies 5 Ultra sensing glove, a flat-panel television, mouse, keyboard and digital subscriber line modem for Internet communication. They reprogrammed the game console using the open-source Linux operating system and developed games written in Java3D.
One game promoted range of finger motion by asking participants to clean up bars of "dirty" pixels on the screen to reveal an image. Another promoted finger movement speed by asking participants to flick away an on-screen butterfly. A third promoted hand opening and closing speed by asking participants to manipulate an on-screen unidentified flying object.
The developers also wrote software to manage participant scheduling and performance data and to administer subjective evaluation questionnaires.
In addition to Burdea and Golomb, the article's co-authors are Meghan Huber and Bryan Rabin, both Rutgers undergraduates during the study, and Ciprian Docan and Moustafa AbdelBaky, Rutgers graduate students. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Clarian Foundation.
Source:
Carl Blesch
Rutgers University
Just dance! Local dance studio offers adaptive dance
For Sophie White, Saturdays are truly something to look forward to.
The pint-sized pixie wakes up early to pull together her ensemble for the day – a black leotard, pink skirt, leggings and a pair of black ballet shoes.
With her short dark hair pulled back into a barrette, Sophie is anxious to leave her Chaska home and head to dance class. But this isn’t any old dance class she’s off to. Sophie’s dance class is for children with special needs. She is one of 20 students that cheerfully fill the bright studio space at River Valley Dance Academy each Saturday afternoon.
Sophie’s mom Tracy White said that the adaptive dance class has made a big difference for her daughter, who lives with autism.
“She didn’t used to be able to cross mid-line,” said White. “She used to fall down all the time.”
After seven years in various classes at River Valley Dance Academy, White said Sophie’s coordination and mobility is much improved. In class, she can pirouette with the best of them.
Dreams
The success of the adaptive dance class is a dream come true for studio owner and instructor Jocelyn Braudt.
“I always wanted to open up a school for the arts for children with special needs,” she said.
But Braudt, who majored in therapeutic recreation in college and taught dance classes for students with spina bifida and osteogenesis imperfecta, realized upon moving to Minnesota that a special needs school couldn’t support itself. So instead, she opened a dance studio in Chaska and incorporated programming for special needs within the school.
Braudt was intimately familiar with the power of dance for those with physical challenges. As a “very pigeon-toed” 4-year-old, Braudt’s mother had once asked her pediatrician how to resolve her condition. The doctor advised signing her up for ballet. It worked like a charm and Braudt has been dancing ever since.
Eleven years ago, Braudt started her Chaska program with a single special needs dancer. Michaela Powers was a girl in a wheelchair that wasn’t about to let cerebral palsy keep her from dancing. “She took in a typical dance class and we adapted the moves,” said Braudt.
The next year, Braudt expanded to offer the first dedicated adaptive dance class for those with physical disabilities. At the time, she had two students with cerebral palsy. The second year, Braudt had three students in wheelchairs. When year three rolled around, Braudt had expanded the program to offer a creative movement class for those with developmental disabilities like autism.
“Then I decided to have all the kids in one class,” she said.
Braudt said that ultimately she wanted to offer a class that would help to “build confidence, provide recreation and socialization.”
“We’re creating the same experience any other kid can have,” she said.
White said that one of the reasons Sophie loves the class is that it allows her to dance, just like her big sister.
Meaningful
Today, Braudt’s Saturday afternoon class has 20 students – including veterans like Sophie and Powers. They come to Chaska from all around the metro – places like Blaine, Delano, Shakopee, and Minnetonka.
The class also features 21 peer helpers – students from her other dance classes that have volunteered their help.
Braudt loves to see the interaction between the students and the peer helpers – many of which have known each other since they were little.
“They develop this great friendship,” she said.
The class is so popular that there is a waiting list of people who want to volunteer as peer helpers, Braudt said. “There is a huge desire to be a part of something more meaningful.”
“It’s just rewarding,” said Sara O’Konek, 17, of Carver. O’Konek is a graduate of the adaptive dance class who now serves as a peer helper.
“It’s my favorite part of the week,” said Ali Witte, 17, of Chaska. “I’m just beaming when I leave here.”
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Troyak, of Minnetrista, said that working with special needs “might even be something I want to do in college.”
That’s music to Braudt’s ears. “We try hard for the studio to not be about the trophy and the princess thing,” she said. “We try to educate the whole person.”
“Each of us has weaknesses,” she continued. “Each of us has abilities and disabilities.”
The differences seem to disappear when the music cues up, however. Whether they are practicing ballet positions to classical music, shaking purple pom poms to RuPaul, or twirling to Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb,” the shared smiles are hard to miss.
“The program runs itself,” said Braudt. “I just push play.”
-Mollee Francisco, staff writer
The pint-sized pixie wakes up early to pull together her ensemble for the day – a black leotard, pink skirt, leggings and a pair of black ballet shoes.
With her short dark hair pulled back into a barrette, Sophie is anxious to leave her Chaska home and head to dance class. But this isn’t any old dance class she’s off to. Sophie’s dance class is for children with special needs. She is one of 20 students that cheerfully fill the bright studio space at River Valley Dance Academy each Saturday afternoon.
Sophie’s mom Tracy White said that the adaptive dance class has made a big difference for her daughter, who lives with autism.
“She didn’t used to be able to cross mid-line,” said White. “She used to fall down all the time.”
After seven years in various classes at River Valley Dance Academy, White said Sophie’s coordination and mobility is much improved. In class, she can pirouette with the best of them.
Dreams
The success of the adaptive dance class is a dream come true for studio owner and instructor Jocelyn Braudt.
“I always wanted to open up a school for the arts for children with special needs,” she said.
But Braudt, who majored in therapeutic recreation in college and taught dance classes for students with spina bifida and osteogenesis imperfecta, realized upon moving to Minnesota that a special needs school couldn’t support itself. So instead, she opened a dance studio in Chaska and incorporated programming for special needs within the school.
Braudt was intimately familiar with the power of dance for those with physical challenges. As a “very pigeon-toed” 4-year-old, Braudt’s mother had once asked her pediatrician how to resolve her condition. The doctor advised signing her up for ballet. It worked like a charm and Braudt has been dancing ever since.
Eleven years ago, Braudt started her Chaska program with a single special needs dancer. Michaela Powers was a girl in a wheelchair that wasn’t about to let cerebral palsy keep her from dancing. “She took in a typical dance class and we adapted the moves,” said Braudt.
The next year, Braudt expanded to offer the first dedicated adaptive dance class for those with physical disabilities. At the time, she had two students with cerebral palsy. The second year, Braudt had three students in wheelchairs. When year three rolled around, Braudt had expanded the program to offer a creative movement class for those with developmental disabilities like autism.
“Then I decided to have all the kids in one class,” she said.
Braudt said that ultimately she wanted to offer a class that would help to “build confidence, provide recreation and socialization.”
“We’re creating the same experience any other kid can have,” she said.
White said that one of the reasons Sophie loves the class is that it allows her to dance, just like her big sister.
Meaningful
Today, Braudt’s Saturday afternoon class has 20 students – including veterans like Sophie and Powers. They come to Chaska from all around the metro – places like Blaine, Delano, Shakopee, and Minnetonka.
The class also features 21 peer helpers – students from her other dance classes that have volunteered their help.
Braudt loves to see the interaction between the students and the peer helpers – many of which have known each other since they were little.
“They develop this great friendship,” she said.
The class is so popular that there is a waiting list of people who want to volunteer as peer helpers, Braudt said. “There is a huge desire to be a part of something more meaningful.”
“It’s just rewarding,” said Sara O’Konek, 17, of Carver. O’Konek is a graduate of the adaptive dance class who now serves as a peer helper.
“It’s my favorite part of the week,” said Ali Witte, 17, of Chaska. “I’m just beaming when I leave here.”
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Troyak, of Minnetrista, said that working with special needs “might even be something I want to do in college.”
That’s music to Braudt’s ears. “We try hard for the studio to not be about the trophy and the princess thing,” she said. “We try to educate the whole person.”
“Each of us has weaknesses,” she continued. “Each of us has abilities and disabilities.”
The differences seem to disappear when the music cues up, however. Whether they are practicing ballet positions to classical music, shaking purple pom poms to RuPaul, or twirling to Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb,” the shared smiles are hard to miss.
“The program runs itself,” said Braudt. “I just push play.”
-Mollee Francisco, staff writer
10 March 2010
A Feather in A Story.
I’ve been thinking a lot about life lately. As a writer we tend to spend lots of time reflecting on life, our own and even the lives of others. A year ago Donald Miller released a book called “A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.” I got it pretty much the day it came out, read it in four days. The book was so inspiring to me, I don’t want to give anything away, but in a nutshell it’s about how to live and make a great story with the life you have.
And so for the past several months that’s been a huge on going process with me. I’ve come to understand the obvious, and that’s that life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns and mistakes and glories. All in the midsts of heart ache and joy. We find ourselves in constant changing seasons, some of great joy and wonder, and others a dark cloud that never seems to stop following us.
But were in a story are we not? God gave us one life. One single life, and everyday we have a chance to live a great story with our lives. I have some friends that have really found themselves at what seems to be the end for their lives, and though they may be alive it’s as though their like that feather in forrest Gump that just floats around without any sense of purpose in life.
It pains me because so much of life is thrown away everyday, lives full of pills, razor blades and life shattering addictions. I often make myself try and feel how God feels, and when that happens all I can do is lower my head and prayer. Because sometimes words are not enough. My Mom always told that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.
And that brings me back to God again, because he too had a story compiled of his life. Brought into this world, to teach others about how to live a great story with their lives. But it was never ever easy, for anyone. Much was required. Jesus gave his life so that we may drink of his living water and have life to the fullest.
So many times Jesus said to not be afraid, but to have what? Courage. Now here is what I think we ALL miss in the stories of the scriptures. Everytime Jesus said this, it wasn’t like everyones fear was gone within an instant. I bet a lot of the people have to work it out for themselves. Which now brings me back to the feather I mentioned above. Sometimes we need to be like Forrest Gump and watch the feather float, just sit there and watch it, and see if it doesn’t show you its beauty.
And if it’s not a feather, maybe we should all find something to help us re-focus our selves, because it only takes a moment of clarity to wake something up inside of us. It’s happening to me, and I’m sure it can happen to you, if you let it.
-Brandon
And so for the past several months that’s been a huge on going process with me. I’ve come to understand the obvious, and that’s that life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns and mistakes and glories. All in the midsts of heart ache and joy. We find ourselves in constant changing seasons, some of great joy and wonder, and others a dark cloud that never seems to stop following us.
But were in a story are we not? God gave us one life. One single life, and everyday we have a chance to live a great story with our lives. I have some friends that have really found themselves at what seems to be the end for their lives, and though they may be alive it’s as though their like that feather in forrest Gump that just floats around without any sense of purpose in life.
It pains me because so much of life is thrown away everyday, lives full of pills, razor blades and life shattering addictions. I often make myself try and feel how God feels, and when that happens all I can do is lower my head and prayer. Because sometimes words are not enough. My Mom always told that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.
And that brings me back to God again, because he too had a story compiled of his life. Brought into this world, to teach others about how to live a great story with their lives. But it was never ever easy, for anyone. Much was required. Jesus gave his life so that we may drink of his living water and have life to the fullest.
So many times Jesus said to not be afraid, but to have what? Courage. Now here is what I think we ALL miss in the stories of the scriptures. Everytime Jesus said this, it wasn’t like everyones fear was gone within an instant. I bet a lot of the people have to work it out for themselves. Which now brings me back to the feather I mentioned above. Sometimes we need to be like Forrest Gump and watch the feather float, just sit there and watch it, and see if it doesn’t show you its beauty.
And if it’s not a feather, maybe we should all find something to help us re-focus our selves, because it only takes a moment of clarity to wake something up inside of us. It’s happening to me, and I’m sure it can happen to you, if you let it.
-Brandon
And so it was....
Yesterday I was brushing my teeth. When I was all of a sudden my mind was lost in a vision. I was wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans, black shoes and armed with a black shoulder bag. I was walking along in a busy city, huge buildings and cars honking their horns. Where I was headed was beyond me, that was a small. The next was like something from Narnia, where your taken into a whole other world. For me, I was taken into the world of Lamentations, it was so intense and very hard to describe.
I think maybe its because I’m studying and researching it a lot, point being:
1) I started writing again, and I’m one page out. I’m nervous, scared, excited and feel like a little kid on Christmas morning.
2) I’m taking my sweet time, I’m not really in a rush on anything. There’s still so much I need/want to do with my first book. But this will keep me occupied. I hate using the word “busy” because it makes it sound like there’s not enough time in a day for anything else.
I am going to writing a lot about my inner concerns about faith and Christianity, to put it simply this book will be written from an “outside looking in” perspective. I’m not saying to much, but my hope is to capture the hearts of people who want nothing to do with doctrine or denomination.
I’m very excited.
Writing one word at a time.
-Brandon
I think maybe its because I’m studying and researching it a lot, point being:
1) I started writing again, and I’m one page out. I’m nervous, scared, excited and feel like a little kid on Christmas morning.
2) I’m taking my sweet time, I’m not really in a rush on anything. There’s still so much I need/want to do with my first book. But this will keep me occupied. I hate using the word “busy” because it makes it sound like there’s not enough time in a day for anything else.
I am going to writing a lot about my inner concerns about faith and Christianity, to put it simply this book will be written from an “outside looking in” perspective. I’m not saying to much, but my hope is to capture the hearts of people who want nothing to do with doctrine or denomination.
I’m very excited.
Writing one word at a time.
-Brandon
Focusing on Forging Ahead
My dear readers. I know it may seem as thought a lifetime has gone by since I have last written, but you’d be pleased to know that I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. As I type these words, I sit with an arm bandage on my right hand so that I can write these words to you. I injured it by doing my daily routine and have been quietly sitting still while healing. Yet, the thoughts of what I was going to write next, continued. Having an injury did not hampered my ability to pick up my writing where I left off. Now that I am a bit better, and can use my fingers without unbearable pain, there is a great deal I wish to say.
My thoughts and desires are not to bring you the ordinary and the mundane. My strong wish is to bring you thought provoking articles to make you think twice about. My entries may not be every week, but the depth and thought I put into each article I hope will touch something off inside of you. I bring you these articles with a passion and a commitment to enlighten the world you live in, and, the thoughts you may feel. I bring you these article’s in the fashion I do; to stir your thoughts, and to challenge the ordinary within you. My purpose is to arouse and awaken the sleeping part which holds you back from treating people like me, with little dignity and true respect. This journey of mine will not cease! I will continue to jar and pry open the many controversial thoughts which our society still denies, and tries to deem unworthy of listing to. I will carry the torch until I see proof of our world treating us with the same dignity and respect the able population gets treated with. My writing may be few and far between, but, my words will speak volumes, and be worth listening to. It will change your thinking beyond any whelm.
I’d like to share my perspective in a very safe, caring, healing kind of way. I’d like to tell you all about my thoughts and feelings as a people with physical challenges. I have kept my minds eye open towards finding the article and words that would reflect all of my thoughts and feelings and experiences. I have been on a sabbatical recently, while working in many other areas of my life.
Perhaps the most interesting of all, is the fact that I have been editing my memoir for the last 6 months, and, working with an agent and many other people to enlighten, open minds, and give true account of what Cerebral Palsy is all about. Day in, and day out, I think of not only writing article’s that will mean something to others reading my blog, but also to bring a new perspective of looking and dealing with many given daily situations so to be treated as an equal person, in a world where people push our talents and desires off with a simple role of an eye, a condescending pat on the arm, and a comment that gives little credence to what we are truly capable of achieving, and what we do to earn an honest living and make our achievements possible.
This is never more true than in my own efforts to teach not only adaptive aerobics, Pilates, and yoga, but in crossing over to our “normal” population. Time in again, in well over forty some odd years, I rapidly find that no one believes that I, a person with left side hemiplegic, Cerebral Palsy, could be efficient at teaching dance as I do. I have proven this fact more times than I care to count. However, this fact takes people out of their comfort zone. This fact destroys fifty years of telethon brainwashing. And, this fact, does not help people like you and me get ahead financially, mentally, or emotionally.
This fact, keeps us right where they want us. They don’t have to say anything, or do anything, except continue to lie to our faces, with all the so called rules and laws properly in place. Thankfully, not everyone feels this way. Still, the comments and undercurrents continue. We are told “Oh you teach…!” yet, they won’t hire me as their teacher or consultant. They don’t give me a chance to do what it is that I am well rounded and experienced in doing. Thus, the insecurity comes in, because no one truly believes in my ability. Therefore, I am ALWAYS trying to prove myself a trillion times over. If only I was given the same chance- If only people could look at me in the same way they look at there peers- If only they could see beyond their eyes-
Sometimes an initial acceptance turns into nothing but pike dreams. It is so much easier for people to talk about equality, than actuality practice it. A comfortable phrase replaces action. People wish us luck instead of doing anything. People ask about our daily living skills instead of what’s in our hearts and minds. Also, they treat us as though we don’t know any better. This has happened time and time again in my life. And I have to keep forging forward to prove myself and focus ahead to do more.
Thankfully, I have been able to hold true to my true self. I alone neVER turned my back on myself. I forged forward. I put belittling aside. Took hold of the reigns’, and galloped triumphantly. I’ve done the impossible. I have moved forward in ways people in the “normal” world told me I’d NEvER be able to achieve or accomplish. In the coming months ahead, I will be traveling not only to Utah, but I am planning a 15 day excursion to Canada and New England. I will be traveling the seas and seeing the vistas of our country side. And, if everything works out, I will be taking a trip of a life time with three dear, precious friends to Africa.
With all of this, one would think I wouldn’t have to focus so hard on the simple things we call life!
Karen Lynn
My thoughts and desires are not to bring you the ordinary and the mundane. My strong wish is to bring you thought provoking articles to make you think twice about. My entries may not be every week, but the depth and thought I put into each article I hope will touch something off inside of you. I bring you these articles with a passion and a commitment to enlighten the world you live in, and, the thoughts you may feel. I bring you these article’s in the fashion I do; to stir your thoughts, and to challenge the ordinary within you. My purpose is to arouse and awaken the sleeping part which holds you back from treating people like me, with little dignity and true respect. This journey of mine will not cease! I will continue to jar and pry open the many controversial thoughts which our society still denies, and tries to deem unworthy of listing to. I will carry the torch until I see proof of our world treating us with the same dignity and respect the able population gets treated with. My writing may be few and far between, but, my words will speak volumes, and be worth listening to. It will change your thinking beyond any whelm.
I’d like to share my perspective in a very safe, caring, healing kind of way. I’d like to tell you all about my thoughts and feelings as a people with physical challenges. I have kept my minds eye open towards finding the article and words that would reflect all of my thoughts and feelings and experiences. I have been on a sabbatical recently, while working in many other areas of my life.
Perhaps the most interesting of all, is the fact that I have been editing my memoir for the last 6 months, and, working with an agent and many other people to enlighten, open minds, and give true account of what Cerebral Palsy is all about. Day in, and day out, I think of not only writing article’s that will mean something to others reading my blog, but also to bring a new perspective of looking and dealing with many given daily situations so to be treated as an equal person, in a world where people push our talents and desires off with a simple role of an eye, a condescending pat on the arm, and a comment that gives little credence to what we are truly capable of achieving, and what we do to earn an honest living and make our achievements possible.
This is never more true than in my own efforts to teach not only adaptive aerobics, Pilates, and yoga, but in crossing over to our “normal” population. Time in again, in well over forty some odd years, I rapidly find that no one believes that I, a person with left side hemiplegic, Cerebral Palsy, could be efficient at teaching dance as I do. I have proven this fact more times than I care to count. However, this fact takes people out of their comfort zone. This fact destroys fifty years of telethon brainwashing. And, this fact, does not help people like you and me get ahead financially, mentally, or emotionally.
This fact, keeps us right where they want us. They don’t have to say anything, or do anything, except continue to lie to our faces, with all the so called rules and laws properly in place. Thankfully, not everyone feels this way. Still, the comments and undercurrents continue. We are told “Oh you teach…!” yet, they won’t hire me as their teacher or consultant. They don’t give me a chance to do what it is that I am well rounded and experienced in doing. Thus, the insecurity comes in, because no one truly believes in my ability. Therefore, I am ALWAYS trying to prove myself a trillion times over. If only I was given the same chance- If only people could look at me in the same way they look at there peers- If only they could see beyond their eyes-
Sometimes an initial acceptance turns into nothing but pike dreams. It is so much easier for people to talk about equality, than actuality practice it. A comfortable phrase replaces action. People wish us luck instead of doing anything. People ask about our daily living skills instead of what’s in our hearts and minds. Also, they treat us as though we don’t know any better. This has happened time and time again in my life. And I have to keep forging forward to prove myself and focus ahead to do more.
Thankfully, I have been able to hold true to my true self. I alone neVER turned my back on myself. I forged forward. I put belittling aside. Took hold of the reigns’, and galloped triumphantly. I’ve done the impossible. I have moved forward in ways people in the “normal” world told me I’d NEvER be able to achieve or accomplish. In the coming months ahead, I will be traveling not only to Utah, but I am planning a 15 day excursion to Canada and New England. I will be traveling the seas and seeing the vistas of our country side. And, if everything works out, I will be taking a trip of a life time with three dear, precious friends to Africa.
With all of this, one would think I wouldn’t have to focus so hard on the simple things we call life!
Karen Lynn
04 March 2010
How We Roll!
In Spring 2001, I stopped by a school district office on a whim and put in an application to be a substitute teacher - but that’s when the wheel of fate began to roll. Soon, I found myself face to face with a 12-year-old kind named Mike, a warm, funny, optimistic genius trapped in a body challenged by Cerebral Palsy. I was in for the biggest lesson of my life!
4 years later, I was running across America trying to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by some of America’s most valuable citizens. This is the story of 2 friends, one wheelchair, and a dream that became a mission….
To get your copy send a check or money order to
Keep On Keeping On Foundation
7061 W. Touhy Suite 601
Niles, IL 60714
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