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The importance of treatment
There are several teaching and learning methods, different because they are suitable for the facets of individuals. Each of us has its own "preferential" channel, who repetition, who the association, who visual memory. It is important to try to find the right communicative channel from time to time, and sometimes this reveals ourselves. So it is in teaching, so it is in the clinic.
From 2002 to 2013 I spent several months in Us, between New York and San Diego for my professional training. The episode I want to tell you dates back to April 2009. It was a Monday. Like many times I was to do assistance and practiced at the Oso OsoPathic Center for Children and Families by Dr. Viola Frymann in San Diego.
Dr. Frymann was a doctor and osteopath dedicated above all to the treatment of children. As a major expert in the sector, children came from all over the world: Russians, Japanese, Italians and many other parts. To facilitate the possibility of treatment, Dr. Frymann used to reserve a package of 8 treatments in one month (two a week, to be evaluated from time to time) and the families of the patients rented an apartment in the city for that month. In that way, treatment plans were guaranteed, avoiding the va and come from other countries. Many of these children had serious neurological problems.
G. was a child with child cerebral paralysis. He had difficulties in feeding and the mother had reported not to find a food that the girl could gladly like and eat and that, above all, could allow her to take the right weight for her growth and for her age. The other difficulties were motor (from both a visceral and musculoskeletal point of view), learning, communication. In Us mothers are not of habit in the visit with the children, they remain in the waiting room. Occupational therapists and assistants or, possibly, trainees when present, intervene to help patient management. That day I was assistance and therefore I was present, together with the employment therapist, during the visit. There were also some trainees.
During the treatment, the occupational therapist tried to entertain the girl with several colorful games, mostly plastic and wood and soft fruit, like the one you see in the photos and that Dr. Frymann gave me by reminding that day. Through the fruit and its colors (the in the aera rightly red, the yellow banana, everything was correct) was trying to understand which color the girl attracted. After a period of play with fruit, the therapist went on to entertain the girl with the spring .
He tried to make him hold her in his hand and then showed them how he stretched away by removing his hands with each other. The girl was unable to hold back the spring as she walked away, precisely because of her neuromotor difficulties. osteopathic treatment session, the result was that G. had clearly made it clear that red was its favorite color among those proposed, and had managed to move the hands in abduction, although not having a holding capacity with the fingers . When the mother was convened, the improvements related to the osteopathic treatment itself referred and the suggestion was given to try to feed her red foods.
The following Thursday g . He presented himself to visit for the subsequent treatment session. Before each session, the parents always related to the state of their children following the previous treatment. G. 's mother started crying and embraced Dr. Frymann, who asked her what had happened. Well, that was a rainy week in San Diego and for this reason they hadn't left much from the apartment in which they stayed.
The mother had not given much weight to the indication on the color of the food and had cooked as she usually did for her, G. and for the major little sister of G. unexpectedly G. indicated the dish with the vegetables, specifically It indicated the tomato, beautiful red. G. started eating tomatoes with great taste. It was the first time that G. had expressly made a request for food and still wanted it and again, as in the game. This had been the first "miraculous" fact. After lunch the mother made the eldest daughter play on the living room floor and placed G.'s wheelchair near the window, so that he could, despite the rain, at least look outside. The windows had tenders. The mother had moved them, spreading them to guarantee a perfect vision to G. After about 20 minutes the mother separated from G. to continue the cleaning of the house. At a certain point he wanted to go to see how G. was and found it with the elongated arms that opened his curtains, exactly with the same movement with which he stretched the spring during the visit. This was the second great "miraculous" fact of that day. That day scored a real professional turning point for me, and I learned more than in many refresher courses. Obviously I will never forget this episode, like many others equally engaging.
During the treatment to a patient, as during a lesson to a pupil, it is always necessary to search, beyond the approach and the method, the most appropriate channel with each individual. The learning methods are multiple and each of us has preferential channels that best adapt to the purpose. It is up to the professional therapist or teacher to find them in order to then take advantage of them in the most profitable way.
Read also the article: the globality of languages (GDL) and the voice environment