Some of our children may be absent minded or have difficulty focusing causing many challenges to the child and those around him. Jake (see last blog post) had a hard time knowing he needed the bathroom because he was not aware of his own body and his surroundings. Thankfully, though, there are activities that we can do to help them through it. By helping our children become more grounded in their bodies, they become aware of their surroundings and become more ‘with it’!
At The Thrive Group, one of the ways we help individuals become more attentive, is by using co-contraction activities. Co-contraction activities are when a child uses antagonistic muscle groups, namely the flexors and extensors, particularly of the trunk muscles.
See 3 different activities in the video below and see how we helped Jake become outwardly focused and get past the hurdle of toilet training (see part one in Vlog #1).
GETTING OUT OF YOUR BRAIN, AND INTO YOUR BODY (Part II):
Key points from this video:
- Co-contracting. [0:24]
- Exercise #1: Standing on the balance board by weight shifting to play puddy. [0:46]
- Exercise #2: Standing on the spooner board while playing balloon-bop. [0:58]
- Exercise #3: Sitting on the bolster swing while playing Spot-It. [1:04]
- Having the right posture while doing co-contraction exercises. [1:09]
- Why co-contraction exercises help a child become more alert. [1:27]
- The benefits of a person who is properly aware of his/her surroundings. [1:36]
- Jake’s progress! [2:00]
If your child seems to be absent-minded and stuck in his/her own body, we can help.
Contact Us for an Evaluation.
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