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

Can pulsating electromagnetic field therapy be the solution to your chronic pain?

Many physicians are now referring pain sufferers to non-drug based therapies in order to reduce drug dependencies, invasive procedures, and/or side effects. The challenge has been to find the least invasive, affordable, non-toxic approach that is easy to administer with verifiable results.

One of the fastest growing methods of natural pain relief is Pulsating Electromagnetic field therapy. Used by doctors, trainers, and for personal use, over 400,000 sessions with results are a testament to its power. This safe and effective modality is used for accelerated therapeutic purposes with a wide range of conditions including injuries, chronic pain, neurological conditions, and more. By applying PEMF, cellular functions can be improved considerably, and therefore this procedure is being used as a means of drug free therapy.

Hospitals use PEMF therapy to accelerate the healing of fractures which can be treated even through a plaster cast, since magnetic fields permeate all materials. There have been over 2,000 double blind tests performed on PEMF therapy showing positive results. Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash. conducted a double blind test for migraines using PEMF therapy with positive results of 75 percent showing decreased headache activity.

From clinical experiments we know that PEMF can reduce pain sensations almost immediately. When cells are toxic, degenerated, or damaged, the cell membrane gets thick and stiff; therefore, the electrical and chemical receptors don’t function properly. During a PEMF session when the pulsating field reaches the cells, the cell membranes are exercised and they become more flexible and more vital like they were when they were younger and healthier. The cells expand; fresh nutrients and oxygen rush into the cells. The cells then contract and push toxins out. As a result, the cells are cleansed and refreshed.

We can also think of PEMF as a battery recharger for the human cell. We now know that the voltage of a healthy cell is about 70 millivolts, and when we get sick that voltage can drop to as low as 30 millivolts or lower in the cases of terminal cancers. Pulsed electromagnetic fields act like a catalyst and battery recharger for the human cells and these PEMFs are critical for human metabolism

All types of cells respond: muscle cells, blood cells, brain cells, and bone cells. Why? The magnetic field “permeates” all cells in the body simultaneously down to the last molecular level—reaching parts of the body that cannot be influenced efficiently with other methods for the purpose of enhancing ion exchange, cell voltage, normalizing circulation, and increasing the oxygen utilization of the cell. Acute and even chronic conditions may disappear completely.

Just as with medications, there are precautions to take with PEMF therapy. It should not be used with electrical implants, pregnancy, seizures, or prior to surgery. Unlike some medications, there are no harmful side effects.

If cells do not receive the PEMFs of the earth, they die within hours. Human beings, as well as all earthly life forms, are somehow energetically attuned to the weak background magnetic field of the planet. The earth emits a magnetic field, but you may not realize that this magnetic field changes with time and has a very precise frequency and intensity that drives all life on planet Earth. Much more than a simple directional guidance for birds, bees and human navigation, this pulsed electromagnetic field of the earth is the catalyst, the very spark of all biochemical reactions occurring in life forms. We as humans need these pulsating magnetic fields not only to be healthy, but to actually stay alive!

NASA scientists observed a new, previously unreported illness experienced by a number of the first astronauts. This illness came to be known as “space sickness.” Eventually, a decreased exposure to the earth’s magnetic field was found to be responsible for space sickness.

Since those historic flights zero field studies, experiments done in chambers made of a special metal called “Mu,” which blocks all magnetic fields of the earth, have confirmed that living cells will die within hours if they do not receive the PEMFs of the Earth. That includes human cells. So PEMFs are as much a required element of health as food, water, oxygen, and sleep. In fact you can live longer without food and water than you can without PEMFs.

Because of the Earth’s weakening magnetic field and the steel and concrete structures we inhabit, we are not getting the full benefit of the earth’s electromagnetic field. We are also being exposed to more high frequency electromagnetic pollution today then in past years. This comes in the form of computers, TVs, cordless phones, cell towers, and cell phones just to name a few.

Thus, PEMF devices are more applicable now than ever before. Who wouldn’t want to get your millivolts up? It is fast and easy and if you can find effective pain relief and healing without drugs—why not? The technology is restoring vitality and hope creating a large impact in today’s world.

Robin Mize is a Certified Stress and Pain Specialist and a proud member of the Sandpoint wellness council

You can reach her by email at mizewell(at)gmail.com, on the Internet here, , or by phone at 208-263-8846.

People always ask me what the hardest part about living with Cerebral Palsy and being in a wheelchair. They are always slightly surprised when I answer. People tend to assume and rightly so, that it would be the big stuff, like not being able to walk, not being able to use the toilet, and have to rely on everyone to do everything for you. Sometimes, that is true. It is difficult, but it is something I never had the ability to do, so I don’t know what it would be like to walk. I have no experience, so I do not know what I am missing. Therefore, the hardest part is the little stuff. The stuff that everyone else can do, but I can’t because of a little tweak in the system. The tweak could be the fact that I can’t look in the fridge to see what we have to eat. Certainly, I could ask someone, but it would be nice to look on my own. Another tweak is when I can’t go see a movie. For example, this week I wanted to see Shutter Island - but because of “MY” Cerebral Palsy I have reaction to being surprised. So, if something scares me, makes me jump, or catches me off guard, I can seriously hurt my back. Since, my back was already hurting, I didn’t want to take the chance with this movie. It is this uncertainity that makes me angry and what would seem to be the simplest thing for the average person, is the most difficult to me.
With adversity comes triumph. You can’t have the good without having the bad. Overcoming a struggle can dissipate the actual struggle. Success in the face of insourmountable odds is what keeps me going and that is what the Keep On Keeping On Foundation is all about! Taking a situation and making the best of it!
Please join us on Thursday, March 4th for our March Forth Celebration of Perseverance. This will be our First Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Click on the link for tickets!
http://www.keeponkeepingon.org/events.html
I’m With KOKO are you???
Mike Berkson

There is strong evidence to show that music lessons help children improve their language skills, according to neuroscientist Professor Nina Kraus.

She has led the first research to demonstrate that playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brain's sensitivity to speech sounds.

The benefits could help normal children as well as those with developmental problems such as dyslexia and autism, she argues.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego, California, Prof Kraus said: "Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice.

"Cash-strapped school districts are making a mistake when they cut music from the curriculum."

At her laboratory at Northwestern University in Everston, Illinois, researchers developed a way to show how the nervous system responds to the acoustic properties of speech and music sounds with sub-millisecond precision.

They found the effectiveness with which the nervous system interprets sound patterns is linked to musical ability.

"Playing music engages the ability to extract relevant patterns, such as the sound of one's own instrument, harmonies and rhythms, from the 'soundscape,' said Prof Kraus. "Not surprisingly, musicians' nervous systems are more effective at utilising the patterns in music and speech alike." Previously her team found that sensitivity to sound patterns correlates with reading skill and the ability to hear speech against background noise.

"People's hearing systems are fine-tuned by the experiences they've had with sound throughout their lives," said Prof Kraus. "Music training is not only beneficial for processing music stimuli. We've found that years of music training may also improve how sounds are processed for language and emotion."

Feb 19 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A FORMER Kinross sheep farmer-turned green crusader has finally put 20 years of back pain behind her.

Carol Davies (63), currently planting 1000 conservation trees on her Nethermoss Farm, was plagued with excruciating pain due to a condition called scoliosis that got increasingly debilitating in her 40s.

A sideways curvature of the spine, scoliosis affects more than four per cent of the UK’s population.

Conventional treatment, however, involves waiting until a patient’s condition is severe enough for a high-risk operation using surgically-inserted metal rods to fuse the spinal column.

But after a month of alternative, non-surgical treatment three years ago at a new Suffolk-based clinic using techniques available in Europe for decades, Mrs Davies is now relatively pain-free.

“At the clinic I did six hours of special exercises a day,” she said.

“There were a lot of stretching and breathing exercises designed to de-rotate the spine. I have to say, it was a tough four weeks.”

Now no longer on painkillers, she does 40 minutes of special exercises a day and visits the clinic once a year.

Although her scoliosis only started causing major grief much later, it was first diagnosed after a horse riding accident when she was 14.

“The doctors found it when they saw my x-rays,” Mrs Davies explained.

“A lot of people have scoliosis and don’t know until it starts causing them pain when they’re older.”

It was only when Mrs Davies and her husband Ted started running a flock of 30 Suffolk breeding ewes at their farm 24 years ago that her back pain really started to flare up.

“I’d always been active, played a lot of squash, but the pain started to get much worse,” she said.

Finding only temporary relief from treatments such as massage, acupuncture and physiotherapy, she was eventually referred by her GP to an Edinburgh consultant who told her a “risky” operation was her only option.

“He advised me not to have it and to come back and see him if the pain became unbearable,” she said.

But by the time she reached her pain threshold, it appeared she had missed the boat.

“(The consultant) wouldn’t see me as I was 59 and he was only treating younger people. I was quite annoyed as the pain was really debilitating, really dreadful,” she said.

Fortunately, Robert, one of her two sons, called to tell her about a breakfast TV report on the just opened Scoliosis SOS clinic in Sussex, where she subsequently sought non-surgical treatment.

“I suffered for a long time and now I’m standing up straight, which I certainly wasn’t before,” she said.

Her days of “couping” sheep, however, are now also behind her.

“We gave up the sheep breeding in 2008, only have four sheep left, but we’re now planting broadleaf trees for conservation, hoping to help with the carbon footprint of the world,” said Mrs Davies.

Dear all,

I’m updating people with regards to some national work that may be of interest to you, your members or the families you support. Although this project is for those working with children and young people we work with a number of adult services both in the UK and overseas.

Postural care / therapeutic positioning involves supporting individuals and their families to understand how and why the body changes shape – including the rotational changes seen in scoliosis. They are then taught how to apply corrective forces using sleep systems. This is a gentle, cost effective and common sense approach. Non-invasive and validated measurement of body symmetry (available since 1992) provides both families and clinicians with evidence for this therapeutic intervention and for their progress. Our reference list is attached and we have work detailing the patterns of body shape distortion due for publication within a peer reviewed Journal in April of this year. This project is with children who have additional disabilities but the principles apply to all.

The following has been released via a number of email networks such as the UK Health and Learning Disability Network, the PMLD Network and the Choice Forum. If you need any further information please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Postural care project is being piloted in 8 Primary Care Trusts across England

The project, a one year training programme for the workforce supporting the needs of children and young people with complex and continuing healthcare needs, commenced in January 2010.
Working in partnership with Postural Care Community Interest Company, the project, initiated by Skills for Health as part of a Children’s Workforce Development Council/Skills for Health work programme, is developing training for practitioners and families to protect body shape through the safe use of therapeutic positioning, including scoliosis.

The programme is being piloted across England with participating PCTs training one person to become a licensed postural care trainer who will cascade awareness session training to multi agency learners.
The learning from the project is to be reported and shared December 2010.

To find out more about the project contact Pam Truman Programme Manager Children at Skills for Health – email available on request

To find out more about postural care and how it can help children and young people with complex needs visit Postural Care CIC at www.posturalcareskills.com

We manage the UK Postural Care Network which is a free email based network open to anyone with an interest in the conservative protection of body shape. To join simply email your name, role and location to network@posturalcareskills.com

We are also part of a national steering group including representation from family leadership groups, the Department of Health, the National Patient Safety Agency and the Royal College of Nursing. Should you be interested in the work of this group or if you would like to find out about joining us please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks for your time,
Kind regards,
Sarah

Tesco Positive Mum of The Year 2009

Our one day courses are available for booking now. Day 1 Practical Positioning, Day 2 Measuring body Symmetry - book either or both (10% discount if both days are booked at the same time)
23rd and 24th March, 15th and 16th June, 31st August and 1st September, 9th and 10th November - Book early to avoid disappointment, strictly limited to 25 places per day

www.posturalcareskills.com
Postural Care CIC - Community Interest Company
Office: 01827 304 938
Mobile: 07729 552 626

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook - look for us under Postural Care.

February 9, 2010 by afp


I would venture to say many of us have issues with spasticity or tone. What is this, what does it mean, and what is the difference? My, oh, my, I was confused when they would mention these two different terms, and then I decided to dig. I found out it was more confusing trying to express the meanings.

I did find out that spasticity seems to react differently for each of us. Spasticity and tone affects us with weird mannerisms. Some do well on medications, some do not. Some have pain associated with this, where some do not. Some are assisted by physical therapy, whereupon reading further, it shall be detailed.

　

Overview of spasticity

The most common causes of spasticity are lack of oxygen to the brain before, during, or after birth (cerebral palsy); physical trauma (brain or spinal cord injury); blockage of or bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain (stroke); multiple sclerosis (MS); or infection of the brain (encephalitis) or the covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

When damage that causes the eventual spasticity first occurs, the muscles are usually flaccid before they become spastic. Spasticity may not be present all the time—it may be related to a trigger, or stimulus, such as pain, pressure sores, a urinary tract infection, ingrown toenails, tight clothing, or constipation.

Spasticity may be painful, especially if it pulls joints into abnormal positions and or prevents a normal movement of the joints. Spasticity may range from slight muscle stiffness to permanent shortening of the muscle. When the muscle is permanently shortened, the joint becomes misshapen. This is called a contracture and is one of the most significant consequences of spasticity. Another closely related problem with muscles in many people who have spasticity is clonus, or rapid repeated muscle spasms.

While spasticity may affect any muscle group, there are some common patterns. When spasticity affects one or both arms, flexed (bent) elbow, flexed wrist, and clenched fist may result. These can all affect the person’s ability to dress, eat, or write or may interfere with balance, thereby causing difficulties with walking. Spasticity of the legs can cause flexed hip, adducted (or scissoring) thigh, stiff knee, flexed knee, equinovarus foot, and hyperextended great toe (which is also called the hitchhiker’s toe). Spasticity of one or both legs may interfere with the ability to walk, position in bed, sit, transfer, or stand.

　

Epidemiology

Overall, spasticity affects about 500,000 people in the United States, and more than 12 million people throughout the world. The number of people affected depends upon the cause of the spasticity. In the United Kingdom, approximately 100,000 people have a first-time stroke every year, and an additional 30,000 have a repeated stroke. Stroke afflicts almost 2,000 out of every 1 million people per year worldwide. Almost 40 percent of people who have a stroke continue to have spasticity one year later.

One year later? Ha! I bet, besides myself, many still have it years later.

　

Clinical examination

A standard evaluation of the nervous system forms the basis of the clinical examination in spasticity. Strength and reflexes are both assessed in this examination. The clinician asks the patient to relax and then moves the joints through their full range of motion at various speeds. Spastic muscles may have a “spastic catch,” exhibit the “clasped knife” phenomenon, or both. Observing the person with spasticity perform activities such as walking, drinking from an open cup, and moving from one position to another often yields valuable information.

The clinical examination also includes an evaluation of deep tendon reflexes. The most commonly used method of testing these reflexes is the tapping technique. With the patient sitting on the examination table and his or her legs hanging freely, the examiner gently but firmly taps below the knee (testing the patellar reflex), first on one leg and then the other.

The responses should be the same in the two legs. Similar techniques may be used to test reflexes in the Achilles tendon (behind the ankle), and reflexes may also be checked in the biceps, triceps, and brachioradialis muscles of the arms.

　

The Spasticity Management Team

The best treatment of spasticity usually includes an active patient or advocate and caregivers working with several health-care professionals from various medical backgrounds. Members of this team may include one or more of the following people.

Neurologist
A neurologist is a medical doctor trained in disorders of the nervous system. The neurologist may diagnose the neurologic problem; prescribe treatments, including medications and physical and occupational therapy; and refer the patient for surgical evaluation if necessary. The neurologist may also inject the chemodenervation treatments (see the section on treatment that follows).

Physiatrist
A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The physiatrist may design the rehabilitation program, working with other team members to maximize the patient’s function and minimize the disabling aspects of the neurologic injury. The physiatrist may also prescribe medications and administer chemodenervation treatments.

Physical Therapist
A physical therapist is a healthcare professional who is responsible for the physical aspects of treatment. The physical therapist may perform or direct another person to perform the exercises that are necessary to assist in maintaining the range of motion of limbs affected by spasticity. The physical therapist may also apply and fit braces, splints, or casts that may be prescribed by the physiatrist or other treating physician.

In addition, the physical therapist may direct training to improve the patient’s ability to walk or move and may instruct patients and caregivers on how to position affected arms and legs to help reduce spasticity. A physical therapist often works closely with an occupational therapist to design changes in the home and equipment that might be necessary to accommodate the patient’s needs.

Occupational therapist
An occupational therapist is a healthcare professional who specializes in adaptation of the physical environment to meet the patient’s needs. The occupational therapist may teach modifications for dressing, feeding, and grooming to the patient and caregiver. This therapist may also offer expertise on adaptive devices such as wheelchairs and bath equipment and may advise on home and workplace modifications to increase accessibility and ease of use. The occupational therapist is usually the medical professional who advises the school on issues such as seating, writing, and use of facilities.

Neurosurgeon
A neurosurgeon is a medical doctor who is specially trained to perform surgical procedures related to the nervous system. For example, when a patient with severe spasticity has a positive response to a screening test (intrathecal baclofen bolus) and is then recommended to receive continuous intrathecal baclofen (ITBTM Therapy), the neurosurgeon may implant the baclofen delivery pump.

Neurosurgeons may also perform an operation to destroy selected sensory nerves at their entry point into the spinal cord (selective dorsal rhizotomy) when other treatments cannot offer adequate spasticity relief. When a patient requires exposure of a target nerve for chemodenervation, the neurosurgeon is usually the physician who performs that operation; a neurologist or physiatrist then usually performs the chemodenervation.

Orthopedic surgeon
An orthopedic surgeon is a medical doctor who is specially trained to perform operations related to bones, joints, muscles, and surrounding connective tissue. These types of procedures may help to reduce or correct contractures that lead to abnormal positioning of joints. Orthopedic operations often involve reconstruction or revision of tendons and bones. The orthopedic surgeon may also assist with the fitting of braces and assessing growth and development.

Spasticity treatment
In some patients with mild spasticity, the best treatment may be no treatment, with a watch-and-wait strategy. Typically, treatment is reserved for spasticity that causes pain, interferes with activities of daily living or sleep, or leads to increasing levels of functional disability.

Some key questions that should be answered before beginning any treatment for spasticity include:
1. Is treatment necessary?
2. Do the patient and caregiver have the time and resources necessary to put the treatment into action?
3. Will the treatment improve the patient’s or the caregiver’s quality of life?

　

Treatment goals

Patient and family expectations regarding the possibilities of treatments and outcomes may be realistic or unrealistic. Inappropriate expectations about the effectiveness of treatment may lead to disappointment regarding relief of symptoms and pain. Therefore, ongoing communication and agreement by the patient, caregivers, and healthcare professionals regarding the goals of treatment are extremely important. The following list includes goals that are commonly developed in the treatment of spasticity.
· Relieve the signs and symptoms of spasticity
· Reduce pain, frequency of spasms, or irritating stimuli
· Improve gait, hygiene, activities of daily living, or ease of care
· Reduce problems with passive function, that is, the functions provided by the caregiver, such as dressing, feeding, transfer, and bathing
· Improve voluntary active motor function, that is, the behaviors and functions that are under the patient’s control, such as reaching for, grasping, moving, and releasing an object

　

Types of treatment

A combination of various types of treatment is usually required to attain the specific goals of treatment for a particular patient. Most people with spasticity require physical and occupational therapy to improve or maintain the range of motion in their spastic limbs.

Description of types of therapies: You can follow this at the following web link: www.wemove.org/spa/spa_pot.html.

　

Physical and occupational therapy

Although physical therapy is a mainstay of treatment for spasticity, there has been surprisingly little research conducted to support the use of these techniques. Physical therapy for spasticity refers to a range of physical (as opposed to drug or surgical) treatments. These treatments of spastic muscles are designed to reduce muscle tone, maintain or improve range of motion and mobility, increase strength and coordination, and improve care and comfort.

The choice of treatments is individualized to meet the needs of the person with spasticity. Physical therapy is the most common form of treatment for spasticity in children. The success of the therapy is often based upon the motivation of the person with spasticity and the caregiver, as well as the physical therapist’s skills.

Please note the last paragraph. Team effort is a must. The success of therapy is often based upon motivation of the person and the caregiver. If you are alone, the team may be you and the therapist. It will not work unless you have motivation. I refer it as “attitude.” I have written about “attitude” in previous articles. Get one !!! Never give up, I improve everyday despite two brainstem strokes.

Here are some additional sites for more info:
- www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-management-spasticity
- www.geocities.com/aneecp/terms.htm
- www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spasticity/spasticity.htm

Led by Professor Linda Worrall from UQ's Clinical Centre for Research Excellence (CCRE) in Aphasia Rehabilitation, the study will be the first of its kind to use the technology in combining two complementary approaches to aphasia rehabilitation into one optimal treatment outcome.

Aphasia, a language difficulty attributed to injury of the brain, usually from stroke, is estimated to affect 80,000 Australians. It can vary from mild difficulties with finding words, or reading text, to not being able to understand what people are saying and being unable to speak.

As part of the study, 50 participants with aphasia will wear voice-activated recorders for four weeks to record the amount of time they talk each day.

The small device, to be incorporated into their mobile phone, will function in a similar way as a pedometer is used in the 10,000 steps program, by keeping track of the users "communicative fitness".

Professor Worrall said that participants would then be allocated to appropriate speech pathology programs based on their communicative fitness, which will help them gradually communicate more often.

"Our study aims to examine whether people with aphasia can improve their language and life participation by increasing the amount of time they talk during their everyday lives," she said.

"The benefits of this program for people with aphasia and their families is that it not only aims to improve language function but also to prevent or overcome the effects of social isolation that come from not being able to understand or communicate clearly with others.

"We envisage that this study will lead to better communication outcomes, less social isolation, and better quality of life for people with aphasia and their families."

Professor Worrall said that the CCRE has recruited all known available researchers associated with aphasia in Australia and relevant international experts to achieve this goal, and anticipates that the size of the team will double during the program.

The major outcome from research within the CCRE will be the development of the Australian Aphasia Clinical Pathway in close collaboration with speech pathologists and consumers.

Source
University of Queensland

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by STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV

Posted on February 9, 2010 at 9:24 PM

FRISCO — Zach Wester, a 15-year-old high school freshman from Frisco, is learning to walk again -- with the help of a Texas superstar.

Zach has cerebral palsy. He endured three surgeries to correct scoliosis. He set a goal for himself to walk 50 feet without resting. The Wakeland High School freshman underwent his first surgery when he was a third-grader. Since then, he's had two other surgical procedures.
After the last one, he could only crawl on his hands and knees. Zach’s father, James Wester, said his initial progress was very limited. “So for him to finally be able to heal up enough to be able to get moving and walking that far — it's been a long road," Wester said.

The sounds from the school's loudspeakers blared: “This is Colt McCoy, University of Texas quarterback.” As Zach's friends, family and aides converged on the school auditorium for his attempt at his goal, a recorded message was played from McCoy. Zach's face lit up with joy.
“To get a message like that, it made such a big difference to him, and his reaction was priceless," said Marisa Wester, Zach’s mother. After getting a boost from the Longhorns' quarterback, Zach started his 50-foot journey. Slowly he inched across the floor. As he got closer to his goal, the cheers got louder.

Zach made it. “I did a really good job," he said. And as he sat back down in his wheelchair, Zach gave one last gesture to his adoring fans and favorite quarterback: A "Hook �em Horns" sign.
E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com

By: Mike Berkson

An interesting situation occurred this weekend. It was one of those things that you had to laugh at, instead of putting your fist through a wall. I went to the Cubby Bear (Chicago) for a birthday party. The party was on the second floor. So, obviously I had to take the elevator. (Side Bar: The reason this location was chosen was because it was accessible.) The elevator was not a traditional elevator, it was a lift that was converted into an elevator. It was only for people in wheelchairs, not for anyone or anything else. On the way up the ride was fine, a little bit cramped and a little slow, but fine. The party was great, I got to talk with friends and discuss possible venues for Handicap This, all in all a pretty good party. When we were ready to leave, we got in the elevator and one of the staff members pressed the button and turned the key. We were there for a good 30 seconds before we realized that something was wrong. We just thought it was really, really slow. They tried pressing it a few more times, the consensus was that it was frozen. My next thought was the stairs. Unfortunately, the 20 stairs were too narrow and too steep. We did consider having a group of people carrying me down the stairs. What makes this even more difficult is the fact that about 4 years ago, I had back surgery to straightened my spine. In the process they fused 2 titanium rods to my back each one about 18 inches long. This made the situation even more complicated. My safety would have been compromised. Our next option was to call the Fire Department. The staff at the Cubby Bear was more than accommodating. They called people on their day off including the manager, just to help us and they were happy to do it. When the Cubby Bear called the Fire Department and explained the problem, the Fire Department told them that since it was not an “emergency” there was nothing that they could do. The only way that they could come was if I needed to go to the hospital. Needless to say, the whole scenario was beyond comprehension. Luckily, after an hour and a half, the good people at Cubby Bear were able to fix the elevator. Living with Cerebral Palsy, I have had my share of experiences like this, we are no strangers to overcoming adversity. But what would have happened if the elevator did not work?

By John Frisco

To me, Handicap This! means no limitations. Mike epitomizes a severely handicapped young man. Stricken with severe cerebral palsy from birth, Mike has limited use of his body, yet he has successfully challenged those who claimed that “he would not be able to talk or lead a normal life”. Certainly his life is not normal, but Mike embraces and celebrates his life’s challenges and continues to go far beyond his so called “expectations”.

The play’s message is clear: We all have our handicaps; perhaps not as invasive as Mike’s affliction, but we all tend to put limitations on ourselves, thus thwarting our own progress in life. In Handicap This!, Mike shows us that despite the “challenges” we may face, we can go
beyond our personal handicaps and boundlessly live life to its fullest.

This play is a celebration of life and an inspiration to us all! May we all improvise, adapt and overcome!

I hope everybody can come out and experience this incredible production!

See you at the show!

January 21st @ 2pm

January 22nd @ 8pm

January 23rd @ 8pm

Oakton Community College, 1600 Golf Rd.

Studio One

How do you teach a crystal-making project using a Dynavox V?
I sat down with an SLP last week and we began to piece together the elements of a science activity using a Dynavox V that a girl has recently acquired to accommodate her speech. (Note: these ideas could be applied to any AAC - not just a V or VMax). The team of 2 SLP's I am working with on this project are pretty innovative and have used lots of motivating activities and integrated curriculum topics to use as the medium to teach their speech concepts and skills.



No Limits to Learning: Use Fun Activites to Integrate AAC and School Curriculum

The Family Center on Technology and Disability has put up their latest issue for students that are deaf and hard of hearing.

No Limits to Learning: C Print: Technology Research for Deaf and Hard of Hearing on FCTD

The Family Center on Technology and Disability has put up their latest issue for students that are deaf and hard of hearing.

No Limits to Learning: C Print: Technology Research for Deaf and Hard of Hearing on FCTD

I wish I were a Mac User - but I am locked into our Windows PC world in our school districts. As I have been exploring the text to speech options within the iPhone world, I have been getting great tips from readers. The i Speak It app from Zapptek looks promising - if you own a MAC.

No Limits to Learning: i Speak It for Mac and iPhone Text to Speech

I had a late Christmas gift idea shared by a reader that I thought I would add to the gift idea list on my sidebar. If you ever are looking for a gift that has an assistive technology slant to it, check out my sidebar gift list with links.

The wUnderGlow was too fun to pass up. It reminds me of the hotrod cars with the lighting under the running boards - except a wheelchair version and it helps let someone see you coming. It could be very helpful - and I have a first-hand story to prove it!


No Limits to Learning: wUnderGlow LED light: Safety and Fun for Wheelchairs

In my work, I have been seeing an increase in Autism occurances - as has been reported in many studies, like this one from CDC, but I have also seen more incidences of non-verbal children in our schools. I am collabiorating more and more with our SLP's and EI/ECSE Specialists to develop AT supports and strategies. This past fall has been the busiest so far.
I was interested to see a link to an article about a poll by YouGov in the UK, that showed children are reaching the age of 3 without being able to say a word. It also showed that "boys are almost twice as likely to struggle to learn to speak than girls".



No Limits to Learning: Raise in Autism Rates and Non-verbal Rates will Impact AT and SLP Services

After another year winds to a close, I have often been moved deeply. The years, months, days and hours past through my heart and mind like a stamp stuck on paper.
It takes me back to all those moments and times that people’s arrogance and assumptions held me back from what I was trying to do.
Because of my rebelish nature, I was not only able to survive but thrive. I was able to do a lot which people in power, thought was impossible. But it would be very naĂŻve of me not to tell you of the extra effort I have had to spend because of what people in the twentieth century were taught to believe about my disability.
I can’t help but think about these moments going around and around in my head when I reflect about how much time has had to go by. Time that I could have been contributing to a caring world- Time that could have healed all wounds by a simple gesture of acceptance- Time that could have carved out recognition for not just me, but for our whole community.
Instead, I have had to run up over and over again against the electric chair of official stupidity. Of official neglect- And, of voluntarily lowing of self!
I have had to beg time and again, as I have had to explain the obvious to every expert imaginable shape and size.
What I knew was never enough. It had to be done on their terms.
I was labeled and mislabel mentally retarded all because of an IQ test, and people in power who only pretended to know what they were doing.
Fifty-eight years have gone by. Fifty-eight years of sheer hell on earth. Fifty-eight years which I have smiled, grinned, and bared it, and made bearable. For what?
But who will give me my youth back? Who will give me the degree I was so worthy of? And, who will give me the job or recognition I have busted my buns for? Whom, I ask? Whom?
Why do I have to be tide to a stake for someone to gloat over? Why do I have to suffer for someone else’s arrogance? Why did I have to waste my whole life away?

Karen Lynn

Hey guys and gals,
just wanted to throw out some goals and aspirations for the new year.
1) I am going to attempy to write a screen play, based off a few chapters of my current book “The Emotional Struggle”. I’ve got no experience with writing screen plays, but with help of a book called “Story” it should be all that is needed. After that I am going to look into getting a camera and creating it into an indy film, make it the best it can be, and then enter it into some indy film festivals. This has been an idea of mine for a good while now, so I’m interested in how this will play out.
2) I’m gonna start throwing money into my savings acoount, I don’t think it’s ever to late to do that. (Well it might be for some) haha!
3) Be less critical of myself.
4) I wanna meet a great girl, and I won’t settle for anything less than amazing. She has to “Complete” me. that’s a joke.. Don’t freak out, I know no one person is going to complete me, but she had better be pretty darn close to it!
5) I want to be a better public speaking figure, and learn to relax more with a mic in my hand.
6) Give myself the grace I know that I’ve not allowed myself.
7) Be in better shape.
Not care about what people may think of me.
9) Face my fear of dying. (Not sure how that’s going to happen though)
10) Be able to communicate my faith better.
11) Discover what it looks like to have a faith that is not centered around polictics.
12) Learn to quiet my brain, and listen for truth about who I am.
13) Pour myself out, until I’m called home. This is something that is a life long goal.
———————–
Beyond all this I’m working on a second book still, I thought I had a general direction, but I might scrap it all together. Life is crazy, I’m goig to be an uncle, training my new dog NOT to releave himself on my bed or carpet. Please continue to pray for me, our troops, nation and that I might be able to clear my mind and heart.
Love,
-Brandon

by: Elizabeth Antonucci

Handicap This to me means no judgment. There are many situations in our lives where the first thing we do in a new place is judge. Whether you judge yourself or you judge others, the most common reaction in a new situation is judgment. Many people think you can or cannot do something because of the way you look; act, talk, or they stop themselves because of what others might think of them. This show to me helps people look past the outside image and see a person for who they really are. We all have our handicaps; we all have little things about ourselves that we try and hide in order to make ourselves look “normal” so that we can fit in. Mike cannot do that. Mike cannot hide his wheelchair.

I hope everybody can come out and experience this incredible production!

See you at the show!

January 21st @ 2pm

January 22nd @ 8pm

January 23rd @ 8pm

Oakton Community College, 1600 Golf Rd.

Studio One

By Tim Wambach
It means sharing. Sharing one of the most incredible people I know, in Mike Berkson, sharing a creative and talented writer, in Molly Mulcrone, and sharing the most unique relationship that I have ever been apart of. My relationship with Mike.
Since I have met him in 2001 he has never stopped impressing me with his attitude towards life and his sense of humor. That is what Handicap This means to me. It means to have a kick-ass attitude and to have a sense of humor. When you have these tools anything in life is possible.
Our goal with this production is to reach as many people as we possibly can. If you can’t make the shows below and you would like us to bring our message to you we would love to hear from you!
See you at the Show
January 21st 2pm
January 22nd 8pm
January 23rd 8pm
Oakton Community College 1600 Golf Rd.
Studio One

By Mike Berkson
Handicap This means empowerment to me. Living with Cerebral Palsy, too many times I have felt disregarded, chained to my condition. Handicap This gives a voice and a soul to a group of people that I feel is often overlooked and stereotyped. I am excited to share this with both the handicapped community and the able-bodied community. I hope this will open doors, not just for myself, but for others in my situation who have a story to tell. We all should have the opportunity to tell that story. Our audience will get to experience something that they would NEVER be able to experience otherwise. It is rare that the Handicap Community has a platform and a voice. This project builds a bridge between those with physical handicaps and those without.
See you at the show!
January 21st 2pm
January 22nd 8pm
January 23rd 8pm
Oakton Community College 1600 Golf Rd
Studio One

Handicap This Productions is thrilled to announce its world premiere production will be rollin’ out in January of 2010.
We invite you to be a part of this extraordinary theatrical event.
Handicap This!
By Molly Mulcrone
Directed by John Frisco
Choreography by Vanessa Passini
Starring
Mike Berkson & Tim Wambach
With
Kate Tillotson, Elizabeth Antonucci, and Philip Edward Hasso
Premiere Show Dates
Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8pm
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8pm
Oakton Community College
Studio One Theatre
1600 Golf Road Des Plaines Illinois 60016
Tickets
$5.00 General Seating
Wheelchairs Free Admission!
Stay tuned for more details!

Rockin’ Conception Rolls To Life

By Molly Mulcrone
In the early morning hours of April 18, 2008, there was a 5.2 earthquake that shook Chicagoland. Later that day, I received the first of many phone calls from Tim Wambach that rocked my little world. Mike and Tim had an idea…
“Mike and I want to take our educational outreach talks and turn them into a two-man show that we can take on the road. Mike was thinking it would be kinda like John Leguizamo’s Freak, only with two guys.”
“And on wheels,” I said. “Literally.”
“Yes!” exclaimed Tim.
This is the day Handicap This Productions was conceived. Our mission is to further the cause of the Keep On Keeping On Foundation with educational and entertaining performance art that raises awareness about people born with severe physical handicaps and inspires individuals to achieve their own goals and dreams.
Our flagship project is the self-titled production, Handicap This!, wherein a series of vignettes have been strung together to highlight the incredible relationship between Mike Berkson and Tim Wambach. Mike and Tim are natural entertainers, thus the stage is the best medium to bring their poignant story to life and allow Mike to fulfill one of his many dreams – “to make the crowd go wild!”
Through a collage of moments, messages, and humor, we invite our audiences to see MIKE, not just his wheelchair. We hope our production will allow able-bodied people to see the likenesses between themselves and handicapped people, and it will inspire our audiences to pursue their own dreams, regardless of what obstacles they encounter. Most of all, we’d like to break through the fear that causes people to avert their eyes when they see a handicapped individual. Our goal is to educate the naïve, combat the spread of ignorance, and resurrect the timeless humor-through-adversity that political correctness has surpressed in our society.
Mike Berkson is always the first to make an unabashed joke or seemingly indecent remark about his handicap in a brilliant non-deprecating manner. His brazen attitude has inspired the tone of this docudramedy. What better way to disarm our resistance to what is different and learn to accept ourselves and each other than through the magic of humor?
Inspired by the work of the Keep On Keeping On Foundation, Handicap This Productions embodies the spirit of its mission. While KOKO helps a family expand the doorways in their home to allow for wheelchair access throughout their house, we are expanding Mike’s life doorway so that he can more easily access his dreams. We hope HTP will set the stage for others born with physical handicaps to showcase their talents, see their dreams come to fruition, and inspire them to keep on keeping on.

Dear Fans,

THANK YOU for your incredible support of Handicap This Productions! We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our mission with you.

Just before Mike’s 8th grade graduation, his graduating class’ t-shirts with all the kids names were handed out to all the 8th graders. Like any kid, as soon as Mike got his t-shirt he looked for his name on it…and looked again…and again. It wasn’t there. They forgot his name.

Simple oversights like this are what Mike and other handicapped individuals are unfortunately still facing in our able-bodied world today. Our goal is to change that one mind at a time.

To celebrate the debut of our production, Handicap This! and support our mission, we invite you to join us in rolling out the red carpet for our Creative Inspiration, Mike Berkson, by making our Handicap This logo (below) your profile picture on Facebook, Myspace, etc. this weekend, January 22 – 24, 2010, and tagging Mike, and/or anyone else you know and love with a handicap.

The message behind our logo is simple:

“It’s not what you think you cannot do, it’s what you know you can do.”
– Mike Berkson

We’d be honored if you’d lend us your support this weekend.

Rollin’ Regards,

Molly Mulcrone & Tim Wambach

DREAM Adaptive gives recreation opportunities to people with disabilities














DREAM Adaptive Recreation volunteer Bob Zahller, center, helps guide Phillip Sotello into a turn while descending Big Mountain under Chair Six at Whitefish Mountain Resort as Ryan McCoy follows closely behind. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

By Myers Reece, 01-12-10
WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT – The therapy is in the snow. It’s on the mountains, in the base lodge and on the bus rides.

Once a week during winter, high school students with disabilities head to Whitefish Mountain Resort to ski, train for the Special Olympics and, above all, have a lot of fun. For many of them, it’s unlike any other experience of their lives.

Their ticket to the mountain is DREAM Adaptive Recreation Inc., an organization established in 1985 to give disabled children and adults access to recreational opportunities in the Flathead Valley. DREAM stands for “Disabled Recreation and Environmental Access Movement.”

“There’s a huge amount of emotional therapy involved in being able to finally go out and finally access these things,” said Bruce Gibson, DREAM’s program director.

Twenty-five years ago, a small group of Flathead residents set out to expand accessibility to both recreational locations and activities for people with special needs. This was five years before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Among the earliest leaders of this forward-thinking group were Dottie Maitland, Larry Dominick, Dennis Jones and Jane Lopp. They collaborated with the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies to create Glacier National Park’s Trail of the Cedars, a hiking trail that is conducive to disabled access, with a paved portion and a boardwalk.

In addition, they worked on accessibility surveys, along with projects at Foys Lake and Woodland Park, Lopp said. And they created perhaps their most defining legacy, the ski program at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Lopp is pleased to see Gibson continuing and expanding upon DREAM’s vision.

“I’m so glad Bruce is doing all he’s doing,” Lopp said.

The kids who traveled up to Whitefish Mountain Resort last week attend Glacier and Flathead high schools. They represent only a percentage of the total population that DREAM serves. The organization works with roughly 200 people with disabilities each year, Gibson said, about two-thirds of whom are kids.

The nonprofit assists people of many different disabilities, both physical and cognitive. The list includes cerebral palsy, autism, muscle degeneration, Down syndrome, amputees, paraplegics and others. Gibson is the only full-time staff member. The rest are volunteers.

“We have people that can work with about anyone,” Gibson said. “It’s pretty much across the board.”

DREAM Adaptive differs somewhat from the Bozeman-based Eagle Mount program, mostly in the area of professional therapy. Eagle Mount is more therapy based, while DREAM is more recreation based, Gibson said. But Gibson points out: “Therapy comes from getting out and skiing.”

“They’re structured a little bit differently, but for the most part they’re doing the same thing,” Gibson said.

The nonprofit also started a summer program in 2009 with water skiing, tubing and kayaking at Echo Lake. The program will continue, and perhaps expand, in future summers, Gibson said.

The “adaptive” skiing movement started in Colorado in the late 1970s, Gibson said. It has grown exponentially since then. There are adaptive programs in countries such as New Zealand and France, as well as in other states, but Gibson said “almost everything adaptive comes out of Colorado.” DREAM’s program was modeled after one in Winter Park, Colo.

DREAM Adaptive doesn’t charge for any of its services. It relies on community donations, grants and a large fundraiser held each year on the Friday before Valentine’s Day. The event, scheduled for Feb. 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn this year, features live big band music, dancing, dinner and auctions – both live and silent.

Also, the organization negotiates a yearly agreement with Whitefish Mountain Resort. It receives an unlimited amount of lower chairlift tickets for its participants and a fixed amount for the higher lifts. Volunteers who don’t have season passes get free tickets. When their volunteer time is done each day, they are free to use the rest of the day to ski.

The resort also provides DREAM with senior ski instructors and storage space. The required equipment list for skiers with disabilities is fairly large, including both bi and mono sit-skis, outriggers, gadgets that can either help spread legs or keep skis together, and more.

“Sometimes we just invent something based on individual needs,” Gibson said.

Volunteers must be intermediate skiers or better. Beyond that, they need no prior experience, Gibson said. After signing up, they take a training session. Then they are paired with skiers, with the advanced volunteers taking on more difficult tasks like guiding sit-skiers.

Gibson said his organization also seeks “off-snow” volunteers. These volunteers help with tasks such as grant writing and preparing for fundraisers. Donations are always needed as well, he said.

Last week was Chuck Cassidy’s first day as a ski volunteer, though he has followed the DREAM program for years. His son, Mark, has been skiing since 2004 and was one of the more accomplished skiers on the mountain on Jan. 7, if not the most enthusiastic. The gregarious 18-year-old Cassidy, a senior at Glacier High who has a learning disability, begins preparing for ski days a week ahead of time, his father said.

Cassidy, who saw many different school systems in his travels with the Navy, said the Kalispell school district has the best recreational program for kids with disabilities that he has seen. The district’s collaboration with DREAM is just one example, he said. There are also opportunities for activities such as softball, bocce, track and basketball.

“It’s really an awesome program,” Cassidy said. “The valley should be proud.”

Of the 13 high school students who skied last week, 12 were from Glacier and one was from Flathead, said Jodie McGough, who is the special education instructor at Glacier. A few of the regulars didn’t make the trip because of the cold.

The students ski with DREAM eight days per year to train for the Special Olympics, said Jenny Griswold, who teaches at Glacier and runs the Special Olympics program there.

“A lot of our kids never even have a chance to go fast in their lives,” Griswold said. “That’s why we’re up here when it’s 10 below.”

She added: “DREAM is the only way we have access to this.”

For more information on DREAM Adaptive Recreation Inc., and how to contribute, call (406) 862-1817, e-mail at dreamadaptive@yahoo.comor mail to P.O. Box 4084, Whitefish, MT 59937.

Monica J. Foster
BellaOnline's Disabilities Editor

Yoga, an ancient Indian practice which involves moving the body and training the mind to achieve balance and well-being, can be beneficial for individuals with disabilities or chronic health conditions through both physical postures, meditative visualizations and breathwork. It is an Eastern form of relaxation and exercise that has become increasingly popular in various forms here in the West.

If you are not comfortable with yoga, explore other mind and body-linked practices such as meditation or Tai Chi. The most important thing is to begin connecting your mind and body in whatever way works best for you and your disability's challenges.

As for yoga, each pose can be modified or adapted to meet the needs of the student. Yoga postures can be performed while seated in a chair or wheelchair. Look up yoga studios and practitioners in your area, as well as call your rehabilitation centers to see if they incorporate yoga in their work. You might be surprised what's out there for you.

Having mentioned the benefits of yoga practice, it should be noted that yoga is used to complement an individual's already established medical care, therapy program and exercise regime. Yoga should not be a replacement for any of these things and a doctor should be consulted before pursuing a yoga practice.

The overall health perks that can be gained include:

•Digestive system - Bending and stretching poses help move and stimulate the digestive system

•Cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems - Specific types of yoga can be a good form of aerobic exercise that increases one's heart rate. The practice of pranayama helps expand lung capacity and heart strength.

•Lymphatic system - This is a primary component of an individual's immune system. It relies on muscle activity and body movement for circulation.

Physical activity and stretching develops strong muscles that continually encourage lymph movement. Regular practice stimulates the lungs, diaphragm, and thorax.

•Skeletal system and muscular systems - Various postures encourage the individual to keep his or her body in proper alignment. Regular yoga practice strengthens the muscles and increases flexibility.

There are also various developmental benefits as well. They may include:

•Developmental milestones being are reached.

•Enhanced motor skills.

•Increased body awareness and orientation.

•Sharper focus and concentration.

•Encouragement of learning, creativity and imagination.

A welcome advantage to yoga practice is that it does not require any fancy equipment. Yoga can be practiced indoors, outdoors on the grass, or even on sand at the beach. Typically, a yoga mat or rug is used. Latex-free and eco-friendly mats are also available for folks like myself who have spina bifida and are more sensitive to latex. Yoga props such as blocks and straps aid in practicing postures safely, as well as help the individual go deeper into a pose. An eye pillow and a light blanket can be used during deep relaxation.

Your development as a self-aware individual with a disability and the growth of your caregiver (both professional and personal) are intertwined on a very deep level. Mind-body work such as yoga promotes the best outcomes for everyone involved. Yoga practice emphasizes the role of both the individual with a disability or chronic illness and the caregiver or loved one in the healing process. Also, it enhances your bond and mission to working together for one purpose -- your overall well-being.

Yoga creates an inner capacity for survival, grace, and acceptance, no matter the circumstance of your disability or chronic illness. Whether you are new to your disability as an injured veteran, born with your disability or are a parent wanting to establish a deeper relationship with your child who has special needs, yoga goes beyond the body to the heart and spirit's connections to each other forming the whole person. The practice, when kept constant, builds discipline, stamina, focus and patience in those who take on this mode of mind-body connection.

Overcoming Cerebral Palsy

By Justine van der Leun
Gregg Mozgala, a 31-year-old actor, used to feel inhibited by his cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that occurs when a child’s brain is damaged before the age of two and afflicts a million Americans — most often in the form of poor coordination, weak muscles, and compromised posture. But with a load of determination and the help of an unconventional choreographer, Mozgala is now set to star in an hour-long dance piece in New York City. “I have felt things that I felt were completely closed off to me for the last 30 years,” Mozgala told The New York Times. “The amount of sensation that comes through the work has been totally unexpected and is really
quite wonderful.” While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, Mozgala’s success suggests that a change in approach to the condition can translate into a change in the lives and capabilities of sufferers. Mozgala’s journey began in 2008 when he met choreographer Tamar Rogoff After seeing Mozgala play the lead in “Romeo and Juliet,” produced by Theater Breaking Through Barriers, a group composed of disabled and nondisabled actors, Rogoff was inspired to create a dance piece for him. At first, both Mozgala and Rogoff imagined a 10-minute performance: Mozgala, who then walked on his toes with his upper body thrown back, assumed he could not
manage much more, and Rogoff figured she would create some basic choreography for him. But as they began to work together, her imagination and his capacities began to expand.

Rogoff, who knew little about cerebral palsy, taught Mozgala techniques to release muscular tension. She helped him locate areas of his body over which he had previously exercised no control. In agonizing and illuminating sessions, they worked together to increase his range of movement, employing dance and stretching techniques, and finding his true physical limits. Soon enough, Mozgala was able to stand up straight, to place both feet on the floor, as well as to feel
his Achilles tendon, which he had never before done. He called these revelations
“eureka moments” in the New York Times interview. “There are pre-existing structures in the brain that are very receptive to music, rhythm, and moving to music, which is why at a rock concert, everyone is swaying,” explained Mindy L. Aisen, MD, medical director of The Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation. “The innate pleasure we get from music acted as a reinforcement for getting [Mozgala’s] body re-engaged and for forging new pathways in his brain.”Mozgala had been to physical therapists for over a decade, but his dance training
was different: While before, the therapists had moved his body for him, now he learned how to move his own body. Rogoff identified some of the physical patterns he had been stuck in and gave him specific instructions on how to overcome them, both in the studio and out. His daily life has changed: His balance and strength are so improved that he rarely falls; his gait is steadier,
and he is subject to fewer stares on the street. Most important, he no longer feels
mentally constrained by cerebral palsy. As he told the Times: “Everybody told me
there was nothing I could do,” he said. “That’s just what you hear, from the time
you’re five to adulthood. Tamar gave me an option.” According to Aisen, Mozgala’s story supports an open-minded, patientcentered approach to Cerebral Palsy and other neurological impairments. CPIRF is considering funding a dance therapy program, and at their Washington, D.C. Center, they have begun to use robotics and fun, motivational virtual games to help children use afflicted muscles. “Just as musicians have to practice to hone a motor skill, a brain that’s never had a chance to develop in areas needs the opportunity,” says Aisen. “We think we
can help anyone with cerebral palsy reshape their nervous system in a way.
It’s not a cure, but it is going towards a cure.”

smcmanis@sacbee.com
Published Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009


To see Kim Wagaman on a yoga mat – her supple spine stretched, her limbs angled with apparent aplomb – is to witness a body perfectly aligned and in harmony with itself.

She's a yoga instructor, after all, so such flexibility is a given, right?

Not in her case. Wagaman, 34, who grew up in Carmichael and teaches classes at the Yoga Solution and elsewhere in Sacramento, once was so restricted by scoliosis that she spent most of her teenage years in a neck-high brace.

The curvature made her spine look like a winding country road, veering right in the upper thoracic region, swerving left in the lumbar area. She also had a smaller curve high in her neck and was showing the beginnings of kyphosis, a rounding of the shoulders.

"I made a conscious effort to hide the back of my body," Wagaman recalls. "I'd enter a room at a party and position myself with my back to the wall. There was all this insecurity and denial. And there's this drive to fix the issue."

In Wagaman's case, that drive put her on an unusual path to confronting the condition. Her parents already had ruled out spinal-fusion surgery as too invasive.

So as a junior in high school, Wagaman chose to send the cumbersome "Milwaukee" brace, which she had worn 23 hours a day, to the back of her closet and look for more promising alternatives.

For her, the better way turned out to be yoga. In her early 20s, Wagaman started practicing poses and movements with Jennifer Sadugar, founder of the Yoga Solution in east Sacramento. That led Wagaman to study under Palo Alto-based yoga master Elise Miller, the leading practitioner of yoga for people with scoliosis.

Over time, Wagaman found that tweaks to standard yoga poses – a change of hand positioning, a more pronounced shoulder twist, a deepening of breath – not only eased pain but strengthened muscles around the spine and led to better structural alignment.

The weight bearing down on her left leg no longer is heavier than on her right side. One hip no longer is higher. Wagaman has trained the right side of her rib cage to return to a standard position.

Her spinal curve hasn't gone away, of course, but Wagaman firmly believes her adherence to yoga has delayed further complications and has taken away whatever bodily limitations she had.

Now, with a 500-hour yoga teaching certificate, Wagaman offers Yoga for Scoliosis workshops. (The next four-week series starts Jan. 10 at the Yoga Solution.) A big part of the classes involves mastering variations on classic yoga poses, such as the downward-facing dog, the triangle and the puppy pose. But there also is an emotional component.

"A lot of us have the concept from our society and culture that we're deformed, not right as we are," she says. "We try to work through that. You have to accept that your practice is going to be different than others' in terms of poses and expressions.

"As your awareness becomes more finely tuned, you begin to sense where you are in space, feel more keenly what your body is doing."

Sacramentan Mary Lau, 54, who has had severe scoliosis since high school and suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, says taking Wagaman's classes over the past year has helped both conditions. She says the 51-degree curve in her back has improved by 8 degrees in a recent measurement.

"It really makes a difference," says Lau, a retired scientist with the state Environmental Protection Agency. "I have an S-shaped curve that pinches one of the nerves in the lumbar spine. So a lot of those stretching poses, like the puppy pose, will help my pain. Doing that for a few minutes will give me relief and put pressure off the nerve."

What might surprise some students, Wagaman says, is how subtle changes in the poses can ease pain.

Take the standard puppy pose, a spine-lengthening movement in which one begins on all fours with arms extended to the front and moves the buttocks toward the heels while dropping the forehead toward the mat.

"For scoliosis, I'll have people walk their hands over to the left and then draw the hips back and drop the right side down a little bit and breathe into the left side," Wagaman says.

The standard triangle pose differs more significantly. After spreading the legs, those with right thoracic scoliosis will steady their left arm on a chair and, instead of reaching up with their right arm to stretch, will bring their hand to the rib cage.

"You'll try to draw the ribs in toward the body," Wagaman says.

A downward-facing dog pose has the most subtle change. When arms are extended in mid-pose, you "swivel the right palm out to draw that side of the scapula (shoulder blade) in," Wagaman says. "It's sort of an 'aha' thing. Students with scoliosis will feel a lot more comfortable that way."

Comfort and healing, of course, are precisely what Wagaman's scoliosis patients seek.

"This yoga is the best form of pain management I've tried," Lau says.

YOGA FOR SCOLIOSIS

What: Instructor Kim Wagaman will lead a four-week Sunday series on Yoga for Scoliosis

When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 10 to Feb. 7 (no class Jan. 17)

Where: The Yoga Solution, 887 57th St., Sacramento

Cost: $70 by Dec. 30, $80 thereafter

Information: (916) 383-7933

For information on other classes Wagaman teaches: www.yogaquest.wordpress.com.

By Melinda Sacks


for the Mercury News

Unlike his peers, though, he can't say most of what is on his mind. When he tries, what comes out are moans and grunts, unintelligible to all but close family members and caregivers.

The tall, handsome young man loves gospel music, cell phones, Taco Bell and knit polo shirts that show off his broad shoulders. But the inability to speak is a frustrating fact of life for Hills and his mom, Evelyn Glasper. Having a conversation is a lot of work — still, they both try.

"He'll go and get my purse and it is his way of saying, 'Let's go out!'"Ĺ " says Glasper, a single mother who is on disability for chronic back pain and depression. "People underestimate how much he understands and how much he can communicate. It's just that sometimes I am the only one who can understand him. And it is really frustrating for him."

Born with cerebral palsy, Hills struggles with the most basic tasks. An in-home caregiver must be with him at all times, helping with everything from getting dressed to taking a shower. He can walk, but has problems with balance, so a helping hand often is necessary.

The cozy living room of the family home in East Palo Alto is a virtual photo gallery of Hills and other family members, many of whom live in Evelyn Glasper's home state, Louisiana. Over the mantel is a framed painting of a man stepping off a cliff, into the air above what might be an ocean.

"That image is about blind faith," Evelyn says. "Knowing God is there."

Going to church is one of Hills' favorite outings, she says. He loves to get dressed up and is so fond of it that they go to their own church on Saturdays and with friends to another church on Sundays.

"We've been friends since he was very small," says Jennifer Jackson, Hills' daily caregiver, a neighbor and friend who is often at the house.

Brandon's affection for her is obvious as he gives her a kiss on the cheek and sits by her side as she talks.

"Brandon's 24 and his mom is over 60, so it is important we get a means for him to communicate with other people," Jackson says. "It is every mother's fear that they will leave their children. The more we get Brandon ready to be independent in the world, the more secure his mom would feel. We want to be sure he has the ability to live a good quality of life."

What would make life easier for Hills and his mother is a speech-generating electronic communication device that would allow him to point to scenes and symbols that represent what he wants to say. Donations in increments of $50 will go toward its $3,285 purchase price.

A sturdy tricycle customized for Hills' special needs ($1,369) would help him have more mobility. And gift cards ($25 each) for clothes or music would be much appreciated.

Hills doesn't sit around feeling sorry for himself. He approaches each day with enthusiasm and a grin.

When it is time to leave for his "school" — an adult care center in Menlo Park where he goes weekdays — he's is all smiles, grabbing his navy backpack and heading to the car.

Using Wii As Therapy

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