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Special Treatments

Complementary Therapies Make a Difference for Many Children

By Kim Byrum Skinner

Racquel Miller Graham hasn't forgotten "Johnny," an emotionally troubled 10-year-old whose sneakers and self-esteem had been grounded – worn down by the harshness of life.

"He was so earthbound," she says. "Wouldn't pick his feet off the floor. Couldn't jump. He was like this little mouse of a kid who literally clung to the earth, terrified of the world around him."

Movement-based activities lifted much more than his spirits. "The day he climbed to the top of the rope was a really big day," Graham says. "He conquered all of his fears. He actually learned to jump – got his feet off the ground. Just really blossomed."

Now a certified yoga instructor at Columbus, Ohio's Center for Wholeness, Graham spent 12 years as a movement therapist, working with emotionally disturbed children. As a result, she's never surprised by the way special needs kids respond to complementary treatments – everything from horseback riding, water exercise and yoga to art, music and dance.

"We are physical beings, first and foremost," Graham says. "Children learn about the world first through their physical bodies."

Today, old-fashioned recreation and play time, skillfully packaged and managed, can have a dramatic impact on children facing all sorts of heath-related challenges.

In these highly creative yet structured worlds, asthmatics calm their spastic, labored breathing to music's rhythmic melodies; quadriplegics ride high on horseback, imagining how it might feel to walk; juvenile arthritis sufferers leap through pools like frogs on lily pads, playfully exercising their stiff, aching joints.

"Whether climbing a rope or learning to jump, kids discover they can trust their own bodies – for example, kids whose boundaries have been violated by abuse," Graham says. "They learn that their body is their own territory. Being able to trust themselves and deal with their fears is huge."

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