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People with determination get gym to suit their needs

Dubai - With its five occupational therapists, the gym serves children from 0-21 years old with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit, learning disabilities, and developmental coordination disorder, and regulatory disorder, genetic disorders

Self-stimulatory behaviour or repetitive movements in special needs children could be resolved through sense integration (SI) therapy, according to some experts.
Able UK, a special needs centre based in London and Dubai, launched a new gym this month to help special needs children become aware of their physical senses. 
Amelia Regino, clinical head and head of occupational therapy department at the centre, said this awareness helps children overcome their self-stimulatory behaviour that can take different forms of repetitive movements and sounds including hand flapping, rocking, hard blinding or snapping fingers. 
"They lack proprioception - sense of position. When we are sitting, for example, we are aware and conscious of our joint movement and our position in space, but children with special needs aren't. That's why children with disabilities move constantly; it is their body's way of providing them with information of their position sense," said Regino, a certified occupational therapist.
She noted that children with SI impairment struggle to second information and comfortably react with their surroundings. The SI therapy helps combine all of their senses so they develop more awareness of their surroundings and reduce their frequent movements. Not only will this help the children work on their sensory capabilities; but also promises to polish their social, physical, and academic skills.
With its five occupational therapists, the gym serves children from 0-21 years old with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit, learning disabilities, and developmental coordination disorder, and regulatory disorder, genetic disorders. 
The gym provides children with occupational therapy through a variety of strategic games that enables their body to move and become more aware of their senses.
Children, therefore, become immersed in a world of stimulating sights, sounds, and tastes to help further develop their sensory skills. "Their perception of gravity will be enhanced using a range of suspended equipment like swings, monkey bars, a therapy ball, a slide, and a wall climbing frame," said Regino. 
According to Regino, analysis shows that children receiving SI score significantly higher on attaining their goals. Standardised tests showed that children receiving sensory integration therapy require less assistance from parents in self-care and social situations.
She said SI therapy allows children to get the right amount of input through their senses. Regino stressed on having an early intervention for children to limit their repetitive behaviour. Through sessions, parents are also educated about the reason behind their children's stimming behaviour, and are therefore more confident in managing it.
"The SI therapy increases the confidence of special needs children and their parents. When the child is always told to stop doing a certain behaviour, they feel repressed. But while receiving SI therapy, we allow them to move in their comfortable space while modifying their behaviour," said Rejino. 
"We have to understand them and get to their world so they can understand us."
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

What is SI therapy?