The Anat Baniel Method

The Anat Baniel Method (ABM) is suitable for disabled people diagnosed with a range of neurological conditions, including cerebral palsy. It uses a gentle, non-medical, learning-based approach to help the brain of the person utilise its natural plasticity to form new neural connections and patterns that take them beyond their current limitations. While it is a continual process, changes begin happening right away and are occasionally quite dramatic.

Movement and enhanced awareness of self are the main tools used for communicating with the brain, and the therapy is conducted very much with the brain and learning in mind. The work done through movement is aimed at facilitating the brain to learn new functions and new ways of acting. So the way of working is a little different to more physically directed therapies such as physiotherapy. Rather than work on the body to produce direct body change, the ABM teacher works through gentle body movements to provide information to the person’s brain which then, in turn, gets the body to change. It is a significant difference and one which means the therapy focuses on increased function and ability of the whole person in areas such as turning, crawling or walking.

Anat Baniel states that almost always, regardless of the specific diagnosis, a person’s brain is available for potent learning. It is through this learning process that people with very diverse neurological issues can benefit from ABM. The ABM method can be applied at any age; however, early intervention has generally proven to provide the quickest and most far-reaching results. If a child cannot sit up unaided, or maybe cannot crawl or stand up unaided, the therapist will not try to force a child into these positions, or place a child in devices that will 'hold' them in a position, unless they come to believe they will never be able to do it on their own. Rather, the ABM teacher will engage a child in a learning process that provides the conditions required for the brain to form new neural patterns that were either missing or damaged due to illness or injury. Once enough of these missing elements are in place, the ABM suggests that a child will spontaneously begin doing what he or she couldn’t do before. Everyone is treated as an individual who has their own capabilities already and ABM teachers see their job as increasing the possibilities for improvement as much as they can.

Further UK information can be found at www.movementandwellbeing.com

and the main centre in the USA can be found at www.anatbanielmethod.com/cerebral-palsy-treatment.htm