The concepts of the proposal were founded on the possibility of the use of the Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) in helping people suffering from developmental disabilities. The research would be aimed to determine the effective use of the LMA design of body, effort, shape, and space, ordinarily called the BESS approach as a remedy for the developmental disability conditions such as autism and Down syndrome (ADTA n.d). When taking a LMA class and volunteering at the Arc I became motivated to further explore the BESS method. The Arc is a community-based organization committed to serving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing services, support, and advocacy. I felt this approach would be beneficial and valuable for those
…show more content…
As stated in the article Children with Down syndrome: Discovering the Joy of Movement “several investigators have noted that children with DS tend to treat movement sequence as a series of separate tasks, causing their movement to appear jerky and hesitant” (Jobling et al. 34). Other difficulties that are presented in children with DS are movement control, poor posture and balance, and motor difficulties (34). In this article a structure called Framework for Development of Language and Movement was created to address development of awareness of body, space, and effort, development of language of movement, time for exploration/practice, and communication and interaction with others. For body awareness, breath and learning about how limbs function in movement through total body connectivity: Breath, Core-Distal, Head-Tail, Upper-Lower, Body-Half, and Cross-Lateral, can aid those children with DS (Hackney). Space awareness explores the body in relationship to space, but also to shape. Using movement when dancing like shrinking, spreading, sinking, downward, retreating, but also dimensions like vertical, sagittal, and horizontal planes can assist with learning about space and shape and how to use it around people, and in different environments. Furthermore, effort awareness signifies the pace of movement – indirect, direct, free, bound, light, quick, sustained, and strong – and the factors that play into these elements are flow, weight, time and space (Dell, 10-28). Children with DS that practice these factors and elements thereby improve timing and sense of fluency, balance, control, poor posture, and motor difficulties (Jobling et al.
As stated in the article Children with Down syndrome: Discovering the Joy of Movement “several investigators have noted that children with DS tend to treat movement sequence as a series of separate tasks, causing their movement to appear jerky and hesitant” (Jobling et al. 34). Other difficulties that are presented in children with DS are movement control, poor posture and balance, and motor difficulties (34). In this article a structure called Framework for Development of Language and Movement was created to address development of awareness of body, space, and effort, development of language of movement, time for exploration/practice, and communication and interaction with others. For body awareness, breath and learning about how limbs function in movement through total body connectivity: Breath, Core-Distal, Head-Tail, Upper-Lower, Body-Half, and Cross-Lateral, can aid those children with DS (Hackney). Space awareness explores the body in relationship to space, but also to shape. Using movement when dancing like shrinking, spreading, sinking, downward, retreating, but also dimensions like vertical, sagittal, and horizontal planes can assist with learning about space and shape and how to use it around people, and in different environments. Furthermore, effort awareness signifies the pace of movement – indirect, direct, free, bound, light, quick, sustained, and strong – and the factors that play into these elements are flow, weight, time and space (Dell, 10-28). Children with DS that practice these factors and elements thereby improve timing and sense of fluency, balance, control, poor posture, and motor difficulties (Jobling et al.