Nature is an endless combination and repetition of a very few laws.
She hums the old well-known air through innumerable variations.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
She hums the old well-known air through innumerable variations.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Essential #3: Variation
Variation is one of my favorite essentials ~ It's so creative. It allows a clear opportunity to distinguish differences between a "this" and a "that." The more opportunity you have to experience something in a new a different way, the more information you give your nervous system to make choices in an optimal way. In ABM we can use variation to find ways around pain and help the body re-organize.
Children with Special needs might be limited in their ability to vary movements. That's where ABM comes in. During lessons we don't try to make a child do something "right," instead we explore many different options and let that child's nervous system find the way that feels right for that particular person. It's important to know that we are learning all the time. We learn our experience. When asking a child to do over and over what he or she cannot do, then that is exactly what he or she is learning.
Anat reminds us:
If he could he would
If she could she would
An example of variation:
When my daughter started playing clarinet we had quite a few moments of squeaky frustration. She would try to play notes and just not hit them. When the frustration tears started flowing, we took a break. That's when it hit me....she needs variation. I offered a suggestion to play "wrong" in as many different ways as possible. She changed her finger placement, she tried different mouth positions, she varied her air stream, and even tried playing upside-down. Besides bringing on a good laugh, she was also better able to produce the notes she originally struggled with. Her sound improved along with her confidence to explore and persevere. She now incorporates variation in her clarinet practice time whenever she feels the need.
When was the last time you turned of "auto-pilot" and tried something new and different? Think of something you do habitually and add variation. Maybe: brushing your teeth... washing the dishes... exercising.... What can you do differently in that habitual activity? You get the idea.
See where variation takes you.
Children with Special needs might be limited in their ability to vary movements. That's where ABM comes in. During lessons we don't try to make a child do something "right," instead we explore many different options and let that child's nervous system find the way that feels right for that particular person. It's important to know that we are learning all the time. We learn our experience. When asking a child to do over and over what he or she cannot do, then that is exactly what he or she is learning.
Anat reminds us:
If he could he would
If she could she would
An example of variation:
When my daughter started playing clarinet we had quite a few moments of squeaky frustration. She would try to play notes and just not hit them. When the frustration tears started flowing, we took a break. That's when it hit me....she needs variation. I offered a suggestion to play "wrong" in as many different ways as possible. She changed her finger placement, she tried different mouth positions, she varied her air stream, and even tried playing upside-down. Besides bringing on a good laugh, she was also better able to produce the notes she originally struggled with. Her sound improved along with her confidence to explore and persevere. She now incorporates variation in her clarinet practice time whenever she feels the need.
When was the last time you turned of "auto-pilot" and tried something new and different? Think of something you do habitually and add variation. Maybe: brushing your teeth... washing the dishes... exercising.... What can you do differently in that habitual activity? You get the idea.
See where variation takes you.
From Kids Beyond Limits:
" This remarkable process of growth and development happens through the perception of something new, something different, something that stands out from the background and the habitual in our bodies, our minds, and our lives."
"The child with special needs, because of the nature of his condition, is often limited to his ability to generate variation."
~Anat Baniel
Read more about Variation from Anat's website:
"The child with special needs, because of the nature of his condition, is often limited to his ability to generate variation."
~Anat Baniel
Read more about Variation from Anat's website:
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