– Ruth St. Denis
Art is a language that all people speak, a source of self expression for those of us who struggle to find the words. For many kids with special needs, the arts are not merely enrichment. Rather, they are a way to express who they are and what they are made of. Autism Movement Therapy classes provide a safe, fun, supportive environment for kids to move and grow at their own pace. Learning to adapt to the sounds and stimuli in the dance class can help us accept the sounds and stimuli in the world.
Autism Movement Therapy is an empowering sensory integration strategy that combines patterning, visual movement calculation, audile receptive processing, rhythm, and sequencing to connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Created by Joanne Lara, it is designed to cognitively redirect or re-map the brain using repetition of movement patterns and sequences to establish legitimate pathways along which information may travel. This helps individuals with autism in processing, storing, and retrieving information in a more efficient and effective manner. The organizing effects of AMT are useful for individuals with a variety of needs, including those with autism, Downs Syndrome, ADHD and brain injuries.
Susan Ojala Myers, certified Autism Movement Therapy provider, will be offering AMT classes this summer.
Susan has been teaching dance to students of all ages and abilities for over 20 years. She holds a BA in Dance Performance from Northern Illinois University, as well as certifications in multiple specialties, including Autism Movement Therapy. Susan currently lives in southeast Wisconsin with her husband, Eric, and their three children.