Some ideas from DelARC in NY.

[RockinR...@gmail.com]

Hi everyone,

Eddie asked me to post some ideas he saw in action during his recent
visit to our T.R.A.P. at the Community Living Skills Center in
Arkville NY, (a division of the Delaware County ARC.)

To help our folks hone in their focus and retention skills, we have
started incorporating some Brain Gym exercises into the daily T.R.A.P.
program.

Brain Gym is a wonderful program, and if possible, should be supported
as a separate daily lesson or class. Here is a link to their website
http://www.braingym.org/

Here is the name of the book where most of the ideas, instructions and
illustrations came from for our program.

Brain Gym: Simple Activities for Whole Brain Learning
by Paul E. Dennison and Gail E. Dennison

Here are a few of the activities we have been incorporating during the
TRAP class.

*Please note- this is still a TRAP class, NOT a combined Brain Gym &
TRAP group, both of these great programs need their own time to be
most effective, by incorporating some exercises we are advancing the
current TRAP activities.

I have not listed all of the information about each of these
exercises, such as their direct benefits to the mind and body, but
before any of these are done with participants, some research and
planning should be done to incorporate them into the program.

1st- If you are able to support, begin by having all participants
drink a glass of water. This is said to be immediately beneficial in
helping the mind and body before any activity.

2nd- Before any of the instruments are brought out, do the BG
exercise, "Gravity Glider," while sitting in your chair, you stretch
out your legs and cross them at the ankles, the hands should be on the
opposite knee, and lean forward for a slow stretch. You can also
breathe in silence for 30 seconds, to help focus.

You can proceed from here to getting out the instruments and beginning
the TRAP Lesson.

At this point, basically anytime I feel the group could use some
focus, or calming activity, we do a breathing activity, either holding
our "positive points" on our forehead, doing "hookups" with our arms
and hands, for coordination, and even the "spider doing pushups on a
mirror" with our fingertips touching.

At the end of the TRAP lesson, it's a good idea to calm the group down
again before returning them to their classrooms, or in our case home
on the bus. So another focus exercise can be beneficial.


I hope these ideas are helpful, and if you have any questions feel
free to ask!

Thanks for all you do,

Robin Williams
Life Coach X
Delaware County ARC, CLS-A