Now that you know what Cuevas Medek Exercises (CME/MEDEK) is, lets talk about who is the best fit for CME/MEDEK therapy. Did you miss what MEDEK is? Check out our post here.
WHO?
MEDEK is a great fit for many kiddos - any child with a motor delay could be a good fit. This includes a birth history that puts them at risk - i.e. micro preemies, like Conner. The list includes down syndrome, cerebral palsy, global developmental delays, hypotonia, chromosomal abnormalities, spinal cord lesions or acquired brain injury may benefit from this form of therapy as well. Osteogenesis Imperfecta, and Muscular Dystrophy are a precaution and need to be handled differently.
PLEASE NOTE: it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to have a trained MEDEK therapist work with your child to determine if MEDEK is a good fit for them. It is also STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that a trained MEDEK therapist work with your child and provide a home program for you as a parent. Results are better and typically come sooner if the parent does exercises at home, but also not required.
WHEN?
Children can start MEDEK therapy as early as three months old. The earlier a child is able to start - the better. This can allow stronger neuro pathways to be formed. Unfortunately, Conner was not medically stable until this year (2018). He spent 6.5 months in the NICU and had multiple hospital stays, surgeries and seizures in 2017. He would not have been a good fit for MEDEK until this year. There is also an end point for MEDEK. This is based on the size of the child, their abilities and the strength of the therapist. If you have seen any MEDEK videos, you know that the MEDEK therapist is often hands on with the child in some form.
WHAT?
So, what equipment is needed besides a well trained MEDEK therapist? There is a table that is used for table exercises until child is strong enough to move to the floor. Often times kids do both table and floor exercises (like Conner). The floor exercises consist of a set of boxes, beams, boards and cubes. In addition, balls, schemata (rags…a.k.a. shelf liner), silky organza, disks and pipes are used. All of the equipment may sound curious, but if you have ever seen it in action, it makes total sense.
WHY?
I believe MEDEK is very helpful in many ways for Conner, so I know that over the next few years we need to make it one of our biggest focuses because there will come a time that it won’t be a good fit for him anymore. Speaking of ways MEDEK helps - it is not just physical. MEDEK can also result in changes in speech, eating and cognitive alterness. I can without a doubt say that MEDEK has helped Conner in two of those areas. I wish I could say all three, but we have quite a bit of work to do with Conner’s eating. Since beginning MEDEK in May 2018, Conner is saying more words, he is so much more alert and engaged. His vision is improving and he is all around coming alive and interacting in so many areas. It has been really fun experiencing “firsts” with Conner this year!
I will end by sharing an eye opening experience I had this past week when Jo-Anne Weltman from S.M.I.L.E. Therapy for Kids (in Toronto) graciously came to Tulsa, OK. Jo-Anne worked with 7 different kids while she was here. I have found myself being very closed minded when it comes to who benefits from MEDEK. Conner has cerebral palsy and most of the other kids I know that do MEDEK do as well. However, last week I was able to see just how much MEDEK can help kids with extremely different diagnoses. I was also lucky enough to see and hear each parent’s reaction to how their child did in MEDEK. Many had never done MEDEK before and I observed as other parents starred in awe as their child did something they never dreamed they were capable of doing at this time in their life. It was the exact same look I had on my face when I left Conner’s first MEDEK session. I was stunned…confused…yet more hopeful that I ever remember being in his short life. If your child falls into any of the categories listed above, I encourage you to research MEDEK for yourself and decide if you feel it is a good fit for your child. For more MEDEK resources, click here.