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Ms. Kogan combines stage and science

bridging the gap between two worlds.

Dance taught me the power of movement, OT taught me how to use that power to change children's lives.

Functional Movement is the key to health and well-being in the developing child, promoting emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration.

Mine is not a hit-and-miss approach. The more informed, purposeful, and targeted to the child's needs we can be the greater chance we have of making a lasting impact.

Find your creative self in my evidence-based course and using the movement skills you already have, join me in using movement to help children live richer, more functional lives.

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KoganSteps: A Movement Intervention

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The mission of KoganSteps: A Movement Intervention is to inspire all children, especially those with autism, or other neurological challenges, to unleash their special strengths and individual potential through a highly effective, enriching movement therapy that celebrates each child's unique gifts.

By understanding the scientific significance of movement as an intervention and integrating informed movement practices, targeted to the child's needs, KoganSteps opens the door to an exciting, innovative approach, which empowers each therapist to bring lasting change to the children they serve.

Therapists use the movement skills they already have. No experience is necessary.

Course Overview

Workshop description

Start Date: March 1, 2021 (TBA)

Location: (format delivery)

KoganSteps is a workshop to help service professionals and educators, integrate movement practices into their current treatment for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other neurological dysfunction. Most of us take our movement skills for granted but this is not a luxury that these children have. While many of them are not in wheelchairs and can walk well enough, their movement deficits are still serious and interfere with every area of their lives. Based on empirical observation, researchers are now calling for a body-oriented approach (Hildebrandt, 2016). KoganSteps, created by a dancer and occupational therapist, is such an approach.

Driven by “what works” and supported by research and science about mirror neurons, imitation, and rhythmic cueing, Ms. Kogan presents a new way to think about movement, exploring how functional movement skills help children move more effectively while promoting emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration. Participants examine the three elements of all physical activity, Space, Time, and Energy, while exploring the underlying skills that are necessary for functional movement. Through a simple assessment tool, The Movement Evaluation Continuum, they learn to:

1) identify a motor control deficit in an individual child or group of children

2) create a fun and interesting movement activity that addresses that deficit

3) integrate it into a lesson or treatment plan in such a way that, over time, positive change occurs

Just as important, they learn that they do not need to change how they themselves move. Rather they integrate new knowledge into the natural movement skills they already have.

This is an interactive presentation that uses music, props, and visual cues. Participants are directly involved in doing activities while they are learning. Several different disciplines are intertwined in such a way that the strategies are easy to understand and beneficial to all disciplines. Participant Response Evaluations describe Ms. Kogan as “engaging”, “knowledgeable”, “caring” and “passionate” and attendees state that they “can't wait to share and utilize new knowledge. Ultimately participants leave the session with a greater understanding of how they can use movement to help children live richer, more functional lives.

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The Tire Dance

Using a ramp and a box to jump off, The Tire Dance was originally created to help children learn to bend their knees. Over time it was used to increase awareness of other body parts, memory, planning, sequencing, dealing with one's own weight and moving forward and backward in space.

Curriculum Outline

Functional Movement – A New Direction in the Treatment of Autism and Other Neurological Dysfunction

· Why researchers now call for a body-oriented approach

· Engage the brain via the body

· Understand and teach functional movement and motor control

· Use the 3 basic elements of all physical activity (Space, Time, Energy) to improve motor movement, social skills, and attention.

Current Research on Movement, Socialization, and the Autistic Child

· Current theories on how movement affects “Theory of Mind”

· Movement and the development of social skills, self-perception, intersubjectivity and empathy (related intensions and emotions).

· The concept of “universality” - the power of moving together

The Link Between the Mirror Neuron System, Movement, Imitation and Functional Behavior

· Understanding the biology of autism

· Harnessing the Mirror Neuron System to help children move more effectively, learn better, and improve socialization.

Evaluation – The Movement Evaluation Continuum - A New Theoretical Framework to Assess a Child’s Ability to Move Functionally

· Identify movement deficits

· Create activities to address those deficits

· Integrate new knowledge into your current treatment plan

Understanding the Relationship Between Music and Movement

· Why it works to improve skills in neurotypical children

· What is Joint Attention and Joint Engagement

· Effective Musical Strategies that any therapist can use

Rhythmic Cueing – the link between music and motor behavior

Skills that help turn Theory into Practice

· Repetition, Routines, Predictability

· Anticipation/Inhibition

· Imitation/Inhibition

· Understanding a child’s body image

· Authentic movement

· Visuals and Props

· Attention and Co-contraction

· Think Before You Move

· Vocalizations and Singing

· Gestures

· Action Plus Sound

Lab Work - Experience Eight Movement Studies to teach and inspire

· The Tire Dance

· The Plate Dance

· The Card Dance

· The Weight Dance

· The Mountain

· The Mozart

· The Shape Dance

· The Scarf Dance

Clarify and integrate movement vocabulary

Using case studies, collaborate with peers to create your own movement studies and make the material your own.

Areas of Caution

· Touch policies in the school

· Respecting the child’s terms

· Safety

Conclusion

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this KoganSteps professional development activity, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze embodiment concepts and body-based practices and demonstrate an understanding of why they are effective treatment approaches for children with autism and other neurological challenges.

2. Identify how functional movement skills can promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration to improve health and wellbeing.

3. Develop 2 or more hypotheses of why children who learn differently may benefit more from a structured movement program than other more traditional methods.

4. Identify the three elements of movement – Space, Time, and Energy – and analyze how they can become a therapeutic intervention for motor control, attention, and social skills.

5. Analyze a simple assessment tool, The Movement Evaluation Continuum, to identify diminished movement skills and motor control deficits in an individual child or group of children.

6. Develop a minimum of three informed, targeted movement strategies to be integrated into existing treatment plans.

7. Analyze how rhythm, synchronization, and a positive response to music can impact change.

8. Adapt commonly used movement vocabulary words to one’s professional practice and field of expertise.

9. Identify three interventions that focus on either sensory processing, imitation, rhythm, body awareness, or spatial orientation.

FAQs

FAQ 1. Who is this course for?

This course is primarily designed for Pediatric Occupational Therapists and other service providers who are working with children with autism or other neurological challenges. However, it is open to educators, administrators, parents, and paras and will be of tremendous benefit to anyone interested in integrating movement into the daily life of the children they care for.

FAQ 2. Which educational level is this course considered?

Intermediate.

FAQ 3. What ages does this course apply to?

2-22 years old.

FAQ 4. Is this course pre-approved for CEUs?

Yes, this course is accredited by AOTA, is a total of 6 contact hours, and therefore you will be awarded .6 CEUs if you complete the course in its entirety. This includes attending full time, completing all assignments including a case study, a 20-question multiple-choice test, and a post-course satisfaction questionnaire.

FAQ 5. Do I receive a certification of completion?

Yes, if you attend the entire course, complete all assignments including a case study and pass your 20-question multiple-choice test with an 85%, you will receive your certificate of completion via email. Multiple attempts are allowed for both assignments and tests.

FAQ 6. Is there a group discount?

Not currently.

FAQ 7. How do I request an accommodation for special needs?

If you have special needs, please email ekogan@kogansteps before registering. Accommodation will be provided as per the American Disability Act.

FAQ 8. How long is this course?

6 hours.

FAQ #9. How do I contact you?

Please email ekogan@kogansteps to contact Ellen Kogan.

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