As teachers, who strive to provide the best education for their students possible, we are always looking for better ways to accomplish this task. One such program, that I absolutely believe in and teach by is the MOVE Program. MOVE stands for Mobility Opportunities Via Education/Experience. There is so much to say about MOVE that one blog on MOVE will never be enough. So, today, after a brief overview of MOVE, I will introduce you to the program by sharing with you what MOVE has done for just a few of my students over the years.

MOVE is an educational program that teaches children and adults with severe disabilities to sit, stand, walk and transition. This is done through instruction and the use of adaptive equipment. The sole purpose of the program is to provide our students with the skills necessary to make them as independent as possible, but along with this independence comes so much more. And for the parents? MOVE dares them to dream again!

TO SIT

MOVE utilizes teaching, training, skill development, and adaptive equipment to get our students out of their wheelchairs and into the least restrictive seating systems as possible; which benefits them at school, at home, and in the community. For some of our students, it’s the ability to sit in regular classroom chairs.

The Dream – “I want my daughter to take a school picture without having to sit in her wheelchair. If she could sit on the box like the rest of her peers, I would be so happy.” The dream was realized the second year when KR was able to sit on the box to have her school picture taken! We didn’t tell her mom. We let KR’s school pictures speak for themselves!!!!!

The Dream – “We go to the movies all the time. We would love to take MK, but his wheelchair gets in the way of the isles all the time. If he could just sit in the chair with the rest of his family, we would take him more often.” A year into his program, MK’s parents was able to take him to the movies, take him out of his wheelchair and sit him in the seat with the rest of his family. Where was the wheelchair? Parked outside of the theatre until the end of the movie!!!!!

TO STAND AND TRANSITION

MOVE utilizes teaching, training, skill development, and adaptive equipment to teach our students to bear their own weight, stand, pivot, and transition from one activity to another. What a difference standing makes when a parent doesn’t have to lift, but the student can stand and pivot to assist in transitions.

The Dream – “I want my grandson to stand long enough for me to get him into my car. It is getting harder and harder for me to lift him from his wheelchair to his car seat.” The dream was realized six months into MB’s first year with us! Needless to say, grandma was thrilled!!!!!

The Dream – “It’s getting harder and harder for me to lift KG from her chair to the shower chair to take a shower. Most of the time, I sponge bathe her. She really misses her showers.” Working with KG to sit to stand, pivot, and stand to sit, nine months into her program, she was back to enjoying her showers!!!!!

TO WALK

MOVE utilizes teaching, training, skill development, and adaptive equipment to teach our students to walk. Walking for our students doesn’t just mean total independence. Walking can look like a regular walker, or a fully prompted pacer. But, no matter what form of adaptive equipment is used, as long as that student can get up and take steps, he/she is walking.

The Dream – “If she could only walk…. but the doctors said she would never be able to walk.” This mom and daughters dream was realized two years later when MC was able to walk around using only a walker!!!!!

The Dream – “I have always wished that my son could get up, run around and play with the rest of the boys at my soccer games.” This mom’s dream was realized three years later when GM was moving around in his pacer playing with the rest of the boys during his mom’s soccer games!!!!!

What MOVE does for our students and their parents is to give them a dream, some hope, and a whole lot of possibilities. MOVE allows our students to defy doctor’s predictions. When everybody else says they can’t, MOVE says they can! One of my favorite quotes is, “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.” That is what MOVE does for our students; makes the possible happen by going beyond into the impossible!

If you would like to learn more about the MOVE Program, a Webinar is being provided by MOVE… Free of charge.

When: February 28th, 2019

Presenter: Julie Sues-Delaney, MOVE® Program Manager

Webinar Length: 30 minutes