"..It's so safe, special and exciting to watch..."
"Indi rocks her mirror sunnies as much as her ABM sessions with Sonia. Indi loves her learning sessions - nearly as much as a spoonful of nutella.
We love watching Indi interact with us more after each ABM session and seeing Indi explore her body and discovering what she can achieve. It's so safe, special and exciting to watch."
Juliette
"..ABM has given me renewed optimism..."
"My dear Jess, who is now 23+ years of age, commenced ABM therapy with Sonia Maginnity in Melbourne more than a year ago.
Jess is by nature, a happy, sociable young woman. Early in her life, Jess suffered a severe hypoxic episode, significantly compromising her intellectual and physical development. Despite having a strong emotional intelligence, Jess had developed only minimal communication, ie a few words/phrases, and a stultifying anxiety was preventing her taking advantage of social and learning opportunities.
Like many parents of a child with a disability, I was exhausted and increasingly frustrated, seeking ways to help Jess realise her potential throughout the schooling years and post school. It was at a particularly trying time that a friend and local psychologist, told me about a therapy she had heard discussed at an international conference in Brisbane in early 2017 - the Anat Baniel Method - and knowing Jess, saw its potential for drawing her out of her increasing isolation, into the present, and hopefully into meaningful, rewarding participation with her peers, carers and family.
Fortunately, I discovered one of the few ABM therapists currently working in Australia, practising nearby in Melbourne!
From the beginning, Jess has taken to this gentle, yet transformative, method. From steadfastly refusing to enter any clinical setting, she is always the first into the car to get to ABM sessions..her enthusiasm has not waned, instead it's grown over the months since her first session.
The weekly ABM sessions have proven the catalyst for change in Jess in so many areas...some obvious, others subtle...from evident physical changes such as improved gaze alignment, posture and gait, to more consistent and contextually appropriate verbal expression, to behavioural changes. The most striking change I've observed is Jess becoming more aware and sure of herself, more ready to engage in the moment..in what is going on around her, and interaction with others. During her recent six-monthly visit, Jess's treating Neurologist immediately noted as much in Jess's interactions with her attendant carer. He remarked that such changes at Jess's age were not merely developmental - instead attributing them to a therapeutic intervention, ie ABM.
It also seems that each week I and her support workers notice some new development in Jess - whether it's taking more responsibility for her showering and grooming, tasks around the home, or displaying empathy towards others.
ABM has given me renewed optimism for Jess. It is extremely gratifying to watch her becoming less anxious and more capable and engaged in life...while for Jess, her ABM sessions continue to be the highlight of her now often busy week."
Susan
"..At the end of the first session my daughter was staring at me and making eye contact..."
"An MRI showed extensive brain damage for my 11 month old. At this time she had not reached any of her milestones and the prognosis was to be profoundly disabled.
I headed to Melbourne to try ABM. I was going to give it a go for 2 weeks and then return home to Canberra. At the end of the first session my daughter was staring at me and making eye contact. I noticed changes after every session, such as playing with her bottle while drinking milk, making new sounds and playing with toys.
Two weeks of ABM turned into 3 months. I noticed my daughter always had very strong eye contact and was more interactive after seeing Sonia. At the end of the 3 months my daughter was crawling.
We returned home for a short break, then came back for another 3 months. By the end of this stay my daughter was climbing stairs, babbling and she was very interactive.
Now Sonia and Basak come to Canberra every month for a 3 day intensive with ourselves and 11 other families. We have continued to see improvements as my daughter, who is now 2, has started walking and can say 5 words."
Hannah
"..This is the way forward..."
"Our daughter, Penny, has a brain malformation and Cerebral Palsy (left side hemiplegia).
When we received her diagnosis, we struggled with feelings of shock, grief, disbelief and despair.
After reading Anat Baniel's book, "Kids Beyond Limits", our outlook changed from hopelessly fixating on Penny's disabilities and all of the things that she would not be able to do, to being positive and open to the possibility that our daughter could achieve amazing outcomes.
At 21 months, Penny began her first 3 day intensive course of Neuromovement Lessons with Anat Baniel Method (ABM) Practitioner, Sonia Maginnity.
Each 30 - 40 min session consisted of gentle movements and play and Penny was engaged the entire time. She had never had such an intense connection for so long. After each session, she would fall into a long, deep, sleep.
After just a few sessions, it was like Penny's brain was woken up. We would notice light bulb moments, for example, Penny really connecting with Sonia, touching her face, looking into her eyes, smiling, laughing, having fun and really enjoying being with her.
And at night, bringing two hands together and being fascinated as if she was realising for the first time that she had two hands!
After each monthly 3 day intensive course of lessons, we see a burst of activity in some area of development. After just 7 monthly intensive courses, Penny's left arm is more relaxed, her fist is no longer clenched. She is using the left hand more and more. She can high five, open the hand, hold an object and release.
Her left leg now moves almost as much as the right. She can crawl, high kneel and pull up to stand. She is becoming more and more social, curious, imaginative and she has had explosions of speech and language.
In such a short space of time, Penny has achieved so much with Sonia and the ABM Neuromovement lessons and the best thing is, she really connects with it and enjoys it.
This is the way forward for helping children with disabilities, neurological conditions and developmental delays to achieve their potential."
Gillian & Mick