Speaking Volumes Without Words

Many caregivers, either professional or non-professional, use repetitive language and persistent verbal cues to encourage a specific movement or posture. In the case of someone with cognitive issues this can be overwhelming. For instance, someone only days after a stroke, a person with a traumatic brain injury, or even someone living with dementia. In these cases less is more. Speaking without words refers to the use of different parts of the body to aid or facilitate a movement. The hands are the most utilized to influence movement. I am thankful for the opportunities that I have had to practice the skill which is formally called handling. Handling is simply defined as the act of touching, feeling, holding, or moving something per Merriam-Webster. Other dictionaries define it as feel or manipulate with the hands. These facilitations can be graded (increased or decreased) as appropriate for each persons level of ability. This is an art that is similar to clay work. There are moments when the full hand may be utilized, portions of the hand, and/or fingers. Some in the therapy world refer to those who are really skilled in this technique as sculptors. As always, your continuous support is appreciated and continue to follow for other related topics over the next few weeks. Feel free to post comments and/or questions below.