Massage Therapy provides extra benefits to parents and babies with special needs such as high muscle tone as a baby with cerebral palsy would have, or babies with low muscle tone as can be the case with babies with Down Syndrome. Additional benefits for babies with special needs include:
• Decreased tactile aversion.
• Improved tolerance for touch and stimulation.
• Increased feelings of self-acceptance.
• More normalized muscle tone.
• Increased range of motion.
• Improved oral muscle tone.
Infant massage is a great way to provide a multi-sensory experience to your baby and can be used to enhance and complement physical or occupational therapy to provide the maximum benefits to your baby or child.
"When Emma was a new baby, we were worried about her low muscle tone
due to Down syndrome. By giving her massages we were able to stimulate
her little legs and arms which helped them move more easily. Before we
knew it, she was kicking her legs and swinging her arms! Massage also
helped settle her down when she became agitated. Her little energy
calmed down and she seemed to really "look" at us and know we were
special. It's hard to explain but it provided her Dad and I with
really valuable interaction while helping her physically."
Enid and David Dodson, parents of Emma
