Author: American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Children with Disabilities
Source: PEDIATRICS, Vol. 104 Number 5, November 1999, pages 1149-1151
The American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Children with Disabilities provides this updated policy statement on the use of patterning, a series of exercises advocated by the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, that are designed to improve the neurologic organization of a disabled child's nervous system.
Patterning requires that specific exercises be performed over many hours during the day by several persons who position and move the child's head and extremities in specific patterns that are supposed to simulate prenatal and postnatal movements of nonimpaired children.
The committee, made up of physicians, administrators, and a representative from Family Voices, reviews the history of this controversial alternative treatment approach, discusses the theory upon which it's based, critically reviews the research behind the claims about its benefits, and provides recommendations to pediatric practitioners about its use.
Based on current evidence, the committee concludes that:
* The demands and expectations placed on families by this approach is so great that, in some cases, financial resources could be depleted and family relationships could be stressed.
* The claims made by its advocates over the past 60 years remain unproved
* Treatment programs based upon patterning remain unfounded and offer no special benefits.
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