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Dance therapy can help decrease childhood obesity in children with special needs. It improves overall occupational performance, self-esteem, body image, movement skills, and self-regulation. Dance therapy allows children to experience different ways of moving their bodies in a safe environment focused on weight loss, while also building relationships with themselves and others. Occupational therapy professionals can use dance therapy to improve physical activity, address weight-related issues, and help children develop better motor and social skills to enhance their participation in play and daily activities. However, many of the sources had small sample sizes, older data, or focused more on adults than children.

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65 views1 page

Updated Cat Poster

Dance therapy can help decrease childhood obesity in children with special needs. It improves overall occupational performance, self-esteem, body image, movement skills, and self-regulation. Dance therapy allows children to experience different ways of moving their bodies in a safe environment focused on weight loss, while also building relationships with themselves and others. Occupational therapy professionals can use dance therapy to improve physical activity, address weight-related issues, and help children develop better motor and social skills to enhance their participation in play and daily activities. However, many of the sources had small sample sizes, older data, or focused more on adults than children.

Uploaded by

api-314560746
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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How can Occupational Therapy Professionals use Dance Therapy to Help

Decrease Childhood Obesity for Children with Special Needs?


Amanda Edwardson, OTAS
Northland Community and Technical College
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
Clinical Scenario

Summary of Key Findings

Children with special needs are often obese due


to a lack of physical activity, inadequate sleep
throughout the night, family stress, complex
relationships with food, and medications (Karnik
and Kanekar, n.d.).

Dance Therapy is beneficial for kids with:


Cancer, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD), Obesity, Genetic Disorders
&Movement Disorder (Zilius, 2010).

Prevalence for Obesity (Karnik and Kanekar,


n.d.)

Benefits of Dance Therapy:


Improves overall occupational performance
(Pizzi, M. & Vroman, K., 2013).
Improves self-esteem & body image.
Improves movement skills.
Increases play & social participation skills.
Improves self regulation (Strassel, 2011).
Focuses on weight loss in a safe and
constructed environment (Gill, 2011).
Children build relationships with self and
others (Gordon, 2014).
Children are naturally able to experience the
ways to move their bodies through space
(Walco, 1999).
Decreases disturbed eating patterns (MullerPinget, 2012).
Child experiences fewer behavioral issues
(Strassel, 2011).
Shows how posture can reveal a childs
emotion.
Reduces anxiety (Meekums, 2005).
Dance therapy classes differ for all children
based on their interests.

*Girls ages 2-17


*Children with disabilities (23%)
*Children without disabilities (14%)
*Boys ages 2-17
*Children with disabilities (21%)
*Children without disabilities (17%)
Children who are obese often become bullied,
develop depression, are at increased risk of
suicide, have a reduced opportunity to engage in
social participation and play activities, and
overall lower self-worth than their non-overweight
peers (Pizzi, M. and Vroman, K., 2013).
Dance Therapy uses movement to help
individuals achieve emotional, physical,
cognitive, and social integration
(Dance/Movement Therapy, n.d.).
Resources Available Upon
Request

Bottom Line
Occupational Therapy Professionals can use
Dance Therapy to:
Improve physical activity and give children the
opportunity to work on their own body movement
to help with underlying psychosocial factors that
they may be facing (Meekums, 2005).
Address weight loss, weight gain prevention,
increase physical activity in a constructive
environment, and teach children how obesity can
impact the childs occupational performance (Gill,
2011)
Assess childrens motor and emotional issues,
how they build relationships with others, and
assist them to improve self-regulation, and begin
to develop fewer behavioral issues to improve
more areas of occupation, such as play and social
participation (Zilius, 2010)

Limitations

the articles have small or unknown sample


sizes.
None of the articles talk about the effects of
Occupational Therapy for Dance Therapy.
2 articles are based on studies done in 19961999.
of the articles talk about research on adults
instead of children.
3/8 articles only talk about psychosocial
aspects of DMT and does not address physical
aspects.

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