Supporting babies and children with special needs Conference on Feldenkrais Method

In the first part of the event, Sophie will share key principles for working with children and babies with special needs, focusing on the role of the practitioner as a teacher rather than a therapist. She will explain how her specialist skills create the optimal conditions for a child to learn—primarily by learning new movement abilities and improving self-perception. Since movement and perception are fundamental to all human activities, any improvement in these areas can also support a child’s behavioral and cognitive development.

Sophie teaches by guiding a child’s attention through touch, movement, and verbal cues to help create new neural pathways, which form the biological basis for learning. A short documentary will offer a closer look at her work with a child, providing valuable insight into these methods and what this approach entails for families.

In the second part, we will watch three short documentaries: the first features Orly Gat and her program for babies; the second highlights Nathalie Dietens, who explains how her training has benefited both her and her child; and the final segment showcases Jérôme Pisani, a Paris-based practitioner with over a decade of experience working with children with special needs.

The event will conclude with a Q&A session with Sophie Dingemans.