The voice of parents who have used Rhythmic Movement Training with their child.

Abstract

This study investigates the experiences of seven families who have used Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT) as an intervention with their child with retained primitive reflexes. The theoretical framework of phenomenology and interpretivism was the basis for a qualitative phenomenological research design used to gather and analyse data. Four RMT practitioners in New Zealand were invited to nominate families who were willing to participate in one semi-structured interview. The collective voice of 14 parents captured their reasons for seeking additional help with their child’s development issues, finding RMT, using RMT within their family routine and their perceptions of the benefits they experienced and the costs, both financial and time, incurred. RMT is a programme which uses a series of movements to encourage the integration of retained primitive reflexes. While there is a small amount of research around movement programmes that target retained primitive reflexes, to-date there appears to be no empirical studies completed on RMT. The parents in this study found that RMT was relatively easy to manage within their family routine and that it was a low-impact, cost-effective intervention with a range of perceived benefits for the child who had completed RMT. Further study into the efficacy of RMT would be beneficial with the understanding from this study that the programme is perceived as manageable within a family routine by this group of families.