I’mPOWER stands for Program on Wellness, Empowerment and Rehabilitation. It is a play on the word 'empower' as the program hopes to empower children with disabilities to perform activities of daily living in spite of their conditions so that they may be productive members of society. The program focused on utilizing Dance Movement Therapy, an emerging rehabilitation intervention that would supplem
ent the traditional means of physical therapy being provided in Community-Based Rehabilitation-Samahan ng mga Magulang na Iniingatan ang Lahat ng Batang Espesyal (CBR-SMILE) center in Payatas Road, Quezon City, Philippines. It is provided through an aerobics-style step-by-step dance along CD video that integrates physical therapy methods into dance movements that children can associate with day-to-day functions. This allows the children to access rehabilitation outside formal institutions, providing a lively and fun atmosphere that serves as a motivation to boost frequency of physical therapy. The program’s initial focus are children in the CBR-SMILE center that have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, a congenital disorder that permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination. Some of the participants in the program also have clubfoot or congenital talipes equinovarus, a foot deformity which cause limitations in standing and walking. As the program grows, the team hopes to expand the reach of I'mPOWER by catering to other CBR centers nationwide while reaching out to more children with other types of disabilities. Check out our Rappler story for further information on I'mPOWER: http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/98818-ateneo-grads-impower-cerebral-palsy-kids
