The Voice of Parents who have used Rhythmic Movement Training with their Children

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. Through semi-structured interviews, 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. While there is a small amount of research into movement programmes targeting retained primitive reflexes, to-date there appears to have been 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