We will be closed on Friday, April 1st (no this is not an April Fool's joke) to move into our new PRI Headquarters. We will not have access to phone or email, but hope to be up and running again by Monday, April 4th. Have a great weekend!

Last week I had the opportunity to do a brief PRI introduction to a group of 9 students in the Graduate Program in Athletic Training from San Jose State University. They came to me via Tokyo. While in Nebraska for PRT Testing in January, Tadayoshi Takahashi had mentioned to me that Tokyo native Dr. Maasaki Tsuruike is Head of the Graduate Athletic Training Program at SJSU and Dr. Norikazu Hirose, professor of Sports Sciences at Waseda University in Tokyo is doing a year sabbatical with him. So he reached out to them and had them contact me as soon as I got back from NE, so long story short, they met with me a few weeks ago and wanted to bring the SJSU students on a tour. Some Waseda University students may come to SJSU in the summer and they may end up spending a day with us at the Riekes Center also. So NE to Tokyo to San Jose. Funny how networking works!

https://www.facebook.com/TheRiekesCenter/posts/1080498455341405

I was welcomed back to Worcester; Mass by the awesome staff of Central Mass Physical Therapy this past weekend!  I had such a great time teaching Myokinematics of the Hip and Pelvis last year and really looked forward to returning this year to teach Pelvis Restoration!   I was not disappointed. The class was a diverse group of clinicians that had experience ranging from newbies to PRC’s.  I was joined by my former UVM classmate and 2005 PRC classmate Cory Healy and my PRI BFF Donna Behr as lab assistants.  The staff of Central Mass spoiled me with yellow M & M’s and their enthusiasm for PRI. We had a great time once again.  We switched gears from AF and FA to discussing the PRI relationships of the Pelvic Inlet and Outlet.  Thanks to a little sleep deprivation compliments of Delta Airlines, a fun analogy of the new Jen Poulin “Pickles of the Pelvic outlet” emerged.  Look closely at our group picture of the Right posterior outlet pickle in the front row and 2 eager PT students funneling PRI knowledge in the back row!  Too fun!!  PRI is alive and well in Western Massachusetts. 

Ron found Valerie Dejean last summer while researching more information on the Tomatis Method after reading two of Alfred Tomatis’ books, “The Ear and Language” and “The Conscious Ear”. After finding information on Valerie’s website discussing language and laterality with auditory function, he knew he wanted to talk to her more. After an hour long phone conversation with Valerie, we knew she would be a great addition to this year’s symposium! Valerie will be presenting on both days of the symposium with the following presentation titles, “A.A. Tomatis – The Man and His Method of Learning to Live Using Hearing and Voice” and “Building a Mind – The Role of the Ear and Sound on Emergence of our Modern Cognitive Architecture”  

Valerie Dejean graduated in 1976 from Boston University with a BS in Occupational Therapy. Her first job was at Warren State Hospital in Pennsylvania implementing a Sensory Integration program with Psychiatric-Schizophrenic patients. Three years later when she moved to Washington, DC, she specialized in using sensory integration techniques in the emerging epidemic of Autism. She was certified in Sensory Integration in 1983; and certified in pediatric Neurodevelopment Therapy (NDT) in 1984. She has advanced training in Myofascial Release and helped develop and teach the first pediatric trainings for John Barnes. She has advanced training in Cranial Sacral Therapy through the Upledger Institute. In 1992, Valerie trained in Paris, France with Dr. Alfred Tomatis, and started the Spectrum Center in Bethesda, Maryland, becoming the first occupational therapist in the world to use the Tomatis Method™ in combination with Sensory Integration.

Preview of Valerie’s Presentations:
Tomatis was a pioneer in identifying the foundational role the “Ear” in its’ entirety (gravity and sound perception) plays in human evolution and development.  Although based on his discoveries there now are a proliferation of technologies aimed at addressing listening and learning, there is very little understanding of his thinking.  Through an overview of Tomatis’ research that led to his revolutionary insights and treatment, Ms. Dejean intends to impart a deeper understanding of his clinical reasoning.  Armed with in-depth knowledge of Tomatis’ thinking, one is enabled to employ the soundest clinical reasoning and make the best use of his technologies.

We are born with a brain; we build our mind. We do this through our sensory interactions with the world. Through her clinical experience using the Tomatis Method with several thousand children and adults with Autism, Alzheimer, Learning, Attention, and Auditory Processing Disorders, Ms. Dejean is proposing the primary role that praxis plays in the human capacity to invent and be symbolic.  Through the use of clinical examples this talk will illustrate the bedrock effect that the ear (gravity and sound perception) has on how we as humans are able direct our attention, thoughts and behaviors, into successful and novel transactions with the outside world; the skills that have allowed us to survive and prosper as a species. Through case studies she will demonstrate how the use of sound and voice can be used to rebuild and realign cognitive, physical and emotional development so that a person’s potential can unfold.

If you haven't signed up for the Interdisciplinary Integration Sympoisum yet, be sure to do so this week, as the early registration rate of $465 ends this Friday, March 18th. CLICK HERE to sign up today!