Course
Yoga for the Special Child®, LLC is multi-level comprehensive Program of Yoga techniques designed to enhance the natural development of children with special needs. Our style of Yoga is gentle and beneficial – safe for babies and children with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly, Autism and other developmental disabilities. These methods also provide an effective treatment for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, ADHD and Learning Disabilities.
Our therapeutic Program includes:
- An integrated series of balanced Yoga poses to increase body awareness and strength.
- Specialized breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to improve concentration.
- An early intervention program to assure the healthy formative development of infants, toddlers and children.
Yoga For The Special Child® Basic Part 1 (48 Hours)
Basic Part 1 comprehensive training program provides the essential tools for working with children with special needs. Using hands-on instruction, Sonia (Sivakami) Sumar, guides program participants through each stage of the special child’s development. Topics include how to evaluate infants and children, how to create the optimum home environment and how to work with specific syndromes and disorders.
The Basic Part 1 curriculum includes:
- Specific techniques for evaluating infants and children up to 3 years of age
- The different components of interacting and bonding with infants/children
- The components of Yoga for infants and children with special needs
- The description of the physiological/ psychological benefits
- The four stages of development
- Preparatory Stage (birth – 6 months)
- Inductive Stage (6 months – 1 year)
- Interactive Stage (1 – 2 years)
- Imitative Stage (2 – 3 years)
- Specific techniques for evaluating and working with kids 3-12 years old
- Videos and/or demonstration of working with children of different ages
- Contra-indications
- Relaxation techniques
Yoga For The Special Child® Basic Part 2 (55 Hours)
Prerequisite: Basic Part 1 Program
Basic 2: Developing Programs for Teens and Young Adults
This course further expands on the techniques learned in Basic 1 with special emphasis on working with teens and young adults, but also refining your skills to work with kids from 0-12 years
Note: Participants are expected to have had some experience teaching at least 2 hours of yoga for the special Child ® (i.e. 4 half-hour classes). Participants will bring at least one video of one of these half-hour sessions/classes to the course for feedback.
The Basic Part 2 curriculum includes:
Review the four stages of development and receive feedback from Sonia regarding the videos each student recorded working with a child with Special Needs using Yoga for the Special Child – The Sonia Sumar Method
- Discuss theory and practice of working with older students 13 and above.
- Describe physiological and psychological benefits of yoga on older children and young.
- Learn challenges and solutions for working with adolescents and teens.
- Learn criteria and structure of group classes.
- Provide opportunity for feedback and guidance on specific case studies.
Continuous Education Programs
Autism and ADHD
Sonia Sumar teaches this comprehensive continuing education course in the theory and practice of Yoga techniques for babies and children with Autism or ADHD.
Program Information:
Participants will start each day by deepening their own Yoga practice with a Meditation and Hatha Yoga Class led by Sonia Sumar or other certified yoga instructor assisting Sonia during the program. After an introductory discussion on teaching Hatha Yoga to children with Special needs, 4 hands on training sessions with children with Autism and/or ADHD follow. Each class ends with a group discussion and question and answer period about the techniques learned, the appropriate yoga routine and what stage the child is in.
Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome
Sonia Sumar teaches this comprehensive continuing education course in the theory and practice of Yoga techniques for babies and children with Cerebral Palsy or Down Syndrome.
Asana and Pranayama
Sonia Sumar teaches this comprehensive continuing education course on the Asanas of Patanjali and advanced Pranayama techniques.