Archives for "Rebound"

Yesterday I was lucky enough to go on a rebound course. The special school that I help in has a lovely large trampoline which is used with many of the students. This was an opportunity for more of the staff and volunteers to have training on rebound therapy.

Before the course I paid a trip to my local supermarket to be kitted out with tena lady! I had no idea that there were so many different types; in the end I went for the largest one available! I also dug out a sports bra, which has not seen the light of day since I ran the race for life in this life in 2009! When I arrived rather uncomfortable I suddenly had this panic that we were just going to watch a video and not going on the trampoline at all! However we did do lots of jumping and I was grateful for all the equipment I was wearing.

We started with safety and who is not allowed to use a trampoline and that for every person doing rebound a risk assessment has to be done. We were then talked through how to hoist someone on the trampoline and how to move them to the centre of the trampoline bed. We all had a go at moving and being moved using glide sheets. Then we had a go at bouncing the bed. It was great fun and I found it difficult to stay in time with the other operator I tended to go much too fast. We were shown how to bounce in a stable position, how to ride the bed, how to kill the bed, how to do an emergency stop, supporting holds and how to kip. Kipping is not having nap on the bed! It is when the operator puts up enough force into the bed to make the other person jump. We all got to have a go at being the operator and the receiver.

The students at the special school have a range of physical and behavioural issues so what is suitable for one student would be inappropriate for another. Much of the afternoon was spent talking about individual needs for the students we then had a go at putting these into practice. For example, bouncing a child who can sit but would need support. For this we used a semi-circular wedge resting against the spring cover and the side wall of the trampoline the student sat in the wedge and the operator slowly bounced, then rode the bed and finally kipped!

We finished with fun games and relaxation activities. One idea is that the student sits astride a softplay bolster and the operator tries to bounce the student off the bolster! For relaxation 2 or 3 students lie on the trampoline while the operator gently bounces the trampoline while other carers waft a parachute over them.

It was a great day and I learnt a lot. We were given lots of information on the benefits of rebound which include movement, communication and improvement in cardio respiratory circulation, to name a few. However in my opinion it was fun and why not do something because it’s fun.

If you would like more information on rebound here is a website   www.reboundtherapy.org