The Movement Centre of Manitoba – From Parents & Caregivers

We are SO thankful to have heard about the Movement Centre in early 2020. We were feeling very “alone”, and I hate to say, but under-supported as well. Lux was making strides but they were slow in coming and I knew she could be pushed and that Randy and I needed more support on how to help her reach more independence and mobility. We kept asking anyone and everyone if they knew of places that offered more intensive therapies. I had actually applied for info on a week-long intensive therapy in Toronto when, the next week, a therapist mentioned the MC to me. After looking at your website and meeting with Chris for an interview we were quite confident this was exactly what Lux needed and boy have we been right! Lux has blown our minds with her development, confidence, and determination! We do give Lux a lot of credit because, hey she’s amazing, but we also KNOW that this is largely due to the amazing programming and staff at the MC! Thank you all!

Olivia et al.,
Stacey and I just wanted to express our sincere gratitude for all that Chris and your team did for Nicholas this past few weeks. It was truly a remarkable effort. Chris is very talented, kind and committed, and we were very fortunate to have him on our team. We are already seeing some improvements in Nicholas.
Thanks again – and we look forward to staying in touch. We will be seeing you again next summer, and only wish that it could be sooner.

Good afternoon Olivia, I wanted to pass this observation to you and your sister, mom and dad. I am not sure what the change has been, or if it is the exercise excursions that you girls have been taking your mom on, but your mom just makes me smile! She has been singing with me lately during our kitchen chores, entertainment and sing a long, and not in a whisper of a voice either! You can actually HEAR her! It is awesome! In addition, she has also been answering more of our trivia and brainstorming questions in a voice that you don’t have to strain to hear. Today we had one of our entertainers playing piano and leading a rowdy and loud sing a long. Your mom brought me such joy today! Whatever you girls are doing, it has been great and a much noticeable effect on her ability to stay alert and participate in programming. I am thankful to have the opportunity to see this side of your mom!

The virtual program is great. I think Luc and Mason are finally getting used to the virtual aspect and are becoming more outspoken. Chris has been great with them also and has given us good advice and tips. I’ve actually shared some of Chris’ tips with Luc’s school physiotherapist, who we do online sessions twice/week. She loved the stepping on the letter blocks to slow Luc down in his stepping.

The virtual program has been going well. It’s nice to have something familiar continue, albeit from home. Gabrielle has enjoyed seeing Lacey on the iPad and has been pretty good about doing what is being asked. There have been a few challenges with getting her on board, or motivating her without the group setting, but we’ve found that if I prepare her well before the session starts so she knows what’s coming, and we are clear with what our expectations are when the session starts, it’s a really positive experience. It also given us an opportunity to see the things she’s working on and have a hands-on experience with her.

Max has been taking Movement Centre classes virtually for the last month. Although I miss the class setting, our family has been getting lots of benefit from this way of teaching. First and foremost, we get to watch all the cool things that Max is doing. I didn’t have an appreciation for how challenging the work was until I was on the floor beside him. Max is also working with OUR stairs so is learning strategies to help him navigate our house.

Max has been missing his school and missing his friends. Having the Movement Centre come into our home once a week has helped him stay connected to his old routine.
When classes resume again, I will be a bit sad to give up my role as “conductive assistant”.

The virtual class- according to Bryce – is terrific! He is really enjoying it. I am grateful he is able to participate in something which is Quality!!!! Lacey is doing a wonderful job working with what she has! Good for everyone involved, for creating these virtual classes.

At the beginning of the shut downs I was honestly thankful for a break from all of Lux’s therapies but I quickly realized that now all of the learning and growth she had been doing was now 100% my responsibility! I felt pretty lost on my own trying to implement things Lux had learned or been practicing at the Movement Centre. I was very thankful when the Centre reached out offering virtual sessions. While it can be awkward and it does push me out of my comfort zone it has been so good to have the support and programming back in our lives. Lacey is incredibly gracious and helpful with finding creative ways to keep Lux engaged during the session as well as giving us practical and simple ideas to do throughout the week.

We could not be happier that we found the Movement Centre. Our son has made many strides over the last year that not only include improvement in his mobility but also his overall confidence level and abilities to do everyday tasks. He loves going to class each week and has made some great friends along the way.

Max is an amazing little boy. He is happy, is engaged with the people around him, and is able to keep up with his peers. He has friends, he loves school, and he participates in the community. He would not be doing these things without the Movement Centre. Every week when we drive to the Centre I am thankful that this program exists, thankful for the staff that dedicate their lives to helping children and adults like Max reach their full potential.

My son Nicholas has been attending the Movement Centre of Manitoba for several years. And from the first day we walked into the Centre there was an immediate sense of hope and encouragement! The Centre really makes you believe that anything is possible!

Nicholas loves attending class there and has made so much progress over the years. He really looks forward to going there and I can’t imagine our lives without the Movement Centre. To this day I am still in amazement every time we walk into the Movement Centre of all the staff’s patience & hard work they do. It really is so impressive!

I always say it takes a special kind of person to do what thy do and they prove it time and time again of how special the people of the Movement Centre are. They really do change people’s lives!

The Movement Centre has been an amazing blessing in Morgan’s life. She started the preschool class in the fall of 2015. (She was almost 3 years old at the time) Morgan’s journey has been a wonderful rocky ride from not being able to stand unsupported to now running and climbing stairs on her own. Each session we see improvements with behaviour, speech and singing, balance and fine motor skills. The independence that she is gaining every year is incredible. The Movement Centre staff are the most amazing people. It is very easy to see that it is not just a job for them. The knowledge, support, compassion and love that they give every client is truly inspiring.

The Movement Centre has made a tremendous impact on our entire family over the past two years. Brody has gained so much more independence in different motor areas, thus, freeing us from him being fully dependent on us.

The staff truly go beyond measure to ensure that their clients reach their highest potential. The Movement Centre is the perfect mix of hard work and routine, paired with fun, and positive energy to help individuals become the best versions of themselves.

Brody has made so many gains in his short time at the Centre so far, and we are excited to see what else he conquers through the assistance of the wonderful staff at the Movement Centre of Manitoba! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your compassion, creativity and energy that you bring to your clients daily.

The Movement Centre has not only motivated our son with a weekly session but motivates the whole family with unique activities we would never think of on our own to support his development. He pushes himself harder during his session then at any other time, and we can’t believe the strides he’s made with his affected side. We are extremely grateful for the services we receive.

The MCMI Conductive Education Program is responsible for teaching my daughter how to walk again. The excellent staff are like family, teaching her all aspects of independent life skills. She looks forward to going every week.

Conductive Education is fantastic. The staff at MCMI is awesome and very caring.

Excellent staff. They are all very friendly and very knowledgeable. They treat clients with respect and make them feel part of a “family”. They look forward to going every week.

My child would not have the life he does without this wonderful centre and the committed staff. Instead of limitations they gave us hope and help.

The best place for making a difference in our son’s life.

The Movement Centre has allowed Stephanie to move forward and therefore is giving her the opportunity in life to function at a higher level and enjoy every day more. The progress I see in her and the other children is amazing. They are all individuals who, with the help of The Movement Centre will develop to their greatest potential. The difference that this will make in Stephanie’s life, as well as the other children, is priceless. We are extremely fortunate to have this program available to us.

Our daughter Olivia has been going to The Movement Centre since 2007. Olivia had a stroke before she was born which significantly affected her mobility, gross and fine motor skills, as well as caused a severe visual impairment. At The Movement Centre, Olivia gets a type of holistic therapy which addresses all her concerns – she is gaining new confidence as she develops new skills – walking, balance, orienting in the world, making new friends and having fun. The Movement Centre is important to Olivia and our family because the “system” can’t provide everything and we want to give Olivia every opportunity to develop her potential.

It’s not hard to talk positively about the Movement Centre! I do it all the time to anyone that I feel would benefit from it, whether directly or indirectly! Until Kristen started in the fall of 2007, I really felt that we were at a standstill; that we had gone as far as we would with Kristen. After meeting Gemma and seeing what Kristen could do, I felt something that I thought I had lost forever – HOPE. We have gone on quite a journey since Kristen’s first class at The Movement Centre. I don’t know who has grown more, her or I. I think that we have grown together. She has come such a long way. From birth the doctors had no hope she would survive, to the 5 year old who is walking and trying so hard to communicate. She is the bravest kid and I am proud to have the privilege to be her mom. Thank you to all the people at The Movement Centre who strive to get the most out of our kids, day in and day out.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at fall session and believe that it did me tremendous good. All winter long, my friends down in Arizona have remarked about how much better I have been walking. I originally signed up for the program because I had a number of falls (7) the previous two years and had lost my confidence in walking. Haven taken the fall session not only have I regained my ability and confidence in walking; I have learned to slow down many aspects of my life. Since I am now very comfortable with where I am I think the space in the spring session could be better used by someone else.

Since coming to The Movement Centre, our little boy has astonished everyone!

Since my son’s enrollment in 2005, his motor skills, confidence, and awareness has improved tremendously. Within a few weeks from starting the program, my son went from drinking out of a bottle to using a straw. For my 4 year old son and his father, this was tremendous! Out of all the resources made available for our family, The Movement Centre has shown the most results in regards to physical therapies.

Within 2 classes the difference in my son was incredible. He was holding himself up more on his own. We can sit him on the couch without him falling off or falling over. He likes to walk (assisted) and ride his bike. He has become a lot stronger since entering The Movement Centre classes.

Bryce has attended many camps with The Movement Centre. What he enjoys the most is feeling successful. He has learned that he CAN get his body to do many things. He is an equal participant and his peers motivate him. We are very proud of him!

I became a supporter of Conductive Education when one of my clients came into my clinic, after attending an intensive session at The Movement Centre saying “I Can Do It!”

“Thumbs up for Movement Centre of Manitoba”
We just returned from doing a 4 week CE Camp with the Movement Centre of Manitoba in Canada. The program was really well run and we were impressed with the dedication and knowledge of the staff. My daughter showed some great improvements and now at age 9, we can truly say she is toilet trained! I would highly recommend attending this centre. My daughter’s teachers and TA’s are amazed at how much progress has been achieved in such a short period of time. There is nothing quite like the feeling of watching a wheelchair bound child stand up and walk with a walker after 4 weeks of Conductive Education. Well Done!

Went from 10 years of tube feeding to eating orally in less than one year
Went from danger of aspirating liquids to drinking from a straw/syringe/cup (by mouth)
Improved toileting (does not depend on diapers at Conductive Education)
Better sitting and head control
Loves social aspect

Staff are young, energetic, caring and compassionate

We heard about the Centre through word-of-mouth and decided to do a trial session to see how it would work out. By the end of the trial, our son was walking better, his balance had improved, he was helping to feed himself, plus his motivation to want to do things himself has gone from 0 to 100! So we have since been attending the Centre regularly for classes once a week. He is a completely different child now, and I truly believe the sky’s the limit!