New cbeebies programme - help with dyspraxia (Tree Fu Tom)

[topsmart]

[I've also posted this in SN recommendations, not sure where is best!]

I hope this is ok to post - please forgive the shameless self- (well, DH) promotion. My DH has been heavily involved with a new telly programme which I thought MNetters who are parents of children with movement/coordination disorders such as dyspraxia should hear about. I promise I am a regular! I'm just very proud of him and want the programme to do well :)

On Monday at 5:25pm on cbeebies, Tree Fu Tom will air. It'll be on Mondays-Fridays. It's a new action adventure series featuring a young boy, Tom, who travels into a magical world. Whenever he comes up against a problem, he asks children watching to help him create movement magic by moving along with him at home.

The idea is to get kids moving and the spell movements have been created in partnership with experts from the Dyspraxia Foundation. The aim is to help with all children's physical development and coordination, but in particular it should help children with movement/coordination disorders.

You can see more about it either on the BBC website or on the Foundation's website: www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/

The programme looks absolutely amazing (well, I would say that!) and it has David Tennant and Sophie Aldred doing the main characters' voices.

I am sure DH would love to hear feedback from MNers; he knows how much I value this site and the collection wisdom here!
(I should point out that I am posting this purely in my own capacity as a DW and this is not on behalf of the BBC.)

Thank you :)

Sounds interesting.

Do you know how the movements should help kids with DCD?

I saw a clip on the news this morning (Think they said something about clip being accessible on BBC website) - it appears to be an action cartoon, with interactive elements.

The interactive clip shown had a boy kneeling on the floor raising his left arm, crossing it over the midline then pushing/raising it up. Doing the same with the right arm. Repeated a couple of times. Children then encouraged to 'kneel high' - straight back, then raise themselves up from the floor to a standing position.

It could well provide some benefit for a child's co-ordination, may get them up off the couch, but it is unlikely to provide any real benefit for the Dyspraxic child.

That's the one, minx, very exciting to see it get publicity.

And indigobell, I'll quote the dyspraxia foundation as I'm not an expert on this:

"Each spell incorporates movements typically used by occupational therapists and physiotherapists to help children with movement/co-ordination disorders and are designed to help all children – regardless of whether they have any movement challenges – to learn, practice and perfect the key skills and abilities crucial for movement development. "

Hope that helps! And hope the programme does too

It's a pity it's not more specific of how it's meant to help.

I think the idea is that children copy and repeat the movements (without realising its doing them loads of good). And that in the long term this helps their coordination. Well, the dyspraxia foundation think it will, anyway!

Thanks mrsbaffled, that's the one

me and my 4 year old dd seen an advert for it, and shes desperate to see it!

hope it goes well!

It looks like a good tv program for kids - but I can't see at all how it will help kids with dyspraxia.

Nor is there anything on the dyspraxia foundation or any other website about how it helps.

I'm not convinced the dyspraxia foundation should be endorsing it. Or if they're endorsing it they should explain why

Perhaps I haven't explained it enough.

In my limited understanding, children with coordination disorders such as dyspraxia are believed to have under-developed nervous systems. This makes complex movements, like tying shoelaces or writing, really difficult. The dyspraxia foundation has broken down complex movements into a series of simple foundation movements. And it is these foundation movements which comprise the spells in Tree Fu Tom. By learning and repeating the foundation movements / spells (just as physiotherapists do with their patients), children can work towards learning complex movement. The programme is aimed at children aged 4-6 as this is a crucial time for physical development.

Does that help?

PS thanks thirteentales!

Sounds great! ds2 has dyspraxia so I'll watch with him on Monday. Thanks for posting this topsmart.

I shall add my twopence worth if I may!

In my opinion, one of the most positive things to come out of this programme (and particularly the publicity surrounding it) is the little bit of awareness it is raising over dyspraxia. The astonishing and upsetting thing is how fairly common dyspraxia is and how little knowledge and understanding there is out there ( and thus how many children go through an utterly miserable time at school only to come out the other side zapped of all self confidence and believing they are stupid and worthless when often they are actually highly intelligent but haven't been given the tools to reach their full potential or anything close to their potential)

In terms of the actual excercises, I question whether they would have any beneficial effect for dyspraxic children at all. I have a ds with severe dyspraxia and we have to do 20 to 30 minutes of exercises every single day (not to mention all the stuff he does with the senco and OT). Having said that, the programme looks great and I look forward to sitting down with my boys to watch on Monday.

zonedout - I agree. Raising awareness of dyspraxia is a great thing.

Sounds a nice idea. DS2 would just gawp at it, though, just like he does with the yogo in waybuloo (if DS1 deigned to allow him to watch anything as babyish as CBeebies, in the first place!)

This programme looks really good - my dd has gross and fine motor difficulties (not dyspraxia) and so I'm very interested to see it. If it adds to her therapy then great!!

My ds (who's nearly 8) saw a clip on cbeebies earlier and was also keen to watch as he liked the boy on a skateboard - you may have a wide audience in our house

We'll be watching. DS2 has gross motor delays due to elhers danlos syndrome so hopefully it will help him.

my ds has dcd dyspraxia and i will have a little watch although i cant see him wanting to watch cbeebies as he is 11 xxx

great to see some awareness for dyspraxia xx

Thanks everyone! Just bumping as there's only 2 hours till it goes live on the actual tellybox (not that we're tooooo excited in our house!)

If you'd like some more info, I gather the cbeebies grown up page may help: www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/programme/tree-fu-tom

Ah that link didn't work, how about this? www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/programme/tree-fu-tom

was it on in the end?

ds enjoyed it...he's much older than the target audience but he is very innocent! He joined in with the movements and got quite into it!

hmmm I must have missed it. Was cooking at the time but kept an eye on Channel 71 where cbeebies is on I believe