MOVE is an activity based programme which uses the combined knowledge of education, therapy and family to teach severely disabled children and adults the skills of sitting, standing, walking and transferring to the very best of their ability.

MOVE works with the child/adult and their individual care team including family, carers, teachers, therapists and anyone else who supports them. Using a goal based approach the child/adult works towards agreed targets which range from being able to raise and hold their head independently enabling them to view and interact with the world around them, to being able to walk unaided or to play football using a pacer. By incorporating the practise of meaningful skills into everyday life, MOVE enables families to be directly involved with their child's progress.

At MOVE, we believe that it is everyone's right, regardless of their ability to reach their full potential and to live with dignity and the maximum level of independence.

MOVE is suitable for anyone who hasn't learn to sit, stand or walk by the age they should have done or those who have lost skills e.g. through an accident, and because MOVE uses a top down functional approach no one is considered too disabled to use it. (There are some pre-existing conditions that may exclude someone from MOVE e.g. brittle bones. It is therefore very important to have someone with a medical background on the MOVE team).

If your child's school or centre is not already practising MOVE, then the first step is to get them on board. The team approach is a key aspect of MOVE and so we recommend that your child's teachers, care assistants and therapists are all involved to ensure best practice.

History

MOVE Europe is a charity founded in 1984 as part of The Prince of Wales' Disability Partnership. It was formed to help accelerate the inclusion of disabled people into society. Taking inspiration from MOVE International in the USA the flagship project MOVE Europe was then launched in 1999 to enable severely disabled children and adults across Europe to have access to the MOVE Programme, providing mobility opportunities and increasing independence. MOVE Europe became the sole focus of the Disability Partnership in 2007.

MOVE is currently being used in over 500 schools, adult training centres, hospital departments, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and child development centres across the UK and Europe with approximately 4,000 children and adults benefiting from the programme so far.

Many people on the MOVE Programme have already accomplished more than was believed possible (please see some of our case studies) and every child on the programme makes progress to the best of their ability.