Dance Movement Therapy is an evidenced- based therapy that utilises movement, dance, and the body as a medium of therapeutic interventions. NDIS participants can improve their cognitive, fine and gross motor, and social skills through building a meaningful relationship with a dance movement therapist (dmt) in a safe and nonjudgmental space. Dmts are highly trained in supporting people based on their bodily, sensory, and emotional needs. They adhere to professional standards and continuous professional development.
Dmts support people with a wide range of disabilities, such as
- Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- Down Syndrome
- Learning difficulties
- Physical disabilities
- Psychosocial disabilities such as anxiety, depression, and trauma
- Sensory Disorders
(This is not an exhaustive list of disabilities.)
NDIS participants can access Dance Movement Therapy if they are
- Self-managed or
- Plan-managed
For agency-managed participants, the therapist needs to be a NDIS-registered provider. Regarding the fees, the DTAA members are advised to adhere to the NDIS Price Guidelines.
DMT Interventions and NDIS Goals
Cognitive Skills
DMT enhances verbal communication through nonverbal expressions of the body and dance. Dmts assist NDIS participants in using an Alternative and Augmentative Communication boards and devices or sign language to verbalise their bodily felt experiences.
Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Moving the body helps NDIS participants to become more aware of their bodily sensations, and improve their balance and coordination. Gentle, rhythmic movements increase circulation, relieve stiffness, and reduce chronic pain or discomfort, promoting relaxation and overall physical comfort. Movements are encouraged by a Dmt according to the participant’s needs.
Social Skills
DMT is relational therapy, and movements happen in an intersubjective space. NDIS participants learn to be in a meaningful relationship with a dmt. This helps them to become more relational with another, more confident and expressive. Moving the body helps to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and become more grounded. DMT also explores the emotional needs of the participant when they are ready, hence it helps them to understand their emotional state and regulate their emotions.
DMT also helps people who have experienced trauma to integrate their bodies and minds in a safer and trauma-informed manner.
The therapeutic journey helps NDIS participants to get more involved in a community and improve the quality of their life.
NDIS Required Reports
Dmts can provide NDIS participants with a NDIS-required report that evaluates the progress and development of a NDIS participant regarding their engagement in DMT. Dmts may use movement assessment methods to demonstrate their work with NDIS participants.
