MAES Therapy

"As an Occupational Therapist based in South Africa, I attended the 4-week MAES therapy course in 2021, in which I learnt an entirely different way of understanding children with cerebral palsy and how to improve their brain skills. I have found MAES therapy to be an incredibly helpful and impactful therapy approach which I am so grateful to understand. Thank-you to JP and the team for all your hard work. I would highly recommend this course to any therapist working with children with cerebral palsy."

"Jean- Pierre Maes has a novel and very intelligent approach to harnessing neuroplasticity in the rehabilitation of children with brain-related movement disorders. In a field where there seems to be a strong push for accommodation of disabilities instead of remediating them, he gives us hope that the developing brain can adapt and learn when given the stimulus it needs."

"MAES, “Movement Analysis and Education Strategies”, Therapy model is a pioneering, specific treatment approach for children with Cerebral Palsy and other neurological conditions. The model looks at the child with a lesion in the brain from the perspective of the child`s brain. The understanding is that due to the lesion, the child will have an atypical brain that lacks certain skills (X) essential in development of problem-solving and execution of tasks, while over-relaying on available skills (Y), thus resulting in atypical expressions and development. The aim in MAES Therapy is to intervene in the course of the child`s development, by encouraging the development of a variety of brain-skills, (strengthening X) and limiting the use of dominant skills (Y) that inhibits further progression. It`s an holistic approach with long term perspective - acknowledging that what we do today will impact the future to come. A challanging, but rewarding approach that meets each child in the unique way! Thank you for the refresher at the MAES Foundation Course in Cape Town! Keep up the good work!"

"Professionally, I am a doctor. I have heard about MAES Therapy as I am a mother of a disabled daughter with ataxic CP and her physiotherapist has completed the course. I have decided to attend a 4-weeks MAES course to get to know the MAES approach and help my daughter and my pediatric patients. The course gives a completely new perspective on children with CP. MAES approach allows to adjust the therapy to a specific patient through a careful analysis of their movement and behavior. It does not focus only on the patient's body and muscle tone - it treats the patient as a whole, helping them to function better, developing new strategies for movement, behavior and other spheres of life. In each treated child it sees primarily an adult who they will become in a few years and who must be given the opportunity to live as independently as possible. My daughter has been participating in MAES therapy for a year. This year I was also invited to the ART course with her as a demo child. I notice a lot of positive changes in her. Her repertoire of movements has increased, and she has developed cognitively. During the ART course, Jean-Pierre gave me a lot of helpful tips and just after a few days her behavior has improved considerably. I highly recommend this course to every pediatric therapist. It is really worth attending it as it opens up completely new horizons for therapy. Also, as a physician and as a parent, I recommend the MAES approach to all children with CP. I am grateful that my daughter has got the chance to be treated this way."

"For me, the wonderful thing about MAES Therapy is how it is tailored specifically to the needs of each child. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and it looks very different to any other kind of physiotherapy I have seen before. Jean Pierre and Ellie and the rest of the MAES team are totally committed to improving outcomes for each child that they see, and they start by identifying the specific challenges that your child faces. They then develop ways to help your child address those challenges, with a big emphasis on what we as parents can do at home. JP and Ellie also have a wonderful way with children, and make the sessions fun (as well as challenging, in a good way!). I would highly recommend MAES Therapy to any parents of a child with a neurodevelopmental condition."