[Adta] Ramblings!

Mon Feb 19 14:44:34 EST 2007

Dear Beth,

Is your assessment tool still available? If people wanted it, how might
they get a copy, and would they need special training to use it? 

Lenore W. Hervey, Ph.D., ADTR, NCC, REAT

Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling Dept.

Columbia College Chicago

600 S. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL 60605

312-344-8548

________________________________

From: adta-bounces at adta.org [mailto:adta-bounces at adta.org] On Behalf Of
Beth Kalish-Weiss,PhD
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 1:36 PM
To: skdmt2; 'Heather Hill'; 'Adta listserve'
Subject: RE: [Adta] Ramblings!

Dear Susan et al:

This correspondance is so interesting to me. First of all why do we keep
re-inventing the wheel?  There are many studies in our field that are
truly evidence based. If I may toot my own horn abit, my dissertation is
one: A body movement scale for autistic and other atypical children (
Kalish, Bryn Mawr,1976). This is a developmental scale (supported by the
observational research of both normal and atypical children in many
child-care centers over the period of 1 year by 4 trained objective
raters). Observational evidence was supported by the statistical data
produced in each observation. It is a scale that has proven itself over
time to assess progress as well as regression during treatment in
several diagnostic catagories such as: 1) autism 2) visually impaired 3)
retarded individuals regardless of chronological ages. Why isn't it used
and referred to more????

Also, it comes to mind that Bernie and Elaine Feders' book is a gold
mine for research-interested people in our field. In my opinion this is
a fine resouce and truly undervalued in our field.  Here is the
reference:  Feder,B & Feder, E.(1998) , `The art and science of
evaluation in the arts therapies', Springfield,Charles C. Thomas.

By the way, in the field of psychoanalysis there are also
state,national, even international pressure from insurance co's. and
gov't agencies to produce what is generally called `evidence-based'
studies. This has been a huge problem in the profession, due to issues
of confidentiality and to the difficulties of testing variables ACROSS
individuals in treatment.  I refer you to the ongoing work of Robert
Wallerstein at Menningers and the problems that insued there even in a
setting like Menningers. Peter Fonagy a psychologist-psychoanalyst in
England has produced a volume on Outcome Studies in Psychanalysis from
around the world, they are interesting to read, but once again do not
truly answer the questions gov't agencies want. One has to be cautious
to not bend to the requests of government agencies when doing research
as 

 it is highly important to be ethical with any research design and as "
objective as possible" ( which of course there is truly no such thing as
absolutely objective)... Even the idea of " evidence-based" studies
needs to be questioned closely.

O.K. those are some thoughts, hope they are helpful...

Regards,

Beth

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: skdmt2 
	Sent: Feb 17, 2007 5:20 AM 
	To: 'Heather Hill' , 'Adta listserve' 
	Subject: RE: [Adta] Ramblings! 

	Hi Heather

	Thanks for taking me up on talking about evidence based d/mt,
which, of course, means developing & using research to backup the
importance of using our method w/ various populations & in various ways
( my interpretation anyway). 

	You said; "The idea of "evidence-based" practice has been and
still is the buzz word in the health field particularly and it is clear
that for survival if nothing else, we have to address the need for
research to underwrite our practice, if we are to maintain and increase
the practice of dance therapy - if we are to find jobs, in fact!  "

	Susan: I think we can't say this too many ways, its' that
important.

	Heather: Re "So the question for me is how do we deal with this.
Do we focus on developing evidence in scientific terms, or can we
develop other methods which can capture what dance therapy actually
achieves but still serve to "prove" to the relevant authorities that
dance therapy is a bona fide therapy.  Also, I would like to think that
we do not focus our entire research efforts on supplying evidence, but
also explore our work more fully and seek understanding within this very
rich field that we work in."

	Susan: Good questions.  I'd like to add, it's not just having
the research, but using it specifically & intentionally to promote our
work- We have begun to  lead others into understanding that there IS
evidence that what we do is beneficial ( thanks to our leaders in this
arena),  but then I think we also have to get ourselves AND others to
take it in" - to "decode it  " so that we, the general public AND allied
professional can all see how it's beneficial. 

	So, it's also knowing what to do with what we have- how to
utilize it- make the most of it- facilitate it reaching the masses. I
think this part is the promotional area- kind of like taking the seed-
one piece of evidence ( in research format) & translating & promoting it
in many ways to the public.

	I think that's where I need to focus. So, I'm thinking there are
2 parts- maybe there are more, but that one part is the one the
researchers do- the studies & projects, etc. Then I think it has to move
into other hands- like  GAC to understand what is needed legislatively &
to fit into laws,  & then on to Marketing/PR to develop the evidence
into promotional materials. Our PR people have done a great job of
promoting d/mt but now I think we also need to move also in this
direction.

	Christina, what do you think re this?  How about our
researchers?  Others?

	Also, I think we ALL have to make it our business to do this- I
know our research leaders have been saying this for years & that they
tell us we can ALL do research & I think we DO it in some form each time
we try something out w/ a pt- each time we're creative- each time we
develop a skill based on an idea, but we all don't take it further into
a study, w/ findings, etc. I am one of those people- I DO think,
however, I can let others, who are so inclined,  do that part & I , &
others like me, can develop on this other part of working w/ the more
research inclined to translate the findings into evidence based
promotion. I guess that's why I'm on the PR committee !

	Readers, What do you all think? Where do you fit? How would you
like to get involved? How does it help you to talk about this subject/
Does it help you? How would it help you in your work? Might it give you
a focus-Do you like it when you can use research focuses in your
presentations? In your work? 

	Please respond to these issues & other that may be triggered for
you by the conversation Heather & I have begun to articulate.

	Susan

	Susan Kleinman, MA, ADTR, NCC

________________________________

	From: adta-bounces at adta.org [mailto:adta-bounces at adta.org] On
Behalf Of Heather Hill
	Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 3:08 AM
	To: Adta listserve
	Subject: [Adta] Ramblings!

	Hi Susan!

	I thought I would accept your invitation to do some rambling on
the subject of research, specifically the notion of evidence-based
practice.  I guess I just want to raise some issues/questions which I
think are important for dance therapy.

	The idea of "evidence-based" practice has been and still is the
buzz word in the health field particularly and it is clear that for
survival if nothing else, we have to address the need for research to
underwrite our practice, if we are to maintain and increase the practice
of dance therapy - if we are to find jobs, in fact!  

	I support strongly the idea of research in our field - we need
have no fear that questioning our work will result in negative findings!
However, the problem for dance therapy, as I see it, is that the
"evidence" talked about generally signifies evidence on someone else's
terms, invariably a biomedical/natural sciences standard of measurement.
This is always going to make it difficult for us, since applying "pill"
methodologies to dance therapy (ie trying to isolate the "treatment",
talking in terms of cause and effect, requiring large numbers to show
"significance", etc) is bound to disadvantage us.   - indeed you can be
sure that the standards of proof for something as "alternative" as dance
therapy is likely to be higher than for traditional, accepted practice.
Yet for pragmatic reasons, we do need to find ways to demonstrate the
effectiveness of the work - for our employers, for funding bodies and so
on.  That's part of the current reality.

	So the question for me is how do we deal with this.  Do we focus
on developing evidence in scientific terms, or can we develop other
methods which can capture what dance therapy actually achieves but still
serve to "prove" to the relevant authorities that dance therapy is a
bona fide therapy.  Also, I would like to think that we do not focus our
entire research efforts on supplying evidence, but also explore our work
more fully and seek understanding within this very rich field that we
work in.

	Anyway, those are just some thoughts and I welcome further
"ramblings" from others.  This is very much a work in progress.

	Kind regards,

	Heather

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