The Marianne Frostig Approach
The Meaning and Importance of the Marianne Frostig Approach
Marianne Frostig’s approach has made important new contributions to the fields of diagnostics, eduation and therapy and has received wide recognition around the world. Her tests, programs and publications have been translated into many languages.
In the spirit of humanistic psychology, she educated teachers and therapists
to accept the child as an individual personality,
to respond to the child’s individual needs and social-emotional situation,
to arouse the child’s sense of initiative, joy and excitement in living and learning with others.
Movement and perception offer an important access to the child and
for the child to the world - this is one of Marianne Frostig’s basic tenets.
Movement,
language, all perceptual areas, and higher cognitive functions are developed
together. The learning environment is understanding, supportive and
trusting. Learning deficits are remediated or compensated for, but
integrated into the child’s personality and learning development.
Application of the Marianne Frostig Approach aims to activate the creative
potentials of the child, but also of the teacher or therapist. Interdisciplinary,
not multidisciplinary, teamwork and flexibility in the choice of methods
are especially important.
Applications of the Marianne Frostig Approach
The Marianne Frostig Approach can be used with preschool- and school-aged
children in educational, special-educational or therapeutic, psychiatric
and clinical-psychological settings. It is used in educational and therapeutic
work with children who have developmental or learning problems. These may
be normal, gifted or learning-disabled children or adolescents, but also
mentally retarded children, adolescents or adults.