RFI currently has several seminars scheduled throughout 2005. Two seminars will be offered this year, the Burdenko Certification Program and The Water Connection – A Medium for Health, Healing and Rehabilitation. Private and Semi-Private In-services are also available. If you are interested in attending one of these seminars or scheduling an inservice, please contact tera@rehabfocus.com.

Our workshops and in-services are based on the Learn - Practice - Teach (LPT) Method of Learning. This system demands direct involvement and assists participants' understanding and performance of each exercise, while simultaneously helping them to teach them to others.

· Learn - The student learns the philosophy of each method, and then is shown specific techniques that exemplify, illustrate and expand upon that philosophy. This learning phase is accomplished through written materials, demonstrations, and active participation
· Practice - Practice occurs in large groups or in pairs under the supervision of an instructor. Feedback is given by both the partner and instructor.
· Teach - After leaning how to perform a particular exercise sequence, the student is then asked to teach that sequence to his or her partner. Observations and corrections are given by both the partner and the instructor.

The Burdenko Certification Program
The Burdenko Method is a land and water based rehabilitation and sports conditioning program that has had proven success in rehabilitation, injury prevention and peak level conditioning. This is a three day course covering both land and water based functional movement using the Burdenko Method. This program is excellent for those with orthopedic or head injuries, adults and children with special needs, and for group exercise programs. The program is designed for therapists, aquatic/fitness instructors and teachers. The Level 1 program is also intended for those interested in health & fitness for themselves.

The Burdenko Method
What is it? The Burdenko Method™ is a multi-purpose program of water and land exercises for rehabilitation, conditioning and injury prevention. Developed and refined over 40 years by Dr. Igor Burdenko, PhD, many seriously disabled individuals, Olympic athletes, world class ballet dancers, have benefited from this innovative and extraordinarily effective system. It combines the benefits and advantages of water and land to develop muscle mass and improve the six functional qualities of movement: balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance, speed, and strength. The Burdenko Method™ is not just a set of exercises, it is a developmental system that has been successfully implemented all over the world!

Traditional Rehabilitation: The Burdenko Method™ teaches the fundamentals of rehabilitation exercises in the water, without gravitation, and then progresses to mastering those skills on land. It has also been successful when treating paraplegics, osteoarthritis, head injury, and multiple other disabilities that affect performance, independence, and daily life. This is a functional approach for rehabilitation, reducing the risk of sports injury, and excelling in everyday life activities.

Sports Rehabilitation, Conditioning & Training: Whether they are a top level Olympic athlete or an office worker who wants to get in shape, the Burdenko Method™ can provide a challenging and low impact workout. It has been incorporated into a conditioning program that develops all six of the essential qualities of movement: Balance, Coordination Flexibility, Endurance, Speed and Strength, by challenging both center of gravity and center of buoyancy. The Burdenko Method™ is also ideal for treating sports injuries. Seriously injured athletes, such as figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, Boston Celtic's Kevin McHale, and New York's prima ballerina, Mary Christine, have all benefited from and recommend the Burdenko Method™. The conditioning program can be designed specifically for individual challenges and needs, or it can be incorporated into a group setting where every participant will agree with Nancy Kerrigan when she stated, "It's fun, it's really hard work, but it's so different than what I used to do..."

The Burdenko Certification Program is taught in two individual parts:
• Part One focuses on the first three levels of the Burdenko Method and the foundation of movement: Balance, Coordination, and Flexibility. This is the Core Program.
• Part Two expands on the Core Program to levels four – six, focusing on Endurance, Agility and Strength. This program is recommend but not required. Once a participant has completed Part Two, they may choose to continue with the Master Instructor Course.

CEU's are offered for AEA & NATA members.

Aquatic Training Techniques:
The Water Connection
The Water Connection workshop teaches participants what aquatic techniques work and what positions help each individual feel more comfortable and safe in the water. This is a hands-on workshop where participants will Learn each new skill, Practice it in the water, and then Teach it to other participants: The L-P-T Method. The program is designed for anyone interested in Aquatic Training including: Therapists, Adapted Aquatic Instructors, Parents and Friends of Children with Disabilities, and Educators. The handling skills and adapted techniques taught in this seminar will increase comfort for the patient and instructor. Discussed techniques include: the Burdenko Method, Watsu, and Swimming Skills.

Private and Semi-private In-services:
Each in-service we offer is custom designed, based on your clinic's cliental, pool facilities (water depth, temperature and size), staff, and interest.. Some of the other aquatic techniques that may be discussed during these workshops include but are not limited to: Watsu, Adapted Watsu for the Multiply Handicapped, the use of hot and cold water "Kneipp" Therapy, Swim Therapy, PNF and Ai Chi.

Some examples of topics from past inservices are: Pediatrics, Orthopedicis, Aquatic Equipment Application and Use, Closed Head Injury and Tramatic Brain Injury (TBI). Additional lecture topics may include: Water Safety Skills; Equipment Adaptation; Billing for Aquatic Rehabilitation; the difference between Water Aerobics, Aquatic Therapy, Water Massage and Hydrotherapy. Time is typically divided 40/60 between lecture and application in the water.