The principles of the Massage in School Programme (MISP), acknowledge the sensory and attachment needs of children and families, to support healthy development and children’s wellbeing. Consultants are Highly Qualified Registered Instructors of MISP and aim to work with Schools, Parents and Children. The purpose is to support self-regulation and co-regulation through meeting sensory needs, teaching children and adults about self-esteem, permission and keeping the child ‘in mind’.

MISP is developed by health and teaching professionals, to incorporate the developmental needs of a child. It started being introduced in the UK in 2000 and then it grew globally, now reaching many countries as it is internationally recognised. MISP is:

• For children aged 4-12 years old (new routines now being introduced for 2-3 year olds)
• Clothed massage to encourage caring and nurturing touch
• Given by the children to one-another
• Given by the parents to their own child/ren
• Massage of the head, back, arms and hands using approved routines

“We now know that nurturing touch is an important need. We believe that with nurturing touch being brought into the home and the educational arena, it can become an important step towards a resolution of the crisis that education is facing.” Massage in Schools International

• It is given and received with the child’s permission
• Helps children to understand ‘good’ and bad’ touch
• Improvement in emotional health
• Suited to all children, including those with additional needs
• Ideally 10-15 minutes daily
• Acknowledges the intrinsic need for bonding and attachment
• It is fun

Research has shown that:
• Children are calmer and concentrate more
• There is an increase in self-esteem
• Children learn respect, which leads to social inclusion

“I wish you were coming to my school too! I am showing all my friends how to relax and to brush off the snow (a massage movement)” Child, 9 years old, UK

“After seeing my brother and dad, I tried the hand massage myself, and I now regularly do this to relax my hands in school” Child, 15 years old, UK

“I have enjoyed how this has helped me to interact with my kids. Although I was a bit sceptical at first, my kids have enjoyed this, they feel relaxed and my youngest son (6), who has sleeping difficulties has been settling at bedtimes.” Parent, Colchester, Essex

Bespoke Practitioners provides parents and educators with sensory skills to support children with sensory needs, specifically due to sensory attachment needs. The approach is to teach regulation skills for home and school to find a pattern that benefits the behavioural profile of the individual child.

There is increasing identification of children’s sensory needs, with an increase in recognition of Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD). There is a clear link between the attachment that a child forms with their caregivers and the sensory processing system, therefore, support is aimed at identifying the child’s physiological and emotional needs by supporting parents to bond with their child and the child forming a good attachment with the parent, whilst supporting schools to regulate a child in a preventative and nurturing approach.

“It is important to support children to self-regulate emotionally as well as physiologically, these are not stand alone issues, but must be addressed together” Sarah – Managing Practitioner

Practitioners are experienced to support families who have children with additional needs, as well as looked after children and adopted children who may require additional support to form attachments and have differing sensory needs to form healthy relationships with others and their environment. The aim of the service is to link in with ‘The Nurturing Parent’ programmes, providing parents [and educators] with the skills and education to best support the child.

It is important as the child grows that a parent is able to co-regulate the child, and that the child learns the skills to self-regulate as they transition through life and the events this brings.

“Children develop behavioural strategies early in life, in order to survive their attachment environment, their pattern is to either freeze and dissociate or to flee and flight….” Eadaoin Bhreathnach, Sensory Attachment Intervention (SAI) Founder, Author & International Speaker 2016

Please also see the Just Right State © – a programmes focused on regulation or arousal states and then the modulation of the body senses through the Just Right State combination of regulating experiences.