Videotherapie

Richard Kriesche

Videotherapie, 1979

Artwork text

Videotherapy sees itself as an asthetic method of healing physically handicapped children. New forms of therapy have been evolved and applied through the specific usage of video apparatuses. Physiotherapy: the child ob-serves its knees, marked in white, while it tries to approach the monitor. The points marked on its knees enable it to recognize proficiencies and errors, and to gain control of them through this recognition. Remedial education: the child is asked to carry out certain predetermined movements (coordination of physical functions). A coated glass plate serves the therapist as a drawing surface. The child traces over the therapist’s figures on the un-coated side of the glass plate. This procedure is recorded on video. Playing back the process enables the child to observe its “drawing” and, furthermore, to improve it by doing it again—together with the therapist—directly onto the screen. Speech therapy: the child reads a text. The delay in the playback of image and sound (8 sec.) enables the child to check the spoken passages directly for speech defects. The rhythm of the delay can be adapted to learning progress. Ergotherapy: in front of a camera, the child presses its hand against a mirror. The whole top view (real) and side view (monitor) enable the child to strengthen and develop its sense of precise touch. The additional video makes it easier to “grasp” touch. (Richard Kriesche)