About Lives In Motion
Lives In Motion, LLC, is dedicated to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those who support and serve them. Lives In Motion Intensive Systems TherapyTM (IST) educational materials specifically target the needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities, dual diagnosis, and autism spectrum disorder.
Since its publication in 2007, many people have successfully used Lives in Motion ISTTM and the other techniques to help individuals achieve a better fit with their environment. In 2013, the IST Training Manual was published with an accompanying certification process, which many participants have completed.
Lives In Motion materials are designed to promote an interest in active learning. They are intended to be a starting point for further study. Presented in an interactive style, these materials can be used for individual study or for group learning.
How Lives In Motion ISTTM Training Leads to Success
The training series was created with the philosophy that healthy, adaptive thinking leads to healthy, adaptive actions. Thus, Lives In Motion ISTTM explores the connection between what people think and what they do. IST teaches successful adaptation to the environment, with the goal of increasing the likelihood of a “goodness of fit” between the person and his or her living setting. To accomplish this, each book presents strategies for intellectual, emotional, and social change.
IST integrates the primary social unit into the treatment process, creating an opportunity for group practice of specific cognitive skills necessary for deliberate thinking, negotiation, decision-making, and consensus building. When these skills are practiced within the context of the individual’s environment, reactive thinking and volatile behavior decrease.
The IST booklet and other techniques presented in the staff training series include tests and exercises for self-instruction. Lives In Motion ISTTM provides a free online Answer Book for the exercises and pre- and post-tests. This free tool can guide staff in self-study, allowing them to advance training at their own pace. However, attendance at training is required for certification in IST.
IST Creator
What our clients are saying
The Lives In Motion program has helped teach us a different way of thinking about how to approach the situations that we face on a daily basis and has increased our ability to resolve many of these situations in a safe, respectful, predictable, and satisfying manner.
—Maggie Jaskolka, Vice President/Clinical Director Quality Management Associates, New Jersey