Rx: Magic Presented by Julius Magic Magician Jacksonville, FL

Everyone enjoys magic because it's fun . . .

. . . but can learning magic make you smarter?

What other benefits can magic provide?

Learning magic tricks teaches people how to focus their minds . . .

. . . and train their hands.

When you learn to perform a new task, you build new neural connections.

Engaging in hand-eye coordination exercises helps build your brain . . .

. . . and the end result is that you may end up becoming a little smarter.

Practicing sleight of hand magic improves motor skills, manual dexterity and co-ordination.

Let's now see how magic might be used in physical diagnoses, brain injury, spinal injury, mental health, and education.

Magicians and occupational therapists work together to teach sleight of hand magic to physically and mentally challenged patients to aid in their rehabilitation.

The American Occupational Therapist Association has endorsed magic therapy programs as being an authentic therapeutic tool.

Magic Therapy improves: GROSS MOTOR SKILLS: range of motion, strengthening, and balance in the upper and lower extremities. FINE MOTOR SKILLS: dexterity, eye-motor coordination, speed and accuracy, object manipulation. PSYCHOSOCIAL: self efficacy, self esteem, group interaction, interpersonal skills. ATTENTION: concentration, task follow-through, memory. PERCEPTION: visual (form discrimination, form constancy, spatial relations, figure group, eye-hand coordination), tactile, proprioception, kinesthesia. MOTOR PLANNING: being able to plan and know what steps are necessary for a particular movement. COGNITIVE: following simple and complex directions, memory, planning, sequencing, organizing, problem solving.

Working out the rough spots of a routine improves patience and determination.

Learning magic helps people gain self-confidence because they're able to do things that others can't do.

Before therapy, Connor Curtis could only use his left hand in the shape of a claw after being born with hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body).

But after learning magic developed for children with motor disorders, Connor is now able to throw a tennis ball and eat using a knife and a fork.

Magic presents patients with a pleasing distraction from the often painful and tedious hours of therapy, and motivates them to work harder than before.

Magic therapy helps build self-esteem by teaching patients a skill that most people - regardless of ability - do not possess.

Not only do patients get a kick out of the magic tricks, they love doing the exercises every day!

I encourage you to learn more about magic – whether you want to use it therapeutically, educationally or socially.

I'm a doctor, not a magician!

More Resources: www.DavidCopperfield.com www.MagicTherapy.com

JULIUS MAGIC www.juliusmagic.webs.com Jacksonville, FL

www.DavidCopperfield.com www.MagicTherapy.com

JULIUS MAGIC www.juliusmagic.webs.com Jacksonville, FL