Mirrors can be used with individuals of all ages, I had a good reminder of that just today in the therapy room. Lets have a brief exploration of some of the incredibly versatile uses of a mirror within the therapy space.

Let's start off with babies. For a baby, looking into a mirror is not about looking at themselves, they take a long time to be able to truly recognize themselves and so this skill takes time to develop. However, mirrors are a form of play for a baby. They find mirrors fascinating and helps develop their visual senses. A little known fact is that mirror play can even help a baby develop language and social skills as they begin to recognize parts of their face and develop self-awareness.

From about 6-18 months of age a baby will start doing more than just look at itself in the mirror, and develop to smiling and making noises at their own reflection. From 15 to 36 months, it advances to the toddler being able to recognize themselves and even others in the mirror.

In older children, mirrors still have a wide variety of uses. Those that have difficulty with sensory processing can find the world to be a challenging place. Using a mirror provides visual feedback during gross motor activities to promote self awareness.

 

What about adults?

In adults that have experienced some sort of brain trauma, mirror therapy is a common approach to create a positive visual feedback of an active or passive limb movement. But what does this mean? Basically, it is a sort of illusion where we will put your limb that is not functioning as it should, in a box that has mirrors on the outside. When your brain "sees" the reflection as if both hands were performing that movement to a satisfactory standard, it reinforces neural pathways and makes it possible for the brain to manage pain and movement. This technique is often used with much success in phantom limb syndrome to reduce pain, in stroke patients to increase active movement as well as in Complex Regional Pain Syndromes to manage pain.

 

Mirror Therapy

So in conclusion, when you see yourself today in the mirror, don't forget to smile and appreciate all the skills that you have developed, thanks to the many times you have been able to see yourself in one before.