Backgrounders

Sylvia's short backgrounders
about the practical power
of our work with children
via NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement®

See many more videos at the
NeuroHorizons YouTube Channel

Sylvia Leiner Shordike summarizes
some of the What, How, and Why of
NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement®

Topics:

➤; What is NeuroHorizons Experiential Movement, and how is it different from conventional therapies?
➤; Eliciting "everyday neural plasticity" by moving WITH the child
➤; Why we focus at NeuroHorizons on promoting the child's "dynamic" core, rather than a "strong" core
➤; "Therapy Fatigue" and how NeuroHorizons Experiential Movement avoids it
➤; "Tummy Time" for my infant? Or more time on their back? You may be surprised!
➤; Baby devices for my infant — help or hindrance?

What is NeuroHorizons^® Experiential Movement^®
and how is it different from
conventional therapies?

It's all about using movement
to elicit the child's inborn neuroplasticity
to optimize their unique developmental trajectory

You can also watch video #12 on the NeuroHorizons YouTube Channel

How does NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement® differ from conventional therapy?

Conventional therapy often thinks of manipulation of the body, or training or strengthening the child. But with NeuroHorizons Experiential Movement we are instead eliciting the native learning process of the child.

That means we help the child make new connections in their brain and nervous system that they can't yet find on their own. And we do that by using intentional, gentle, sequential movement through our own embodied presence, awareness, and skill as practitioners and mentors.

Think about how a neurotypical child learns in the first weeks and months of life. If they are given the free time and space on the floor with their family, they experience themselves moving through their environment. Through this free, often seemingly random exploration, they are orienting themselves in space and in relation to gravity. That's how they learn. That's how the brain gathers information about who and where they are. That’s how they become more and more differentiated in their movements. Their movements become more and more complex, until they discover all by themselves how to roll, creep, crawl, come on all fours, sit, squat, stand, and eventually walk.

But all that doesn't happen from one day to the other. It typically takes a year or more. And nobody is telling the baby, “OK, now we are training you to roll onto the belly, and now we're training to crawl” etc. That's not how it works, right? They discover all this on their own because they are feeling themselves and discovering what is possible through their own movement adventures on the floor. I talk elsewhere about how some baby devices and imposed “tummy time” can hinder this natural learning process and a baby’s development.

The role of our embodied, relational presence

NeuroHorizons Practitioners and Mentors often work with Children with Special Needs, or children who have some degree of learning or developmental challenge. Each of these great kids is unique, and facing their own idiosyncratic impasses. They are not learning in a neurotypical way, and our role is to tune into their impasse and elicit their native learning process to transform it.

Our skill at NeuroHorizons is that we have practiced our own embodied, relational presence. We have learned how children naturally learn and change through movement. This allows us to better see and meet each unique child where they are in the moment, not where we or some other provider (or a loving but anxious parent) thinks they should be. And we then translate and transmit this awareness through our own hands to the child via gentle movement sequences.

In other words, instead of imposing some pre-determined recipe or rigid protocol on the child, we tune into each child's uniqueness in every unfolding moment. What kind of movement experience do they need right now to discover their next developmental step? This is our key to help elicit and optimize the child’s native learning process — their birthright of what I call everyday neuroplasticity.

All this is not typically the approach of conventional therapy — I know because I come from that background myself. At NeuroHorizons we often talk to parents who have not experienced enough changes for their children through conventional therapies. And the simple reason for that? These therapies have not elicited the native learning process in the child. You cannot do it to, or for, the child. You cannot push or train the child. You cannot make the child stronger when the child's brain doesn't understand the messages you are trying to convey.

For example, a child with dystonia may exhibit massive twisting in the same direction. But you cannot manipulate the muscles to stop doing what they're doing. You have to teach the brain. You have to communicate with the brain through movement such that the child learns not to have this uncontrolled twisting motion. Same with low tone or high tone. You cannot teach a muscle per se or change a muscle. You need to change the brain.

We empower ourselves to empower the child

So at NeuroHorizons we ask: How can I help this particular child, in this particular moment of their impasse, to elicit new communication and connections in their brain and nervous system? I emphasize this approach because I know that it is only the child, not me or any other practitioner, who can engage their inborn neuroplasticity.

My contribution is to understand, envision, and offer some movement sequences that may jump-start the child’s awareness. But it is only the child’s own brain and nervous system that can run with that and make the changes.

In short:

All this is why I call our work Experiential Movement. As parents, caregivers, and movement educators we can learn to experience in ourselves what it means to activate our own neuroplasticity through movement.

And then we are in a far better position to translate and transmit this awareness through our hands. We can then empower a child to differentiate and optimize their own unique developmental trajectory.

Eliciting “everyday neural plasticity”
by moving WITH the child

Developing our embodied, relational presence such that in our daily lives we are activating our own and the child's inborn neuroplasticity

You can also watch the video on the landing page

Eliciting “everyday neural plasticity” by moving WITH the child

I'm Sylvia Leiner Shordike, the founder of the NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement® education programs in Europe, California, and Mexico. I will be walking you through what I call everyday neuroplasticity. In the video I also invite you to join me on the floor for very brief tastes of what my students learn, so that you can experience for yourself the reality of the native learning process and neuroplasticity.

What is neuroplasticity? A lot of people are talking about it. We know now that the brain can change at any time. Even an injured brain can change. And that's how we work with kids with special needs and can help them. We use movement to help elicit their native neuroplasticity.

I start with the premise that relational, intentional movement is the key to neuroplasticity. Movement informs the brain about how we relate to our environment and to gravity. Without movement, there is no learning, really there is no life at all. So for the child we need to create curiosity and opportunities for movement. Through their experience of movement they will feel themselves in relation to the floor and to gravity, in relation to their parent, in relation to their environment in general.

Amy Pickler was a brilliant observer of what a child is doing on the floor for their own development. She realized that if you give children enough time to explore on their own, they will always come to a very similar beautiful organization, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. She realized that children who are raised that way have a lot fewer injuries. They fall less, and if they fall, they fall gracefully. They are better climbers. They have a better coordination and self-esteem to explore in the world.

Pickler was observing neurotypical children. But understanding how a typical child learns is essential to learning how to support children with special needs or developmental challenges. NeuroHorizons Practitioners and Mentors know that we have to give these kids time. We have to help them to explore, to feel themselves, to know themselves, and give them the freedom to come, step by step, to their next developmental process. We cannot force it or push it or demand it. That's just not how it works.

We start with ourselves

My passion is to teach parents, caregivers, and practitioners to become more aware and embodied in themselves. Why start with ourselves? Only if we are deeply connected with ourselves can we then deeply connect with a child, and move with the child (as opposed to doing things to or for the child). Only then can we translate and transmit our awareness to the child through our hands. We become aware and skilled enough to offer powerful Experiential Movement Lessons that can make a huge difference in any child's developmental trajectory, especially the child with developmental challenges who cannot yet find those movements on their own.

In short, I believe everybody can learn kinesthetically to experience movement in a way that they can then translate it to a child with special needs or developmental challenges. As NeuroHorizons Practitioners and Mentors, it is our job to do everything we can through our embodied, relational presence to help the child experience novel movement possibilities. We are envisioning and offering these movement experiences for the children who cannot yet do it for themselves. We are informing their nervous system and brain to elicit neural mapping.

But I always remind my parents and caregivers that even if you are not trained, there are still plenty of wonderful ways to move with your child at home. In the video I lead you through you some examples of the 150+ movement experiences I teach my students in my seminars. Here I describe one “simple” example, about how we pick up an infant.

A "simple" example: Picking up baby

In the video you can see how I first take some time to feel where the child wants to go to. This girl’s preference is going to the right, and I wait for her to look towards me. And this is where I also lean down, because I'm communicating with the child. I'm saying something to the child, and she's curious about me. She feels me. And then I do a movement bringing her up in an arc, a spiral. And I bring her into my lap.

This creates a very different experience than somebody swooping in and picking up the child by the arms, or from the middle, like an object. First of all, this often happens too fast for the child to process. And when I pick the child up fast and in a straight line, both a neurotypical child and a child with challenges are going to have an unproductive experience. Most of the time they will hold their breath, contract the chest and belly, and may actually get a little spastic — they don't know what’s happening or where they’re going.

But when I know to give the child time to come on its side, and bring her up in an arcing, spiral movement, she can follow me. She feels connected and safe all the way until she is in my lap. And to achieve that great yet simple outcome, we just have to slow down a bit, and feel where we are ourselves in space. We embody that sensation for ourselves. As NeuroHorizons Practitioners and Mentors, we have developed that embodiment and can translate and transmit that to the child who cannot generate it on their own.

There are hundreds of these kind of movements, and the same principles apply to them, and it can all be learned. But as I said, even if you are not trained, this is just one example of many ways to move more productively with your child at home.

In short:

So in my world, what does everyday neuroplasticity really mean? We learn to notice and relate to gravity and movement as key components of the native learning process — for ourselves and for the kids.

It doesn't take much to pay attention to yourself when you move, when you reach, when you clean, even when you would otherwise be on “autopilot” such as washing dishes. Check in with yourself. Feel and be mindful, and as appropriate slow down.

The amazing thing is that when the adult learns to move more efficiently and optimally, the child feels that right away. So there you have it — you can be moving with your child on a daily basis, in a more supportive way, no matter what you are in the middle of doing.

I like to say that when we adults embody these learning experiences for ourselves, we empower ourselves to empower the child. We are successfully inviting the child to join us in a relational, mutual dance of exploration, learning, and transformation.

Why we focus at NeuroHorizons^® on
promoting the child's "dynamic" core,
rather than a "strong" core.

It's not about the child's muscle "strength". It's about organizing and integrating the limbs, head, spine, and pelvis for optimal movement and transitioning.

You can also watch video #13 on the NeuroHorizons YouTube Channel

Thinking differently about the "core"

Parents hear a lot about the supposed need to “strengthen the child's core”. At NeuroHorizons we think about this differently.

What is the “core”? People usually think of the muscles in the trunk needed for basic stability and support for key motor skills. The child first uses their core to roll around, and to crawl. At some point, they use their core to come to sitting, squatting, standing, and eventually walking.

But how much muscular strength does a neurotypical child need to do all that? Not much at all. They just use as much strength as they need to displace themselves from point A to B to execute their intention.

If I am a child sitting on the floor and I want to reach for a toy, I need to keep myself up with my core, and shift in my pelvis so I can reach that toy. My muscles are doing the least work needed to move my skeleton from A to B, from B to C. That’s what we call transitioning. The child transitions in order to execute their intention to achieve what they want in life.

Yet in that actual moment of transitioning, there is not much muscular strength involved at all. The child is instead using their dynamic core. A dynamic core is simply this: An optimal coordination and organization of the minimal muscle use required for the child’s body parts to transition from A to B, or to locomote where they want to go.

"Dynamic" means everything is connected and integrated

A dynamic core means the arms and legs are integrated through the head, spine, and pelvis. And that integration happens only with the child’s free exploration of movement. I talk elsewhere about how some baby devices and imposed “tummy time” can hinder this natural learning process and a baby’s development.

Try using your arms for a moment, for reaching, or for pulling or pushing. Unless you are a very stiff adult (and many of us are!), you will notice that an optimal, fluid movement of the upper limbs is tied into to your head, spine, hip joints, and pelvis. Everything is connected. So when I reach with my hands it is not just about my hands — I have to be moving an entire dynamic, integrated core. And the same is true for when I use my leg.

The child who is having a hard time coordinating their limbs needs a Practitioner or Mentor who helps that child feel the connections among their limbs, head, spine, and pelvis. The child has to feel it, they can't simply be told to imitate the teacher or to repeat what somebody says. They have to put it into action for themselves.

Promoting a "dynamic core" is especially crucial for the child with developmental challenges

So at NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement® we are all about helping the child develop a dynamic core, which does not require a strong set of muscles. While having such a dynamic core is crucial for all children, it is especially important for many children with developmental challenges.

For example, children with cerebral palsy often have a lot of spasticity — the core is too rigid, with abdominal muscles that are overly contracted, spastic, in effect too strong. They don't have a dynamic core like a neurotypical child. This leads to what I call a stabilized core, meaning it does not move very well.

To achieve an optimal dynamic core, we need to think much less about strength, and much more about organization. How do we help a child learn to better integrate their body parts in order to transition easily from A to B or locomote themselves? The beauty of our work at NeuroHorizons is that we have many different kinds of Experiential Movement Lessons to help the child feel and learn about all these connections — how everything is connected to everything else. These lessons help the child arrive at more and more complexity, and eventually to come to stand and walk.

In short:

So we are back to our conversation about brain plasticity. We are helping the challenged child learn how they can differentiate throughout their bones and muscles to navigate weight and gravity, and use that awareness for effective transitioning.

Many conventional therapies probably do not work well for such kids, because efforts to “strengthen their core” run up against the reality that the child’s core is already overly contracted, meaning it is already too strong and stabilized. Why would you want to “strengthen” such a core more than it already is? The child can feel understandably lost with such a treatment protocol. They simply don’t know what to do with it.

So that's why I teach my students to differentiate between a muscular "strong" core versus a fluid, integrated "dynamic core". They learn to translate that awareness into their hands and use it to elicit the child's native learning process.

"Therapy Fatigue" and how
NeuroHorizons^® Experiential Movement^®
avoids it.

Our embodied, relational presence and skill in meeting the child where they are is what empowers and enlivens everyone involved.

You can also watch videos #14 and #15 on the NeuroHorizons YouTube Channel

Why everyone can get fatigued

I hear a lot from parents about “therapy fatigue”. On top of all the other stresses of their lives, shuttling among multiple therapy appointments during the day and week can really get exhausting. So therapy fatigue is a real phenomenon for both child and parents.

But there is more to it. The child can get fatigued when they feel they are being “done to”. The child doesn't experience that they're learning something that they can use naturally and spontaneously in their everyday life.

Long before a child can even articulate it, they will have the feeling of “OK, now I have to go to this person again, and this one, and this one. They are all making me do things, or doing things to me. I don't get it, I don’t know how to do it, and I really have no idea what’s going on. And it's definitely not fun.”

So there's a disconnect between the child, the practitioner, and the parent. The child’s internal feeling does not match or embrace the modality. The science shows that when we are stressed and are being pushed into something we cannot do or don't want to do, then we are not learning. The brain and nervous system are not receptive to new neural mapping. And we don't feel good about ourselves.

Is it really surprising that the child might become apathetic or distant, or just shut down? Or that the desired changes do not get closer, but seem even further away? Fatigue for everyone involved is inevitable.

Connecting, respecting, learning, empowering

And that's exactly the difference with NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement®. We are not “doing to” or “doing for” the child. Instead we use our embodied, relational presence to connect with the child and assess where they are at the moment. We identify the nature of their developmental impasse, and envision how we can meet them exactly where they are — in each unfolding moment. We let go of any pre-determined agenda or timetable (our own or of the parents).

The child is a full participant in gentle and pleasurable movement sequences. Instead of being “done to”, they experience the connection, the respect, the shifts, and real empowerment: “Wow I really can learn something new and useful”. That is, they are feeling good about themselves, and therefore learning. Neuroplasticity is happening. Instead of fatigue, kids and parents are typically enlivened by the learning and shifts elicited by these Experiential Movement Lessons.

Not a one-off, but opening a learning process

Even better, this is not a temporary learning. Once the child really experiences a shift, they use that new awareness in their daily life. When the child goes home, the child's brain is still “plastic”, meaning open to new connections. They wake up the next day in a new way, feeling different and with new sensations.

Such an outcome is less likely when going to someone who manipulates or “trains” an unreceptive child for 45 minutes or an hour, according to some rigid protocol, and then it's over. But after each Experiential Movement Lesson it is not over, it is just beginning as we help open the child's inborn capacity for neural plasticity and curiosity for more learning.

Experiential Movement Lesson Intensives

Neurotypical children tend to be doing this neural mapping and making new connections on their own. But we have to help the child with special needs to grow their awareness and make the new connections they can not yet find by themselves. I have worked with many hundreds of children with severe challenges of various kinds, and I have seen them learning to roll, to crawl, to stand, and to walk. They are not fatigued, but excited. Their parents are thrilled.

Usually we work by giving Lesson “intensives”, for example two Experiential Movement Lessons per day over four or five days. In this way the child has the intensity and the opportunity to learn in a very different way.

And then we take a break, as it is important for the child to have time to integrate and more fully experience their new accomplishments and sensations. We tell parents to give the child and themselves some space, instead of running from one appointment to the other. No stress or fatigue here! And then parent and practitioner determine next steps based on the child’s shifts and needs.

What to look for in a movement educator for your child with developmental challenges

You want to look for practitioners and mentors who understand neural mapping and neuroplasticity, and can help elicit your child's native learning process through gentle movement. Don't be shy about asking a practitioner about their training, experience, and how they envision eliciting your own child's native learning process.

Notice your child's reaction to a particular modality or practitioner. Are they participating? Are they interested and curious for more? Do you see them shifting, even if in subtle ways? If you are feeling fatigued or see the child resisting or closing down, it is a good bet this is not the best choice.

Once you find what seems to be a good "fit", stick with that modality or practitioner for a while. Do not mix multiple modalities in an attempt to "cover the bases" — you will have a hard time discerning which approach is actually helping or hindering your child. Among modalities there can be contradictions and opposing information — for the moment such mixed messages will not be helpful for either the child or for you.

Over time you will know if your choice is working for the child. You will see the shifts and progress. If you don't see that, it may be time to move on. Naturally, I am biased toward my own NeuroHorizons graduates and their unique education, skill, and embodied, relational presence connecting with the kids :)

"Tummy Time" for my infant?
Or more time on their back?
You may be surprised!

Let's be mindful about everything the infant is learning when freely exploring on their back!

You can watch the video on the landing page

Should I impose “tummy time” on my infant? Or just let them freely explore on their back until they find their own way onto their belly?

I'm Sylvia Leiner Shordike of NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement®. I want to talk to you about “tummy time”. I know this is a very interesting subject for a lot of young parents.

Parents are told often to put their infant on the belly, starting already at three weeks old sometimes. The idea is that will help the infant to gain strength, and that it will help the development of the infant.

Should I impose “tummy time” on my infant? Or just let them freely explore on their back until they find their own way onto their belly?

I'm Sylvia Leiner Shordike of NeuroHorizons® Experiential Movement®. I want to talk to you about “tummy time”. I know this is a very interesting subject for a lot of young parents.

Parents are told often to put their infant on the belly, starting already at three weeks old sometimes. The idea is that will help the infant to gain strength, and that it will help the development of the infant.

Well, I would like to invite you to think about it differently. The key question I am asking you to think about? At this early age, what exactly is the infant learning when placed by the parent on the belly, compared to what she would be learning if she were instead freely exploring on her back?

These are important questions. Here I will be using videos of children and also of myself as a model. I hope these will help you be mindful about how the baby learns on her back some key developmental steps in ways that are not available when she is on the belly.

For those of you who don’t have the time to watch this short video, here are some key takeaways.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

These baby videos show how neurotypical infants will naturally learn by themselves to roll onto their belly, sometimes sooner, sometimes later. The infant learns this when they are feeling skilled enough, safe, and ready. They feel this AFTER they have spent lots of time on their back on the floor — they have fully engaged in neural mapping and activated their native learning process in ways that cannot happen on the belly.

On their back the baby is:

* Learning weight-shifting from side to side while developing a dynamic core;

* Learning to orient themselves in space and relate to gravity;

* Learning to roll the pelvis;

* Learning to flex, round, rotate, and twist the spine;

* Developing and integrating the flexor, extensor, and side muscles;

* Learning to roll the head, with the head in constant motion (no flat head);

* Learning to lift the head through the spine;

* Developing a mobile sternum and chest, with free breathing;

* Developing eyesight and focus (exploring hands and feet);

* All leading to ease, agency, curiosity, and the infant’s exploration of new options such as creeping and crawling.

* These are all building blocks — “simple” movements that allow for increasing complexity of movement and an optimal development.

A baby prematurely placed on their belly:

By contrast, when the infant is placed by the adult on their belly BEFORE they have learned to get there by themselves, neural mapping and the native learning process can be constrained, delayed, or even blocked altogether:

* The baby who is plopped down on their belly by the adult does not understand how they got there. In this position they are essentially stuck — they cannot freely move their head, shift their weight from side to side, breathe freely, or explore.

* The infant cannot yet fully engage or organize their muscles. They cannot lift the legs, arms, or head — this necessary organization is only learned later AFTER their weight-shifting exploration that is possible when on their back and sides.

* Random movement is limited, so neural mapping is limited, and the native learning process is constrained. The baby is not at ease or feeling safe or joyful.

* The “simple” building blocks for increasing complexity and optimal development are not available in this prematurely imposed and constrained position on the tummy.

In short:

It’s about the QUALITY of the child’s movement experiences, NOT formulas, protocols, and timelines.

The key is HOW the child arrives at a new milestone, not WHEN.

THE INFANT'S FREE RANDOM MOVEMENT ON THEIR BACK

= NEURAL MAPPING

= LEARNING

= AN OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORY

Our task and challenge is to allow the child’s native learning process to unfold on its own unique timeline.

This maximizes neural mapping and optimizes the child’s developmental trajectory. Unconstrained time on the back on the floor is critical to this development.

Baby devices for my infant —
help or hindrance?

How some popular baby devices may not promote the infant's optimal learning and development

You can watch the video on the landing page

Should I use seemingly practical and convenient baby devices for my infant? Or instead let my baby freely explore on the floor?

I'm Sylvia Leiner Shordike of NeuroHorizons. I want to talk to you a little bit about how some popular devices for infants may not always support the child's native learning process and optimal developmental trajectory.

In the video I take you on a speedy "time-lapse" tour of how a neurotypical infant goes from exploring on their back, to rolling, to creeping, to crawling, to sitting, to squatting, to standing, and to walking. This natural development happens over the first year or more of life (depending on the child) to achieve independent standing and walking.

We call this natural progression “neural mapping”, meaning the brain, nervous system and body are all talking to each other, learning, and organizing themselves for optimal action.

Free floor time = neural mapping = optimal development

And for neurotypical infants, this mapping and development largely take place on the floor. Every minute you allow your infant to be on the floor, freely exploring seemingly random movements, your baby is feeling and experiencing itself in relation to its environment and to gravity. Your baby is fully engaged in neural mapping, meaning it is naturally organizing and integrating its brain and nervous system and body for optimal movement and action.

In other words, through movement, weight shifting and transitioning from one position to another on the floor, your baby is learning exactly what and when it needs in order to arrive at each next step of its developmental journey. It is not about how fast an infant comes to the next milestone. It's about how a child comes to the next milestone.

Observe your infant and think about what happens to them when they are constrained in an unnatural and fixed position

What is the infant learning when it gets put into chairs or swings that constrain the child in the sitting position before they know how to come into and out of sitting by themselves?

Or gets put into one of those standers that force them into an upright position, before they know how to come to stand independently by themselves?

Or gets put into bouncers before the child's brain and nervous system have any ability to organize jumping?

Or is strapped into one of those clickable car seats, getting repeatedly clicked in and out between car and stroller? The parent never has to take the baby out of the seat.

You can see how with many of these devices the baby may not be able to move very much at all, for a very long time — far too long.

"Convenience" and "practicality" versus healthy, optimal development

Now, all these baby devices may at first seem very convenient and practical, both for the parent and for the infant to be more upright, such that baby can look around and see mommy more eye-to-eye.

However, at this early stage of life, the infant's brain and nervous system have not yet learned to organize the movements and functions of sitting, standing, jumping or bouncing. The infant has not yet worked through the sequential, layered, progressive movements required for those developmental milestones. There has been no neural mapping of those skills.

If the child is too much in a device, they don't learn to navigate gravity to achieve weight shifting or transitioning. They don't learn to organize their head and pelvis and limbs throughout their spine (please see my earlier description of the dynamic core). They don’t learn to envision and execute their intentions. They're simply held by the device in a fixed position.

In other words, these devices may seem "convenient" or even fun, but there is no neural mapping happening that is useful for the child. To the contrary, a device may actually interrupt and hinder the native learning and development of the child.

Your child as dependent, passive spectator? Or active, creative, independent explorer?

Finally, baby devices can train a baby to want to be in fixed positions. Once a child is put intentionally upright in a device, they do not want to be creatively exploring on the floor anymore. Instead, they now want to be able to look around from an upright, high position to see what mommy and the family and the dog are all doing.

Put another way, many of these devices are training the child to be a passive spectator, rather than actively mapping and developing their own brain and nervous system by freely moving and exploring on the floor. This may have lasting consequences for many areas of the child's life.

In short:

I encourage you to be very mindful of what these devices are actually doing to the native learning process of the child.

In the meantime, give your infant all the time they need on the floor, freely exploring and integrating and mapping their young brain and nervous system.

And if you have any concerns that your child may be facing develpmental delays or challenges, there are neuroplasticity-based movement educators around the world who may be able to help:

www.NeuroConnect.world

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