Drinking from a cup looks simple, but it is one of the most complex oral motor skills your child will learn in the first three years. Every sip asks the lips, tongue, jaw, and cheeks to work together, and in a different way for each type of cup. Understanding what
Have you ever watched your child struggle with balance, seem extra clumsy, avoid sports, constantly slouch, or get overwhelmed by movement activities and wondered, “Why does this seem so hard for them?” What if I told you that one possible reason could be a reflex that should have integrated years
From my own experience as a parent to a now 7-month-old, I know that it can be overwhelming to try and to make sure that your newborn is hitting developmental milestones. Instead of spending hours on the internet attempting to piece together facts, I wanted to write a blog today
Sometimes parents come to me wondering why their child avoids handwriting, chews on pencils constantly, seems messy when eating, or gets frustrated during tasks that require fine motor control. When I start piecing together those clues, one thing I may consider is whether a primitive reflex is still hanging around
If you’ve ever noticed your child fidgeting constantly in their seat, slumping over homework, or seeming extra sensitive to clothing around their waist—there may be something deeper going on neurologically. One piece of the puzzle could be the Spinal Galant reflex, a primitive reflex that should naturally integrate in early
A 4-part series Understanding Stage 1 What Is Gestalt Language Processing? Does your child repeat a phrase from their favorite TV show, sing a line from a song, or say something you heard them say earlier in the day? If so, you may be seeing Gestalt Language Processing (GLP). Some
For children with complex speech, language, and feeding disorders, the most transformative progress doesn’t happen by chance — it happens through an intentional, intensive partnership between clinician, child, and family. In more than 30 years of working as a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I have sat across from thousands of children
If you’ve ever seen your baby suddenly startle—arms flying out, fingers spread wide, maybe followed by a cry—you’ve witnessed the Moro reflex, often called the “startle reflex.” It’s completely normal in early infancy, but as your child grows, we want to see this reflex fade and integrate. When it doesn’t
Have you ever watched your child struggle with handwriting, lose their place while reading, or seem unusually clumsy compared to other kids their age? Maybe they avoid sports, lean their entire body when writing, or switch hands frequently during tasks. While these challenges can have many causes, one piece of
If you’ve ever felt like something about your child’s development just isn’t clicking, trust that instinct. Many parents discover reflex integration only after years of searching for answers — and suddenly everything makes sense. This blog is here to make that journey easier. We’ll talk about what reflexes are, why
As a pediatric occupational therapy practitioner, I often meet parents who are doing everything they can to help their child succeed-but still notice things like poor posture, trouble focusing, or difficulty with coordination. What many families don’t realize is that these challenges can sometimes be connected to something called a
As a Speech-Language Pathologist with over ten years in the field, I have had countless experiences seeing oral ties firsthand. I have learned how oral ties can potentially lead to a variety of issues down the road, including but not limited to: difficulty with milk transfer during breastfeeding, difficulty taking
