Our brain as information systems
Our children’s brains are self-improving systems when given the right information. In a safe and nurturing environment, typically developing children make gradual progress on their own while their parents simply enjoy the time they spend together.
The developing child’s nervous system is able to put together information they have gained from their experiences (be it physical or emotional) and evolve. This is especially true when it comes to movement.
Parents of typically developing children generally do not feel the need to put their children through movement schools nor do they spoon feed them specific movements or positions such as sitting and standing with the goal that their children could learn to walk eventually.
However, when a child is faced with movement challenges, most of us are inclined to take the ‘missing piece’ of movement and practice that with our children in the hopes that they will learn to make it their own somehow.
Sometimes it works. Other times it doesn’t.
However, as a parent, have you ever paused to think: Is that the most effective way to learn to move, be it rolling, coming up to sit, standing or walking?
Our brains are information systems. Your child’s brain needs to be provided with the connecting pieces of movement information they need in order for them to achieve these specific actions on their own.
Children do this through trial and error, better known as practice.
Imitation of specific movements without the real understanding of how your body needs to be organized for effective action can only take you so far.
Remember your very FIRST yoga, exercise or dance class? When you tried so hard to do what the teacher said all the while feeling that sense of awkwardness in your body?
When you really experience and understand how it feels to move and how you do what you did, you will take on a whole new understanding of the organization that is required for you to move effectively, not just down the hall but also through life!
The same goes for your special needs child. They need lots of movement information, more so than typically developing children, for them to learn to move on their own.
Now that is real learning!
