Primitive Reflexes – Miss Jaime, O.T.

Sleep for Sensory Kids

Miss Jaime — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 20:53:51 +0000

Tips For Your Sensory Kid to Help Them GET TO Sleep and STAY Asleep

I don’t have to convince anyone how important sleep is! Children may have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep—especially those with sensory processing issues. When sleep is difficult for the child, it ends up impacting the WHOLE family. I’m sure tired parents can relate that if your child isn’t sleeping, they will wake you up, and you won’t sleep either. How can we all function the next day on little to no sleep?

Sleep is one of the most important things we can do to improve our health and well-being. For our sensory kids, it is essential to get GOOD sleep because that is where their brains will rest and repair. The brain won’t be able to change if the body can’t shut down and sleep. Poor sleep negatively affects almost every area of functioning and development. The sensory input a child receives during the day will have little to no effect if the body is not well-rested from adequate sleep. Once kids’ sleep improves and their brains rest and repair, they function at a higher level, making it easier to learn, grow, and develop.

Tips to get your child sleeping

Be consistent. Pick a bedtime and stick with it. Also, say no to sweets and caffeine too close to bedtime because that will stimulate your child and their body into thinking that they should be awake, making bedtime that much harder on you and your child.

Try Rhythmic Movements daily before bedtime. These movements replicate the brain-and-body’s own innate system for development.Be sure to get training; we fully recommend MovePlayThrive.com’s Brain & Sensory Course. Learn more: see side panel!

Limit the electronics before bedtime. That means computers,tablets, television, and phones. That can be difficult because sometimes a T.V. show can be a part of the
evening routine, and that is fine. Just don’t let it be a part of your bedtime routine. Screens emit blue light that stimulates a part of the brain that inhibits the release of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps us get sleepy in response to darkness.

Check out your environment. Take a step back and observe your environment. Is the TV on too loud? Is music playing in the background? If there is a lot of noise and bright lights, that can be overstimulating. Change the environment to help calm your sensory child down. Limit the volume on the TV or provide headphones to your older kids. Dim the lights or use lamps. You can even play some soft, calming music you might hear in a spa. Remember, all of the noise and lights will impact your child’s sleep cycle, and those natural hormones like melatonin will have a more challenging time being released in their body.

Try Lycra Sheets. You can find compression sheets on Amazon. Here is one link (see link to the right). It is a super stretchy material where your child will feel super tucked in and snug. This can produce a calming sensation that will make your child sleepy and get them to sleep much faster!

Try a weighted blanket. You can find them on Amazon (see to the right). It is a blanket that has extra weight to provide additional pressure to your child. This pressure will help calm their nervous system and can be very soothing. A calm and relaxed child will help them get sleepy. Be sure to order the right size for your child’s weight.

Learn about Rhythmic Movements in MovePlayThrive's BRAIN & SENSORY FOUNDATIONS COURSE

The Brain and Sensory Foundations®
course gives you comprehensive training and is loaded with bonus resources. Guidance and support to ensure your success using neurodevelopmental movements. Empower yourself with tools for sleep, ADHD, sensory disorders, anxiety, speech,learning, self-regulation, physical challenges, and stress release. Powerful tools that spark transformation for all ages!

Learn More about Brain & Sensory Foundations®

About the Author

Amanda Spielberg is a pediatric occupational therapist working in a District 75 school in Queens for the Department of Education. She graduated from Touro College in 2016 and has experience working with preschool and school-age children. She has been a Miss Jaime OT team member since 2018 but has known Jaime before she started her career in occupational therapy. She has observed and learned so much from Jaime, shaping the way she has navigated her career in OT so far. Amanda grew up being diagnosed with a learning disability and understands the struggles that children experience in schools today. This is why she is passionate about helping children succeed in all areas of development.

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Student Spotlight: Courtney Ng

Miss Jaime — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 19:01:31 +0000

Here’s another “Student Spotlight” that I am so excited to share with you!

Courtney Ng, MS, OTR/L purchased the Brain & Sensory Course that I LOVE, and her feedback blew me away!

We’re giving you a lot of information, from various sources, because we want you to have the facts you need to pursue making the investment for the kids (and adults!) in your life.

Miss Jaime also addresses a recent, relevant article from OT Practice Magazine. Be sure to catch that in the video below.

Here's Courtney's full quote:

“Thank you immensely for this course. I have been a school based Occupational Therapist for 24 years, and this course, more than any other I’ve taken through the years, has truly revolutionized the way I conduct my therapy sessions, and even the way I look at therapy more broadly. It has shown me the “why” for the dysfunction I see in my students and given me a way to work on basic sensory motor skills in addition to top down skills that I think have been very beneficial for my students.”
Courtney Ng, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist, KC, MO Public Schools

Quick Links to The Good Stuff!

Get the Free Gift: Reflexes Chart

Before and After Gallery

Inspiring Case Studies Index

Choosing a Primitive Reflex Integration Program

More about Brain and Sensory Course!

Learn more about the course at: MissJaimeOT.com/MovePlayThrive

MORE ABOUT COURTNEY NG, MS, OTR/L

Courtney Ng, MS, OTR/L graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from William Jewell College and an M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. She has more than 23 years of experience as an Occupational therapist with the Kansas City, Missouri Public Schools, providing engaging therapy in a diverse urban school system while advocating for students with a variety of physical, social-emotional, language, economic and cognitive challenges that impact their functioning within the learning environment. Mrs. Ng also serves as the staff mentor for new therapists and is a member of the trauma-sensitive team for the district.

Click Here TO WATCH THE VIDEO FROM THE FOUNDER OF MOVE pLAY tHRIVE

OR GO TO: MISSJAIMEOT.COM/3KEYS

Sonia Story is the founder of MovePlayThrive.com and the Brain and Sensory Foundations® courses. She is passionate about rhythmic movements, and an expert in neurodevelopmental movement. She shares so much information in this free, on-demand webinar.

What did you think?

Please comment below!

Hear a Mom's Perspective

Recently, we had another rave review with exciting outcomes from Sonya Primo, who is also a physical therapy practitioner, who not only saw amazing results in her young son, but also uses these rhythmic movements with her geriatric patients! ♥

Mom & PTP Sonia Primo's Video

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5 Primitive Reflexes that Impact Pencil Grasp

Miss Jaime — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 18:05:19 +0000

A bunch of people emailed us and asked on social media:

“What causes an inefficient pencil grasp, anyway?”

There’s no easy answer to this one.

A few reasons for an inefficient or maladaptive pencil grasp are:

Overexposure or increased access to writing and drawing activities before a child is developmentally ready
Anatomy – such as poor hand strength, low muscle tone, or lax ligaments
Sensory processing – such as tactile defensiveness of the hands, or avoidance of the feeling of pencil on paper

And, a reason that may surprise you…

Primitive reflexes that haven’t naturally gone away (integrated)

There are actually five (5) different reflexes that impact a child’s grasping pattern. Here they are!

Keep in mind, every child needs to be observed to see what’s what for each individual case.

Freebie: Possible Long-term Effects of Unitegrated Infant Reflexes

Learn more about primitive reflexes

I’ll send you a simple 6-page handout—straight to your email inbox—that will be your go-to resource for possible long-term effects of unintegrated infant reflexes.

This resource is provided courtesy of MovePlayThrive.com.

Click Here

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The Benefits of Rhythmic Movements

Miss Jaime — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 15:12:28 +0000

Tune into a panel discussion by three experts in their own fields (OT, PT, and SLP) as they discuss primitive reflex integration. I think you’ll be amazed!

tune into the panel discussion for a limited time

Scroll to the bottom for the Video!

Are you ever frustrated trying to help a child who just can’t seem to regulate?
Do you ever “walking on eggshells” with a child who has anxiety, meltdowns, and angry outbursts?
Would you love to help children with self-regulation, focus, and learning in ways that are enjoyable and noticeably effective?

The brainstem can be organized with simple, repetitive rhythmic movements. This can help children make huge gains in physical, emotional, speech, social, and cognitive skills.

The Brain and Sensory Foundations® course is in-depth and comprehensive. It gives you innate rhythmic movements, reflex integration, playful developmental movements, and much more. These brain-based movements release stress and build the foundations for sensory processing and functional skills.

If we want our children to focus, develop strength, achieve stillness, grow emotionally, and learn with ease—then we need to provide the innate movements that are already designed to effectively de-stress and optimize the brain, body, and sensory systems. You can learn more in the free on-demand webinar 3 Keys to Overcome Inattention, Anxiety, and Sensory Disorders (sign up below to watch it).

The results are outstanding, as you can see in the before and after gallery. WOW.

These tools work for teens and adults too!

Parents and therapists report measurable, far-reaching results. They’re especially delighted with the improvements they’re seeing for children and teens with sensory processing issues, anxiety, and learning challenges.

I recently had the opportunity to interview a Mom who is also a geriatric Physical Therapy Assistant. Sonya took the Brain and Sensory Foundations® course to help her son, who has high functioning autism and significant speech delays. In the video below, she tells us how after just 6 days, “the changes I saw were astounding”.

Her son was able to sit through dinner, tell her about his day and TOLERATE A HAIRCUT!

Rhythmic movements work! When you hear Sonya’s story, you may walk away with a new perspective altogether.

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Hear from a Mom & Geriatric PTA

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