Feeling Safe, Capable, and Connected: A Sensorimotor Approach to Dynamic Posture Control
September 12 - September 13
Live In-Person Course
Our earliest developmental experiences, including the sensorimotor and relational components, feed the expression of posture and our quality of movement. These fundamental experiences not only contribute to the external, observable aspects of posture, but also one’s sense of self-competence in the development of the physical “me” in the field of gravity and in relationship to another. In some instances, the combination of key sensorimotor and relational components do not align to support the unfolding of stability, mobility, and freedom of expression through movement. This lack of postural integrity can negatively impact the development of fine motor, gross motor, postural attention for higher-level learning, and our ability to fully engage with the people and events around us.
As therapists, we must train our eyes to recognize, through key clinical observations, when these early foundations for posture and movement are disrupted. Furthermore, by understanding the unfolding of the developmental sequence and the key sensorimotor inputs therapists will be better equipped to design and implement tailored interventions necessary for the development of adaptive posture and physical expression of emotion.
This course will explore the developmental unfolding of posture, starting with the dynamic merging of sensations with key primary movement patterns to form our early physical base through the later development of anti-gravity skill, bilateral integration, and organized actions of relating in time and space. A combination of lecture, video examples, and experiential labs will be included throughout the course to further participants’ understanding of the developmental sequence and sensorimotor components of postural development and the affective, qualitative aspects of movement.
This course is sponsored by an outside organization and all registrations are managed through their organization. You may register via the following Registration Form. Please contact Advanced Pediatric Therapies with any questions: 360-885-4684.
Vital Links does not manage registrations for this course.
Location
Vancouver, Washington
Schedule
Day 1: Friday, September 12, 2025
Day 2: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Instructors
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Recognize how posture is the byproduct of optimal sensory processing and the unfolding of key developmental movement patterns.
- Identify three treatment strategies that support the release of defensive tension patterns and the regulation of physiological arousal.
- Understand how the development of anti-gravity postural control contributes to our perception of body in space as an essential foundation for the development of all higher-level motor, perceptual, cognitive, and affect regulation.
- Recognize the overlap between postural development and affective expression.
- Identify three structured and unstructured clinical observations that inform a clinically reasoned approach to treatment.