Science behind functional outcomes: rhythm and the vestibular system
Since the inception of Therapeutic Listening® 23 years ago, I have had multiple conversations with therapists and parents alike questioning: How is it possible that filtered music can have such a widespread impact on functional outcomes? The answer to this question is rooted in the science behind music, rhythm, and the inner ear. As I think back to my initial experiences using…
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Meet Your Colleagues from Around the World
Wow! May and June were busy months at Vital Links! In this month’s newsletter, we wanted to highlight some of the visionary therapists from our recent travel to South Africa, Boston, and Malaysia. After spending quality time both in and out of the clinic, we were struck by each therapist’s passion and commitment to improving the lives of the people they serve…
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Sensory Modulation and Developmental Trauma (Part 2)
Last week in the clinic I evaluated a 3-year-old who so clearly validated, in my opinion, the strong links between sensory processing difficulties and trauma. Sensory processing and sensory integrative challenges are now being recognized in children who have developmental trauma- both from an overt traumatic experience and in children whose difficulties with sensory processing and sensory integration impact their overall perception…
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Sensory Modulation and Developmental Trauma
Our inborn fight, flight, freeze responses are automatic responses that help us cope when faced with dangerous situations. When we feel threatened, these subcortical mechanisms are triggered automatically. When triggered, our bodies experience an increase in physiological arousal and in muscular tension that hastens our ability to escape from the perceived threat, and or prepare our muscles to engage for fight. When…
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Reflex Integration into Function: Do primitive reflexes ever disappear?
We all enter the world with an innate set of hardwired primitive movement patterns that ensure our survival and help organize the development of our postural control— moving from rolling, sitting, crawling, and eventually walking. They also provide the basic neurological framework for the organization of our perceptual-motor development—how we perceive and, ultimately, act on our world. They are not a simple…
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