Explore the vital role crawling plays in your child’s early development, shaping not just their physical abilities but also influencing cognitive and language skills. Learn how the Bridging® Technique at The Bridging Institute can assist infants facing crawling challenges due to various reasons and discover a heartwarming success story of baby Ryan crawling properly using this innovative technique.
As mothers of young children, you’re undoubtedly engrossed in every nuance of your child’s development. This week let’s delve into a topic that might seem basic but holds profound significance – crawling. It’s not just about movement; it’s about laying the groundwork for a lifetime of spatial awareness and cognitive development.
Crawling for Spatial Awareness:
Crawling is more than just a milestone; it’s the cornerstone for understanding spatial relationships. Once they can move about, babies learn to navigate their surroundings, creating paths and bypassing obstacles. Research indicates that the more varied the crawling environment, the richer the learning experience for both motor skills and cognitive ones.
Developmental Research Insights:
Drawing from the foundational book “Child Development” by Slater and Bremmer (1989), crawling extends beyond limb coordination. It significantly influences vocabulary development and conceptual language. Crawling helps internalize environmental relationships, turning visual images into meaningful experiences.
Bridging and Crawling Challenges:
Some infants face challenges in crawling due to various early developmental reasons which stem from skipped early micromovement development. This can happen when an infant needs medical support which sidelines the normal muscle development which would otherwise be happening. This can occur Specific challenges can occur when the baby was:
- born premature.
- spent time in the NICU.
- has torticollis or other muscle imbalances.
- had an early surgery.
Bridging, a technique developed specifically around fetal and infant movement development, has proven effective in specifically overcoming these hurdles, providing relief for both babies and parents.
Insight from Becki:
Becki Logan, Bridging® Specialist, Child Life Specialist, shares that Bridging work can begin as early as one week old. As intrinsic coordination falls into place, parents witness the joy of their children reaching developmental milestones without the need for home exercises.
What to Expect in a Bridging Session:
Sessions with babies involve assessing core movement continuity, limb movement, and overall symmetry. The beauty of the technique lies in the swift change as a child’s muscles learn to work harmoniously. The “homework” for babies? Natural play!
Client Story: Ryan’s Journey:
Laura, a nurse, and worried mother of Ryan who was both with torticollis, found relief from their Bridging sessions. After their first session, Ryan transformed into a calmer baby, progressing from an army crawl to a regular four-point crawl within days. Subsequent Bridging sessions have been fine-tuning his development, ensuring a seamless progression of milestones.
Bridging’s Role with getting Ryan on back on track.
Ryan, born with torticollis, illustrates how Bridging helps align core movements, providing balance for limbs, head, and core to work together effortlessly. After the first couple sessions, putting him on track, periodic sessions are about every 2-3 months, not weekly, to refine movement relationships as he grows. This ensures that he stays on track with continual development.
If you’ve been concerned about your little one’s developmental milestones, consider Bridging as a potential solution. The technique, designed for children, might just be the key to unlocking their full potential.
Here’s to fostering not just physical growth but a lifetime of confident, capable learners and movers! The Bridging Institute is located at 900 Skokie Blvd., Suite 115, Northbrook, IL 60062. Reach out by calling 847-390-8348.