 |  You may have seen an NPR article circulating on FaceBook about the many dangers and injuries sustained by using infant walkers. It is an important read, and I encourage you to click on the picture or link to read the full article. |
In addition...
Besides the arguments/research/statistics listed in the article warning of the safety concerns surrounding infant walkers, I would like to add a NeuroMovement® perspective.
Please let them be!
Everyone learns to walk in his/her own unique way. We humans are a dynamic unbalance system (big, heavy head - small feet) which, evolutionarily speaking, gives us advantage over the tiger in the jungle chasing us. But, that is another story...
Please let them be!
Everyone learns to walk in his/her own unique way. We humans are a dynamic unbalance system (big, heavy head - small feet) which, evolutionarily speaking, gives us advantage over the tiger in the jungle chasing us. But, that is another story...
When you consider all the brain power it takes to learn how to balance ourselves in standing and then propel ourselves forward/backward/sideways/etc... it's truly amazing how we figure it all out! Have you ever thought about HOW we, in fact, figure it all out? Well, it all comes back to the brain, and movement. We stumble, we fall, we reach, we look, we desire, we watch.... we learn. Our brain needs massive amounts of information in order to put all the pieces together into the outcome of walking. Our brain also needs time to accumulate the massive amounts of information needed for walking. When artificial "help" is added, it diminishes the rich experience of figuring out how to stack your spine in order to balance in standing or move on your feet. Conversely, when allowed to explore freely this dynamic process of walking, we can create the neural pathways needed to walk in our own efficient, optimal way.
Consider a photograph. The more pixels, the sharper the image. Well, it's like that with the brain. The more connections (information) the more optimal/efficient the outcome (in this case standing or walking).
Consider a photograph. The more pixels, the sharper the image. Well, it's like that with the brain. The more connections (information) the more optimal/efficient the outcome (in this case standing or walking).
If we want well organized, confident, independent walkers.
Please let them:
Please let them:
| This video is a snippet of Nolan exploring coming to stand. |
When a child has special needs, this concept is the same! We all need new information to learn how to do anything. ABM lessons facilitate learning through the 9 Essentials of NeuroMovement® thus, creating ways to help our brains perceive differences and allowing the formation of the neural connections needed for desired outcomes. It's a brain thing!
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