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Jumping vs Falling - How to see the difference
This is a critical distinction, and should be used in sports medicine, pediatric PT, neurology, and astronautics. Let's define the difference clearly with Movement Intelligence Insight:
"Jumping Off" ≠"Falling Off" — Even If It Looks the Same
To the untrained eye, both the girl and the neurotypical boy "jump off the box." But their internal forces of movement — and what the body must do to recover from those forces — are fundamentally different.
What You See on the Outside:
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Arms lift
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Feet leave the ground
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Bodies descend and land
But you (and now I) see the forces that make or break future function.
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 Applied Force Variation on Landing:
Girl:
- Falls due to linear gravity dominance
- Has no coil to catch gravity
- Recovery =Â restarting from the bottom
- Takes longer to get up, requiring torque from arms, neck, and hip flexors (not spine)
Boy:
- Lands due to planned gravitation...
Tummy Time and Important Cranial Movements
Why does tummy time matter?
Because it's the first time your baby experiences breath-supported spinal lift, cranial articulation, and rotational skeletal buoyancy — all in gravity.
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 From the Chin Out
The chin doesn't just lift the head. It activates cranial counter-rotation, jaw-to-tailbone vectoring, and sets the stage for oral-motor sequencing (speech, swallowing, feeding). "The jaw is gravity in. The tailbone is gravity out." This early dynamic links posture, reflexes, and even sensory processing. No fused skull? That's a feature, not a flaw. Unfused cranial plates allow buoyancy-based adjustments that fuel milestone gains.
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 Struggles with speech, vision, or feeding?
Often trace back to missing skeletal inputs in early tummy time. This isn't about strength. It's about setup.
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 Want to assess your baby's tummy time function?
 Join our course or upload a short clip for a personalized movement read.
Catching the Vision
Integrating Visual Engagement with Physical Support in Children
The Hidden Impact of Hospitalization on Infant Cranial Movement
Cranial Movement Isn't Just About the Brain
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Were t...
Cranial and Sucking Complications from Hospitalization
These stills show a premature infant undergoing what appears to be a suck reflex assessment in a NICU setting. Even in photos, valuable insight can be gathered about rotational initiation, tone distribution, visual tracking attempts, and overall system engagement.
 Neuromotor Engagement
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Facial Tension & Tone: The baby's expressions suggest a strong sympathetic response (crying, high tone in the face, furrowed brow), which is common when rotational input or sensory pressure is not integrated throughout the body—especially the occipital and cranial plates.
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Suck Reflex Activation: In later frames, there's a visible oral rooting/suck response triggered by finger insertion. However, the neck remains hyperextended, indicating the suck is isolated—not yet integrated with spinal elongation or facial release. This often signals segmental delay.
 Rotational Axis & Rib Cage Movement
Monkey Bars + Midline
 Why He Can Monkey Bar in Same-Side Patterns but Not Cross Midline
1. Visual Midline as the Gatekeeper
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The visual midline is the invisible vertical line that divides the left and right visual fields.
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For contralateral (right–left–right) monkey bar movement, his eyes must cross the vertical midline to spot and prepare for the next opposite-side bar.
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In his current pattern, the eyes anchor to one side — they stay fixed in the same hemisphere — so the brain never gets the signal to rotate the chest (sternum) through center.
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The result is a locked visual field, which keeps movement on the same side:
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Left hand releases → left hand grabs next bar → repeat
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Right hand releases → right hand grabs next bar → repeat
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Prematurity Part 2 of 2: Touch Interaction & Response
Infant Status:Â Premature (gestational age unknown; observed in NICU environment)
Observation Basis:Â Still-frame sequence of hands-on interaction
 
1. Nature of Touch Observed
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Forehead Tapping:Â Multiple instances of direct, repeated tapping or pressing on the forehead midline.
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Chest Skin Manipulation:Â Visible stretching or lifting of the skin over the sternum and rib cage.
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Facial & Head Handling:Â Direct contact to the nose bridge, forehead, and scalp with moderate pressure.
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Upper Limb Manipulation:Â Arms are held in extended positions; no swaddling or flexion containment present during interaction.
2. Physiological Considerations for Premature Infants
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Immature skin barrier:Â Prone to mechanical irritation and overstimulation from friction/stretching.
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High tactile sensitivity:Â Excessive or abrupt touch can trigger stress responses.
Prematurity Part 1 of 2: Developmental Movement Availability
Infant Status:Â Premature (gestational age unknown; observed in NICU setting)
Observation Basis:Â Still frames from the video sequence
 
1. Head & Neck Control
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Observation:Â The infant displays minimal ability to stabilize the head independently. When supported at the base of the skull, head position drifts with gravity, indicating immature cervical extensor and flexor activation.
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Developmental Note: Consistent with very early corrected age (<34–36 weeks). Midline head control is still developing.
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Potential Readiness Indicators:Â Brief moments of chin tuck and eye-level gaze when externally supported.
2. Limb Posture
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Observation:Â Arms and legs are primarily extended away from the midline, with occasional mild flexion at elbows and hips. Hands show intermittent fisting and open-palm movement.
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Developmental Note:Â Extension-dominant posture suggests tone immaturity; preterm infants of this stage benefit from facilitated fl...
Understanding Your Baby's Milestone Progression: A Guide for Parents by Movement Lesson™
Decoding Milestone Timelines
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Optimal to Typical Development: Your baby is hitting milestones every 4 weeks. This is a fantastic pace, indicating your little one is thriving and developing optimally!
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Typical to Atypical Development: Your baby is hitting milestones every 6 weeks. This falls within the typical range, suggesting your baby is progressing steadily and on track.
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Atypical of Developmental Delays:Â Your...
What Is Functional Vision? Why It Matters More Than You Think
When people hear “vision,” most think about one thing: glasses. Do you need them or not?
But vision is more than 20/20. In fact, most of what we do as humans relies not on clarity of sight, but on how we function with our vision. That’s where functional vision comes in.
 What Is Functional Vision?
Functional vision is how a person uses their eyes to take in, process, and respond to their environment — and how that vision integrates with movement, learning, and development.
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 Environmental Complexity: Why Glasses Aren’t the Whole Story
If I place a simple pair of glasses against a complex background, you might struggle to see them. Now imagine what that’s like for a child with vision challenges.
It’s not about bad eyesight. It’s about how the brain processes the visual environment:
   •   Can the child handle indoor light but struggles outside?
   •   Do they freeze in busy rooms or open spaces?
   •   Are they OK at home but overwhelmed at school?
This is the start of ori...