For Professionals

Professionals who work with infants recognize that early sensory input, motor development, and primitive reflex integration form the foundation of long-term neurological development.

Best Beginnings is an evidence-informed infant massage and movement program designed to help parents provide specific touch and movement experiences that support healthy neurological development.

Many parents first discover infant massage as a way to bond with and soothe their Baby. Best Beginnings builds on that starting point and guides families through a simple developmental sequence:

Touch supports Baby’s ability to move their body.

Movements become more complex as Baby’s brain learns and grows.

Primitive Reflexes integrate through both specific touch and movements.

Why I Created Best Beginnings

As a pregnancy and pediatric chiropractor, I have had the privilege of caring for more than 1,000 infants over the past 25 years in clinical practice. In addition, for more than 20 years I have taught infant massage to new parents, helping them learn practical ways to support their baby’s development through touch.

Several years ago, after completing additional training in primitive reflex integration, I realized that I had been living with retained primitive reflex patterns and that they had likely influenced aspects of my own learning in school.

As I began helping children in my practice who were experiencing learning challenges through primitive reflex integration exercises, I came to an important realization. If retained primitive reflexes can influence coordination, regulation, and learning later in childhood, then supporting healthy reflex development should begin much earlier — during infancy.

This insight led me to combine what I had learned about early neurological development with the benefits of infant massage to create Best Beginnings — a massage and movement program that teaches parents simple ways to support their baby’s development, primitive reflex integration, and nervous system regulation at home.

Parents are eager to support their baby’s development, but they often need clear guidance on what to do and when to do it. By helping children build strong neurological foundations early in life, we can support their ability to move, regulate, and learn more easily as they grow.

The foundation of Best Beginnings is built on five key areas of early development:

The Five Pillars of Healthy Brain Development

Illustration of the Five Pillars of Healthy Brain Development—Touch, Movement, Primitive Reflexes, Rhythm and Sound, and Sensory Play—showing how each pillar supports Baby’s growth, learning, and emotional connection

Best Beginnings is built on five interconnected pillars that reflect important components of early neurological development.

Each pillar builds upon the one before it, creating a deliberate developmental sequence:

  • Touch establishes sensory stability.

  • Movement organizes the sensory-motor system.

  • Primitive Reflex Integration develops through specific movement patterns.

  • Rhythm and Sound support both stimulation and regulation.

  • Sensory Play supports higher-level learning and exploration.

The result is a program that supports neurological development while remaining accessible, engaging, and realistic for families to follow through with.

Touch – Foundational Tactile Input

Touch helps Baby learn about their body. Intentional infant massage provides structured stimulation that supports bonding, relaxation, autonomic regulation, early sensory processing, and digestive comfort.

Movement – Sensory-Motor Organization

Organized movement stimulates important neurological pathways. Movement supports postural control, coordination, and cortical organization while activating the proprioceptive and vestibular systems.

The program emphasizes the importance of floor-based mobility, tummy time, and intentional movement patterns to help improve Baby’s ability to move in all directions.

Primitive Reflex Integration – Functional Maturation

Primitive reflex integration develops through coordinated touch and movement patterns. The program is designed to encourage the kinds of sensory and movement patterns that contribute to healthy primitive reflex integration.

If you are interested in learning more about retained primitive reflexes and how they may influence movement and learning, please visit our Retained Primitive Reflex page.

Rhythm and Sound – Regulatory Reinforcement

Patterned sensory input further supports nervous system regulation, auditory processing, and early communication pathways.

In the program we give parents many ideas on how to incorporate sound and rhythm in Baby’s day.

Sensory Play – Adaptive Integration

Structured and unstructured sensory experiences promote brain development, body awareness, and help Baby learn to adapt to their environment.

Many parents simply need permission to let Baby explore — and sometimes that means making a mess.

The program provides families with many ideas for creating varied and fun sensory experiences at home.

Why Early Integration Matters

As the brain matures, voluntary movement helps to integrate primitive reflexes. Sometimes this process does not occur as completely as expected. When reflexes remain active longer than intended, they may influence posture, coordination, emotional regulation, and learning.

Many children and adults may continue to show signs of retained primitive reflexes.

For example, retained reflex patterns have been associated with challenges such as:

  • poor balance or coordination

  • difficulty sitting still

  • challenges with handwriting or reading

  • increased sensory sensitivity

  • difficulty with attention and regulation

Because many pediatric patients struggle in school, professionals are increasingly interested in how early sensory and movement experiences may support healthy neurological development.

If you would like to learn more about retained primitive reflexes and their potential influence on neurological development, please visit our Retained Primitive Reflex page.

How Professionals Can Use Best Beginnings in Clinical Practice

Best Beginnings is designed to complement clinical care, not replace it.

The program helps parents understand how touch, movement, and sensory experiences support Baby’s development between visits.

Professionals often use Best Beginnings to:

  • Encourage meaningful touch and movement experiences at home

  • Reinforce sensory-motor development between visits

  • Help parents understand primitive reflex development

  • Support Baby’s development of movement, coordination, and regulation

Professional Resources for Your Clinical Practice

Clinics may choose to:


Educational updates and resources are shared regularly through Best Beginnings professional channels. To keep current, please follow us at:

Instagram: @bestbeginningsinfantmassage
Facebook: Best Beginnings

References

  1. Piper, M. C., & Darrah, J. (1994). Motor Assessment of the Developing Infant. W.B. Saunders.

  2.   Heidenreich, S. (2021). Understanding primitive reflexes: How they impact child development and intervention strategies for integration. Retrieved June 15, 2025 from https://www.occupationaltherapy.com/articles/understanding-primitive-reflexes-they-impact-5409 

  3. Harkla. (2021). The ultimate guide to retained primitive reflexes. Retrieved June 15, 2025 from https://harkla.co/blogs/special-needs/what-are-primitive-reflexes

  4. Blomberg Rhythmic Movement Training Canada. (n.d.). Reflexes. Retrieved June 15, 2025 from https://brmtcanada.com/blomberg-rhythmic-movement-training/reflexes/ 

  5. Davis, Jenna. Pediatric Development course. The Connection between brain, behaviour and body. https://www.babyboomcreations.ca