NeuroMovement® for Children: How Gentle Brain-Based Therapy Helps Kids With Delays Thrive
If you’re searching for ways to help your child who’s experiencing developmental delays, you’re not alone — and you are absolutely not without options.
Parents today are handed a dizzying array of therapies, programs, and protocols, often accompanied by well-meaning but overwhelming advice. It’s easy to feel like you need to do everything, everywhere, all at once, or that if your child doesn’t fit into certain boxes, hope is limited.
Here’s what I want you to know:
Your child’s brain is capable of remarkable learning and change. And sometimes, the most effective approach is not to work harder, but to work smarter — and gentler.
This is where NeuroMovement® comes in.
As an Anat Baniel Method® NeuroMovement® practitioner here in Portland, OR, I work with children and families who are navigating these very questions. Let’s explore what NeuroMovement® is, how it works, and why so many parents are finding hope — even after trying everything else.
What Is NeuroMovement®?
NeuroMovement® is a brain-based approach that taps into the brain’s incredible capacity for change — known as neuroplasticity — through gentle, precise movement and attention.
Developed by Anat Baniel, NeuroMovement® builds on the understanding that movement is one of the brain’s primary tools for learning.
“Movement is the language of the brain.”
When we provide the brain with new, high-quality sensory information — delivered gently, safely, and with variation — it naturally begins to develop connections and form new neural pathways.
In a NeuroMovement lesson, we’re not forcing your child to practice skills or repeat tasks over and over. Instead, we’re inviting the brain to notice — to explore new possibilities through subtle, often playful movements that awaken learning at its source.
Simply put:
We create the conditions for your child’s brain to do what it was designed to do — adapt, grow, and learn.
How NeuroMovement® Is Different From Traditional Therapies
Many traditional therapies focus on skill acquisition: learning to sit, crawl, grasp, or speak. These are valuable goals. But sometimes, the brain may not yet have the internal map needed to organize these skills efficiently. When that happens, repetition can feel frustrating for both child and parent.
NeuroMovement® takes a different route.
Rather than drilling the brain to perform the end result, we gently support the brain in building the infrastructure that allows the skill to emerge. It’s not about forcing the brain to drive faster on bumpy roads — it’s about building better roads altogether.
Some key differences:
Process over repetition: We focus on creating new neural connections, not practicing the same task repeatedly.
Safety first: The child’s comfort is central. A calm, regulated nervous system learns far better than one under stress.
Whole child approach: We don’t isolate body parts or specific deficits. Every part of your child — physical, cognitive, emotional — is included.
Gentle doesn’t mean passive: These movements are purposeful, precise, and highly stimulating for the brain — but in a way that feels safe and enjoyable.
Who Can Benefit From NeuroMovement®?
I work with children facing a wide variety of challenges, including but not limited to diagnosis of:
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Genetic conditions
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
Developmental delays (with or without a formal diagnosis)
Prematurity or birth trauma
What all these children share isn’t a diagnosis — it’s a learning brain that can be supported to function at its very best.
Why Gentle Movement Helps the Brain Learn
One of the most common questions parents ask is, "Can something so gentle really help?"
The answer is a resounding yes — precisely because of how the brain works.
When a child is relaxed, curious, and comfortable, their brain shifts into a state that’s highly receptive to learning. The nervous system isn’t spending energy bracing against discomfort or anxiety — it’s free to explore, sense, and adapt.
Through slow, varied, and carefully guided movements, the brain receives new information about how the body moves, feels, and functions.
These rich, high-quality inputs allow the brain to:
Recognize all the elements of their physical bodies
Recognize patterns
Form new neural pathways
Improve organization and coordination
Access new solutions to movement challenges
Progress may not always look linear — but it is real, meaningful, and often surprisingly fast once the brain has better information to work with.
Real Stories of Hope and Progress
Let me share a glimpse into what’s possible.
One of my young clients came to me after experiencing an hypoxic event (lack of oxygen) at birth, leaving her with a brain injury. When we began our work, she had significant delays and was often overwhelmed by her environment.
In just a few short sessions, her mother watched as she became more engaged, less distressed, and began experimenting with new sounds and movements. Where repetition had once caused frustration, gentle exploration opened doors to new capabilities.
These transformations don’t come from forcing the child to do more — they come from helping the brain discover how to do things differently.
Next Steps – How to Get Started
If you’re curious whether NeuroMovement® may be a fit for your child, I invite you to connect.
👉 Book a Free Discovery Call — a virtual meeting or a phone call
I offer in-person NeuroMovement® sessions in Portland, Oregon, and would be honored to learn more about your child and your family’s journey.
You don’t need to have all the answers today.
Sometimes, the first step is simply a conversation.
There Is Always Hope
No child’s future can be fully predicted by a diagnosis or a milestone chart. The brain is dynamic, adaptable, and full of potential — at every stage.
If you’ve been searching for something different — something that works with your child’s brain rather than against it — NeuroMovement® offers a gentle, science-backed, and deeply hopeful path forward.
Anat Baniel Method® NeuroMovement® is an Innovative, Gentle, brain-based, intervention to help your child build brain connections and live their life to the fullest!
Are you looking for in-person (Portland, ORegon) or virtual help for your child with a diagnosed or undiagnosed Disability?
Hi!! I’m Phoebe MacRae and I’m an Anat Baniel Method® NeuroMovement® Practitioner in Portland Oregon.
I specialize in helping Children with Disabilities or Developmental Delays by using the natural power of the human brain to create new neural connections from fresh, sensory input.
If your child likes it, you’ll find me using my other specialty- MUSIC!- in kids’ sessions. Music has a powerful impact on all parts of the brain and it can facilitate miracles!
I work with children in my private studio in SE Portland and I also travel to give lessons to students in their own homes. If your child is medically fragile or needs the extra support of a home environment this can be a great option for you!
Ask me about “home lessons” at your free discovery call!
Do you have further questions?
Not quite ready to book a lesson?
Please reach out to talk with me.