The Subtle Wins: Signs of Progress That Traditional Therapy Might Miss
Let me guess: You’ve been showing up to therapy week after week, logging the miles and hours, watching other babies or kids meeting milestones like they’re checking items off a grocery list.
Meanwhile, your child is still stuck in the same pre-crawl, pre-verbal, pre-whatever stage—or so it seems.
You start asking yourself: Is anything actually changing?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And no, you’re not imagining things—there may absolutely be progress happening. You just might be looking in the wrong places.
The Problem with Milestone Mentality
The world of traditional pediatric therapy tends to revolve around milestone charts.
These benchmarks—rolling by 4 months, crawling by 9, walking by 12—are often treated as gospel.
And while they can be useful for spotting broad developmental trends in neurotypical children, they don’t tell the whole story for lots of children who have a brain injury or a genetic difference or a condition like Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Many parents are left feeling like their child is "behind," when in reality, their brain is working overtime to rewire itself in subtle, vital ways.
The problem?
Traditional therapeutic models often miss opportunities for optimizing the brain growth of these children.
What the child needs is not to be fixed but to be supported so they can create new brain connections.
The thing is that traditional therapists are not taught to provide conditions or the pathways to promote brain wiring that leads to new brain connections that lead to skill development.
Nonlinear Progress 101: What It Means
So, what is nonlinear progress? It is a process that is not necessarily in a straight or predictable line.
The concept comes from neuroplasticity which is the brain's ability to change and adapt throughout life.
Children, especially those with neurological conditions, often don’t follow a linear path in their learning.
Think of it like hiking a switchback trail: you’re technically going forward, but not necessarily in the shortest, straightest line.
Sometimes, progress looks like pausing. Or pivoting. Or filling in missing pieces. Or going a few steps back to then leap forward.
In Anat Baniel Method® NeuroMovement®, we practitioners recognize and work with this.
We focus not just on whether a child can do something, but we help equip their brain to have the capacity to organize toward that ability.
The Brain Leads, the Body Follows
Movement, attention, emotion, and learning are all inter-woven in our human system.
In NeuroMovement®, our lens widens to see what’s happening beneath the surface.
Many of the most profound changes happen quietly, internally, over time and then emerge spontaneously.
If you're only looking for walking, crawling, or talking, you're likely missing these profound brain shifts.
Here are some signs of neuroplastic change (the real wins!) that traditional models may overlook:
Subtle (But Powerful) Signs of Change
1. Increased Calm and Regulation
Your child used to cry when placed on their back, arch violently during diaper changes, or scream in the car seat. Now, they settle more easily. They breathe more deeply. Transitions don’t throw them into chaos. These aren’t just "behavioral improvements"; they’re signs that the nervous system is becoming more organized and resilient.
"After his first lesson, he began tolerating riding in his car seat IMMEDIATELY following his first lesson... Today we traveled 90 miles with just a break to drink a bottle." — LB, Mother
2. More Curiosity and Exploration
Maybe they start turning their head more often to follow a sound. Or reach toward a toy they used to ignore. Or engage with a mirror for the first time. Curiosity is a clear signal that the brain feels safe enough to seek novelty which is a critical ingredient for learning.
3. New (Even Tiny) Movement Patterns
This could be as small as shifting weight differently when seated, flexing fingers they rarely moved before, or using the eyes to track movement. These subtle changes are often precursors to bigger developmental leaps like crawling or standing.
In NeuroMovement, we see these emerging movement patterns as "portals" to the next stage of development.
4. Longer Attention Spans or Eye Contact
Sustained focus might increase from seconds to minutes. Eye contact becomes more consistent or intentional. These are not just social gains. They are reflections of increased integration between sensory input and motor output.
5. Emotional Expression and Social Engagement
You may start seeing new facial expressions, giggles, or cooing. They mimic your voice, clap spontaneously, or initiate a game of peek-a-boo. These changes suggest higher-order integration: emotional, social, and cognitive.
Progress isn't always a leap; sometimes it's a look.
Why These Signs Matter
These changes are your child's brain learning to self-organize.
They might not look impressive on paper, but they matter deeply.
They're indicators that the brain is becoming more flexible, efficient, and open to new patterns.
In fact, these small shifts often precede larger milestone breakthroughs.
But because they're not charted in a spreadsheet, they're often missed by practitioners using a checklist approach.
How Brilliant Movement Uncovers These Wins
At Brilliant Movement, I take a different approach. Whether I'm working in person in Portland or virtually with families across the country, I slow down. I observe. I meet your child where they are, not where a milestone chart says they “should” be.
My sessions are:
Gentle and movement-based
Informed by your child's comfort and curiosity
Structured to invite the brain to participate, not perform
Parents often tell me the most valuable part is the space to see their child differently.
They notice things they hadn’t seen before. For the parent it’s not about doing more; it’s about tuning in.
How to Start Noticing Subtle Progress at Home
Start a "Tiny Wins" notebook. Here are a few things to track:
Breathing: Is it deeper or more rhythmic?
Eye gaze: Do they follow movement more consistently?
Hands: Are their fingers opening more? Are they reaching differently?
Tone and posture: Do they look more comfortable in their body?
Reactions: Are they laughing, squealing, or expressing frustration in new ways?
Transitions: How are they moving from one activity to the next?
Take short videos regularly. Subtle changes are easier to spot over time than in the moment.
Most importantly, trust that you know your child. You see more than any professional ever could.
Your intuition + informed observation = powerful advocacy.
Reframing the Big Question
So if your child isn't walking yet, but they're breathing more easily, tracking sound for the first time, or laughing spontaneously when they didn't before you can ask yourself…
Is it really "no progress"? Or is it just progress that hasn’t been counted?
Ready to See More?
If you’re seeing something you can’t quite name—or if you’re seeing nothing and it’s breaking your heart—I’d love to help you take a second look.
I offer in-person NeuroMovement® sessions in Portland, Oregon, and virtual coaching for parents who want to integrate this work into their everyday routines.
Together, we can widen the lens.
Schedule your free consultation today and discover what your child is already trying to show you.