Growing Kids: Supporting Healthy Development, Behaviour, and Nervous System Regulation

Thomas Faulkner, Mchiro, DC
April 15th, 2026

Development Doesn’t Happen by Accident

Watching a child grow is a remarkable experience. From rolling over and crawling to taking their first steps, learning to read, and concentrating in school, each milestone is part of a beautiful, natural progression.

These developmental stages don’t happen by accident. They are all built upon the foundation of a healthy, well-regulated nervous system that allows your child to adapt, learn, and thrive.

When Early Stress Patterns Carry Forward

The journey through life begins long before a child can walk or talk. Stressors from birth or even early infancy can create patterns of tension and imbalance in a little one’s body.

If these patterns are not addressed, they don’t simply disappear. Instead, a child’s clever body learns to compensate for them, and these compensations can carry forward, influencing their development in subtle ways.

An unsettled baby may grow into a toddler with delayed milestones. These early delays can sometimes lead to later challenges with coordination, and eventually, may even contribute to learning or behavioural difficulties.

A Simple Look at Primitive Reflexes

Every baby is born with a set of primitive reflexes. These are instinctive motor and sensory patterns that develop in the womb to help them through birth and the first few months of life.

As a baby’s brain and nervous system mature, these reflexes are activated and then integrated, allowing more sophisticated, voluntary movements to take their place. Ideally, this process is complete by their first birthday.

However, if these early reflexes are retained, it can lead to developmental delays or asymmetries. This can show up as:

Challenges with coordination and balance
Sensory processing difficulties
Struggles with learning and focus
Difficulties with emotional regulation

It can also be a contributing factor in conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia.

Signs Parents Might Notice

As a parent, you are the expert on your child. You may notice subtle signs that your child’s nervous system is working harder than it needs to.

These are simply communications from their body, indicating that they could use some extra support. Some of these signs might include:

Toe walking
Poor balance or coordination
A slumped or unusual posture
Challenges with handwriting
Sensitivities to touch, sound, or light
Delayed speech
Difficulty with reading
Frequent emotional outbursts or anxiety
Mouth breathing
Persistent bedwetting beyond the typical age
Tics or other involuntary movements

Where Chiropractic Fits in Your Child’s Journey

Our paediatric chiropractors are trained to gently identify the early signs of atypical neural development and retained primitive reflexes. By understanding the root cause of these challenges, we can offer natural support that is tailored to your child’s unique needs.

Through gentle, specific adjustments and targeted exercises, we can help:

Integrate retained primitive reflexes.
Support the healthy function of the cranium, spine, and nervous system.

This process helps to create a clearer pathway for communication between your child’s brain and body, supporting their natural development. While improvements are possible at any age, the biggest impact can be made in the first two years of life when the brain is developing most rapidly.

The pressure used is always incredibly safe and light, tailored perfectly for your child’s age and size. Our goal is not to correct problems, but to support the incredible, dynamic potential that already exists within your child.

Strong Foundations for a Thriving Life

Childhood is the most beneficial time for a child to have their spine and nervous system checked. By creating strong neurological foundations, we can help children better adapt to life’s stressors, allowing them to grow, learn, and thrive.

Supporting your child’s nervous system is a gift that supports the wellbeing of your whole family.