All Things Sensory by Harkla #369 - Unlocking Classroom Success with Reflex Integration with Dr. Tessa Grigg
In episode of All Things Sensory, we sit down with the incredible Dr. Tessa Grigg - PhD, Dip Tch (Primary) Dip Tch (ECE). She has a wide range of experience within the Early Childhood Education field. She has taught in a Primary School, supervised a preschool with specialist work in the sensory-motor area, worked as a Child and Family Therapist, taught adult students in teaching and child development, and owned and operated a GymbaROO centre for nine years. Tessa is the "Tessa" in Tessarose Productions, a business that has produced music for children for over 30 years. Currently, Tessa is a certified Rhythmic Movement Training Practitioner and runs a Kinesiology clinic for children and adults. Following the completion of a PhD focused on children's primitive reflexes, Tessa now works part-time as a lecturer at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and is the Research and Education Manager for GymbaROO-KindyROO in Australia.
We chat about:
How Tessa’s career path led her to primitive reflex research
The surprising effects of natural disasters (like earthquakes) and the pandemic on reflex development in children
Her fascinating classroom-based research showing how simple, rhythmic movement interventions can dramatically impact learning, emotional regulation, and behavior
Why crawling and skipping might just be two of the most important activities your child can do daily
How to bring reflex integration into schools and homes without overwhelm
Whether you’re a parent, therapist, or educator, this episode is filled with practical tips, lightbulb moments, and hopeful reminders that everything can change when we meet kids where they are.
LINKS
Tessa's Research Articles
https://jneuroscience.com/jnen/articles/v9n1/jnen-103-tess-grigg.pdf
Visit Tessa’s website
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