Building Sensorimotor Systems in Children with Developmental Trauma

Watch how a child comes downstairs, sits on a lab stool or waits in a line. The one who slumps over the desk, crashes into friends or tumbles on purpose so the laughter is on their terms may be telling you something about their earliest years.

Children who've had a difficult start often missed the holding, rocking and movement that build the body's foundation systems: balance, a sense of where the body is, and touch. Without them, staying upright takes so much effort there's little left for learning.

This introduction to the BUSS model (Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems) comes from the person who developed it over 35 years in child and adolescent mental health. You'll learn what to look for, and why these systems are underdeveloped rather than broken. It's never too late, and the adults in a child's everyday life are best placed to help.