Movement development is not simply the acquisition of motor milestones. Children develop postural control, bilateral coordination, weight shifting, trunk mobility, and movement efficiency through opportunities to move, explore, and interact with their environments. While movement occurs across multiple planes, transverse-plane and rotational experiences are often overlooked despite their role in developing coordinated movement patterns. Reduced opportunities for varied movement experiences may contribute to challenges with crossing midline, bilateral coordination, motor planning, postural control, and participation in everyday activities. This intermediate-level course examines movement development from birth through childhood through the lens of movement variability, postural development, and functional participation. Participants will explore how movement experiences contribute to the development of foundational movement skills and how limitations in movement across planes may influence participation in learning, play, self-care, and other daily activities. Strategies for interdisciplinary observation, communication, and support planning will also be discussed. This course was designed for an interprofessional audience.
Live Webinar
Tue, Aug 11, 2026 at 12:00 pm EDTUnder Review: AOTA/0.1 - Application has been made to the American Occupational Therapy Association's (AOTA's) Approved Provider Program.
Learning Outcomes
- After this course, participants will be able to analyze the role of movement experiences across multiple planes in the development of postural control, bilateral coordination, weight shifting, and crossing-midline abilities.
- After this course, participants will be able to differentiate movement patterns that may indicate reduced rotational movement and movement variability from those that support efficient participation across everyday activities.
- After this course, participants will be able to analyze collaborative communication and interdisciplinary problem-solving strategies to identify movement-related participation barriers and develop participation-focused support recommendations.
Agenda
| 0-5 Minutes | Introduction: Why Movement Development Matters |
| 5-40 Minutes | Movement Development From Birth Through ChildhoodMovement Across Planes: Sagittal, Frontal, and Transverse MovementThe Missing Rotation: Bilateral Coordination, Crossing Midline, Weight Shifting, and Postural Development |
| 40-50 Minutes | Participation Implications Across Learning, Play, Self-Care, and Daily Activities |
| 50-55 Minutes | Interprofessional Context; Reflection and Barriers |
| 55-60 Minutes | Summary; Q&A |
Presented By
Cara Koscinski
OTD, MOT, OTR/L, CAS
Dr. Cara Koscinski, OTD, MOT, OTR/L, CAS, is a pediatric occupational therapist, author, national presenter, and founder of the Executive Function Institute. With nearly 30 years of experience, she specializes in executive function, interoception, regulation, sensory processing, and participation-focused occupational therapy. Dr. Koscinski is the creator of the Executive Function Express™ framework, the EFX Access Profiler™, and the Roots to Fruit, Integrated Interoception Tree Model™. She is passionate about helping professionals move beyond compliance-based approaches and better understand the relationship between body regulation, participation, and skill development. Through training, mentoring, writing, and speaking, she supports therapists, educators, and families in implementing practical, evidence-informed, neurodiversity-affirming strategies.
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Financial: Cara Koscinski received an honorarium for presenting this course. She is also the founder of The Executive Function Institute. Non-financial: Cara is the mother of two adult autistic sons.
Sponsor Disclosure: This Course is presented by OccupationalTherapy.com, a Continued site.
Content Disclosure: This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service.
Course participation information
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