Reflex Integration Through Play

In this episode, Kokeb McDonald sits down with occupational therapist and RITP-certified therapist Katie Williams for a candid conversation about ADHD in girls and why it’s often missed until adulthood. Katie shares her own late diagnosis in her early forties and reflects on how it helped her reinterpret lifelong struggles with perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, sensory needs, time blindness, e...

In this episode, we wrap up the 'Creating an At-Home Program' series by focusing on the importance of tracking progress and maintaining effective communication with your therapist. 🧠 Discover simple ways to monitor your child’s growth, record progress, and maintain communication with therapists. Learn how tracking and collaboration strengthen outcomes in your reflex integration journey. Tune in f...

In this episode, we explore step six of the 'Create an At Home Program' series, focusing on tailoring your child's home exercise program to their unique needs and preferences. Emphasizing brief, focused activities over prolonged, frustrating sessions, we provide actionable advice on breaking down tasks, using rhythmic tools like a metronome, and incorporating creativity and play. 🧠 Ev...

In this episode, we dive into step five of the 'Create an At-Home Program' series, emphasizing the crucial role of consistency for lasting progress. The episode explores practical strategies like substituting activities, integrating exercises into daily routines, keeping sessions short, and establishing predictable structures. 🧠 Consistency is key to your child’s success. Find out how to...

In this episode, we dive into step four of the 'Create an At Home Program' series, focusing on the significance of creating a safe environment for your child's learning and development. Emphasizing both emotional and physical safety, this session provides practical advice on how to manage your own emotions, stay present and supportive, and prioritize quality over quantity in exercises....

In this episode, Kokeb McDonald discusses step three of the 'Create an At Home Program' series, focusing on the importance of targeting specific exercises related to your child's developmental needs. Emphasizing quality of movement over complexity, Kokeb provides practical advice on matching exercises to your child's goals, tracking their responses, and collaborating with specialis...

In this episode, we dive into we delve into understanding your child's unique developmental challenges. Before jumping into exercises, it's crucial to observe and understand the child's current skills and milestones. 📘 Learn the importance of collaborating with a service provider and how to effectively track gross and fine motor skills, visual skills, cognitive skills, and social skil...

In this episode, we dive into how to recognize retained primitive reflexes and what they mean for your child’s development. You’ll learn to: 🧠 Discover the foundation of reflex integration and how it supports your child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development through the RITP for Parents approach. 📘 Learn how understanding primitive reflexes can empower parents to build effective at-hom...

In this episode, we dive into how to recognize retained primitive reflexes and what they mean for your child’s development. You’ll learn to: 🔍 Identify common signs that a child may have retained reflexes, from poor posture to sensory sensitivities. 🧠 Understand why these reflexes sometimes stay active and how they impact learning, attention, and behavior. 📘 Explore holistic factors that contri...

In this episode, we dive into how teachers can support students with reflex integration in the classroom. You’ll learn to: 🔍 Identify signs of retained reflexes, such as difficulty sitting still and poor posture. 🧠 Discover practical strategies to enhance learning and behavior through simple classroom activities. 📘 Explore the Reflex Integration Through Play (RITP) school program, which provide...

Learn how to create a simple, effective, and play-based home program that strengthens your child’s motor, sensory, and emotional development. Discover practical tips for parents to turn everyday routines into opportunities for growth, connection, and joy.💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why home programs are essential for lasting progress• How repetition and play strengthen brain-body connection...

Watch how play, patience, and RITP is helping a little boy grow into a confident, curious, and strong young man! Today Sarah Wen shares her journey as the mother of 4-year-old Robert, who faced challenges with motor planning, muscle tone, and emotional regulation, with Kokeb. Through Reflex Integration Through Play™ (RITP), Sarah found a supportive, play-based approach that helped Robert build str...

With Guest: Dr. Courtney Boitano, San José State University Reflex Integration Through Play™ is moving from clinics to classrooms—and now to the university level! In this episode, Kokeb and Dr. Courtney Boitano share how RITP is shaping future occupational therapists with hands-on, play-based training that bridges the gap between theory and practice. Dr. Boitano - OT, professor, and capstone coord...

What if just six months of playful therapy could transform your child’s focus, strength, and even their spine? In this inspiring parent interview, you’ll hear how Reflex Integration Through Play™ (RITP) has changed one family’s life. In this heartfelt episode, Kokeb speaks with Jeanine Allen , a disability attorney and devoted mom, who shares her powerful story of walking alongside her daughter’s...

Are you struggling to connect reflex integration with real-life therapy goals? In this episode, Kokeb unpacks how to connect reflex integration work with meaningful functional goals in occupational therapy. While many therapists can identify retained reflex patterns, translating that knowledge into daily treatment sessions can feel overwhelming. Kokeb shares practical strategies for linking reflex...

Ever feel like you spend more time planning than treating? In this episode, Kokeb McDonald tackles the overwhelm many pediatric OTs face when it comes to treatment planning. Instead of drowning in endless prep work and scattered resources, discover how to create clear, focused, and effective session plans that prioritize progress. Kokeb shares practical strategies like starting with targeted scree...

What if that child’s “attention problem” isn’t ADHD or behavior at all—but a hidden vision challenge that’s been overlooked? In this episode of the Reflex Integration Through Play™ podcast, pediatric OT Kokeb McDonald uncovers the surprising link between visual skills, primitive reflexes, and attention, sharing research, real-life examples, and strategies every therapist and educator should know....

It wasn’t until Kokeb took her own children to a vision therapist that everything clicked. What she discovered changed how she viewed reflex integration—and how it could transform outcomes for other kids, too. In this episode of the Reflex Integration Through Play™️ podcast, host Kokeb McDonald explores how unintegrated primitive reflexes can disrupt visual development in children—often leading to...

In this eye-opening episode of the Reflex Integration Through Play™ podcast, host Kokeb McDonald dives into one of the most misunderstood and under-assessed areas in child development— functional vision . You’ll learn why passing a 20/20 vision test doesn’t necessarily mean a child can see well enough to learn, focus, and thrive. Kokeb breaks down the three critical components of vision: acuity, e...

Kokeb McDonald builds on a recent Q&A session from inside the RITP Certification Program to offer a deeper, more holistic approach to pediatric screening. Beyond simply identifying retained reflexes, Kokeb highlights three essential areas that every therapist should be considering during evaluations: reflex patterns, functional movement, and developmental/social connection. You’ll learn how to...

In this powerful episode, Kokeb McDonald is joined once again by Fran Rubio-Katz to tackle a universal challenge: how to handle ourselves when we feel emotionally triggered—whether as therapists, educators, or parents. Drawing from the Conscious Discipline brain state model and their real-life experiences in classrooms and clinics, Fran and Kokeb explore how to shift from reactive to responsive, h...

In this heartfelt and informative episode, Kokeb shares a special archived interview with homeschool mom Holly Anderson, whose daughter struggled with unintegrated primitive reflexes affecting her eye tracking and reading. Holly opens up about their family’s discovery process, the challenges they faced, and the creative, affordable ways they’ve implemented reflex integration at home. She also shar...

In this follow-up to their impactful conversation, Kokeb and Fran Rubio-Katz (aka Coach Franny) dive deeper into the transformative idea of “Quit Taking It Personally” (QTIP), a tool rooted in Conscious Discipline. Fran shares personal stories and professional strategies to help therapists, teachers, and parents shift away from behavior-based expectations and lean into co-regulation, connection, a...

In this enlightening conversation, Kokeb is joined by Fran Rubio-Katz—also known as Coach Franny—for a deep dive into the emotional and physiological layers of supporting children through behavioral challenges. Fran, a seasoned educator and coach, shares her powerful "Is it the water or the fish?" metaphor that helps reframe how we interpret children’s behavior. Together, they explore the vital co...

In this episode, Kokeb explains three closely linked reflexes that play a pivotal role in early development: the Palmar Grasp , Hands Pulling , and Babkin Reflexes . These hand-based reflexes aren’t just about grip strength—they are deeply connected to core development, coordination, feeding, speech, and even emotional regulation. She discuess how stimulation of the palm can trigger reflexive resp...