Face-to-Face Course

An Osteopathic Approach to School-Aged Kids

with Lynsey & Jamie Taylor

Age Focus: 6-12 Years

28-29 November 2026   •   9am-4pm each day   •   Melbourne, Australia (TBC)
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This paediatric-focused seminar explores neurodivergence, retained primitive reflexes, concussion management, musculoskeletal conditions, and functional neurological disorder (FND) in children aged 6–12 years. The course integrates current research, osteopathic principles, and practical clinical applications to support practitioners working with neurodivergent and medically complex children.

 

This course will help you:

  • ⁠Understand neurodivergence and apply practical clinical support strategies

  • Assess retained primitive reflexes and implement developmental exercise programs

  • Recognise and manage paediatric concussion within safe collaborative care

  • Apply osteopathic approaches to common growth-related musculoskeletal conditions

  • Identify and support children with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

  • Integrate paediatric assessment, treatment planning, and interdisciplinary referral pathways

 
 Curriculum

What we’ll cover

Session 1

Understanding Neurodivergence in Clinical Practice

Presenter: Lynsey Taylor

Learning objectives:

  • Develop clarity around neurodivergent terminology

  • Understand appropriate referral pathways

  • Identify practical strategies to support neurodivergent children in clinical practice

  • Improve practitioner confidence in managing behavioural and sensory presentations

Topics covered:

Neurodivergent Language & Definitions

  • What is neurodivergence?

  • Strength-based vs deficit-based language

  • Clinical implications

Conditions & Presentations

  • Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)

  • Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

  • ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

  • Time blindness

  • Interoception difficulties

  • Mood regulation challenges

Sensory & Processing Considerations

  • Visual processing differences

  • Auditory processing differences

  • Tactile defensiveness

  • Proprioceptive seeking and avoidance

  • Vestibular seeking and avoidance

Clinical Application

  • When and who to refer to

  • Practical strategies within scope of practice

  • Supporting families in clinic

Session 2

Primitive Reflexes & Neurodevelopment

Presenter: Lynsey Taylor

Learning objectives:

  • Understand retained primitive reflexes in autism and ADHD

  • Learn practical assessment tools

  • Develop exercise-based intervention programs

Topics covered:

Primitive Reflex Assessment Tool

  • Screening methods for clinical use

Reflexes Covered

  • MORO reflex

  • TLR (Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex)

  • ATNR (Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex)

  • Gallant reflex

Intervention Planning

  • Creating gross motor programs

  • Creating fine motor programs

  • Adapting exercises for neurodivergent children

  • Addressing motor delays within scope

Session 3

Concussion in Children

Presenter: Jamie Taylor

Learning objectives:

  • Understand paediatric concussion definitions and research

  • Clarify the practitioner’s role within conservative medical management

  • Apply osteopathic techniques safely and appropriately

Topics covered:

Foundations

  • What is concussion?

  • Current research in manual therapy

  • Role of the practitioner in collaborative care

Assessment

  • Simple clinical assessment tools

  • Red flags and referral pathways

Osteopathic Approaches

  • Upper cervical indirect technique

  • Vagal balancing via cervical spine

  • Upper rib complex indirect techniques

Session 4

Osteopathic Management of Chondritis &
Lower Limb Dysfunction

Presenter: Jamie Taylor

Learning objectives:

  • Understand onset and assessment of paediatric chondritis and common lower limb growth-related conditions

  • Apply indirect and fascial techniques in the management of thoracic and lower limb dysfunction

  • Identify compensatory patterns linking thoracic, rib, knee, fibular, ankle and foot mechanics

  • Develop safe, age-appropriate osteopathic treatment plans for growing and active children

  • Integrate regional and global biomechanical approaches in paediatric musculoskeletal presentations

Topics covered:

1: Clinical Overview of Paediatric Chondritis & Lower Limb Conditions

  • Common mechanisms of onset

  • Growth-related biomechanical stressors

  • Paediatric chest wall pain including chondritis presentations

  • Common lower limb growth-related conditions (e.g. Sever’s disease, Osgood-Schlatter presentations, activity-related knee pain)

  • Differentiating inflammatory vs mechanical drivers

  • Red flags and referral considerations

2: Assessment Framework: Thoracic spine and rib cage assessment

  • Respiratory mechanics and rib motion

  • Knee, fibular head and ankle biomechanics

  • Foot posture and load transfer through the lower limb

  • Gait considerations in active children

  • Functional screening tools

3: Osteopathic Treatment Approaches: Thoracic, Rib & Lower Limb

  • Techniques:

    • BLT decompression of the thoracic spine

    • Indirect rib release

    • A/P indirect release techniques

  • Lower Limb Techniques:

    • Indirect knee balancing

    • Fibular head release (indirect)

    • Ankle indirect techniques

    • Fascial release for lower limb chains

4: Integrating Thoracic–Lower Limb Connections

  • Fascial continuity from rib cage to lower limb

  • Managing load transfer in sport and growth phases

  • Addressing compensatory strategies

5: Clinical Application: Case-based discussion

  • Treatment sequencing

  • Home advice and load modification strategies

  • Return-to-activity considerations

Session 5

Osteopathic Management of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

Presenter: Jamie Taylor

Learning objectives:

  • Define Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in paediatric populations

  • Understand current best-practice management approaches Interpret current research and evidence frameworks

  • Apply the biopsychosocial triggering model clinically

  • Recognise the role of concussion, viral load, and allostatic overload in symptom presentation

  • Identify appropriate referral pathways and collaborative care models

  • Develop supportive, regulation-based management strategies for children and families

Topics covered:

1. Understanding FND in Children

  • What is FND?

  • Diagnostic clarity vs exclusion models

  • Common paediatric presentations

  • Management framework: management not cure

2. Research & Theoretical Models

  • Current research overview

  • Evidence supporting a biopsychosocial triggering model

  • Decompensated allostatic load

  • Viral load and concussion connection

  • Why traditional behavioural models are failing DFND children

3. Clinical Assessment

  • Simple clinical assessment tools

  • Recognising stress physiology patterns

  • Identifying co-existing neurodivergence

  • Screening for concussion history

  • Red flags and when to refer

4. Osteopathic Approach

  • Regulation-focused care

  • Cranial base: common findings and treatment considerations

  • Autonomic balancing approaches

  • Gentle indirect techniques

  • Supporting vagal tone

5. Management Strategies

  • Developmental exercises to support symptom regulation

  • Home-based activities for parents

  • Co-regulation strategies for chronic stress states

  • Communication frameworks for families

  • Interdisciplinary collaboration

6. Case-Based Application

  • Treatment planning examples

  • Setting realistic expectations

  • Monitoring progress and flare management

Session 6

Integrated Paediatric Clinical Application & Case Workshops

Presenters: Lynsey Taylor & Jamie Taylor

Learning objectives:

  • Integrate neurodivergence, retained reflexes, concussion, chondritis, and FND into cohesive clinical reasoning

  • Develop structured paediatric treatment plans

  • Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration skills

  • Apply regulation-based and developmental models in practice

Topics covered:

1. Case Integration Workshops

  • Neurodivergent child with retained reflexes

  • Post-concussion child with autonomic dysregulation

  • Lower limb dysfunction in active child

  • FND presentation with overlapping concussion history

2. Clinical Reasoning Framework

  • Identifying primary driver vs compensatory patterns

  • Load vs regulation lens

  • Structural vs autonomic contributors

  • Developmental considerations in ages 6–12

3. Treatment Planning

  • Prioritising treatment targets

  • Session sequencing

  • When to treat locally vs globally

  • Determining frequency and duration of care

4. Collaborative Practice

  • Referral pathways

  • Working with GPs, paediatricians, psychologists, physiotherapists, and schools

  • Communicating with parents in a strengths-based model

5. Practical Application & Q&A

  • Technique refinement

  • Troubleshooting challenging presentations

  • Open discussion and clinical pearls

Why take this course?

This course will help you:

  • Develop clear understanding of neurodivergence and apply appropriate terminology and strengths-based communication in clinical practice

  • Identify appropriate referral pathways and work collaboratively with other health professionals when managing complex paediatric presentations

  • Apply practical clinical strategies to support neurodivergent children, including behavioural, sensory, and regulation-based approaches

  • Assess and manage retained primitive reflexes, including designing gross and fine motor exercise programs suited to neurodivergent children

  • Understand paediatric concussion, including current research, clinical assessment tools, red flags, and safe osteopathic treatment approaches within collaborative care models

  • Recognise and manage growth-related musculoskeletal conditions such as chondritis and lower-limb dysfunction using indirect, fascial, and biomechanical osteopathic techniques

  • Develop age-appropriate osteopathic treatment plans that integrate regional and global biomechanical considerations in active, growing children

  • Define and clinically apply best-practice approaches to Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), including biopsychosocial models, regulation-focused care, and family support strategies

  • Integrate knowledge of neurodivergence, concussion, retained reflexes, musculoskeletal conditions, and FND into cohesive clinical reasoning frameworks

  • Strengthen skills in case-based paediatric treatment planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and communication with families

about the presenters

Lynsey Taylor

Lynsey graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2004 in the UK. She is married to Jamie and together they have 2 boys. Lynsey works in private practice with learning needs and developmentally delayed children in the office and school setting. She trains teachers and resources them to work with these children. She largely utilises a school based program called Smart moves. She utilises the reflex assessment, developmental assessment tools and exercise, movement program on a daily basis. She has also taught post-graduate level seminars in Australia and New Zealand for 5 years.

 

Jamie Taylor

Jamie Taylor was born in Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand. He trained at the European School of Osteopathy, (ESO) in Maidstone, England, 1990-1994.

During his final year he began to enjoy working with newborns and pregnant mother’s. He very quickly began to see the importance of taking the trauma out of childbirth for mothers and postpartum distress in babies. When he graduated he worked in London at the Osteopathic Centre for children where this conviction grew. In 1997 he began assisting on the undergraduate Osteopathic technique classes at the ESO and clinical supervision in the undergraduate children's clinic, where he stayed until he moved back to NZ in 2005. He moved back to New Zealand in November 2005 after completing his masters in Osteopathy.

Jamie’s practice is predominantly focused on babies and pregnancy and postnatal mothers. 

Regulation: Jamie Taylor is a member of the register of Osteopaths in New Zealand and the society of Osteopaths New Zealand.

 

Lynsey and Jamie have a pragmatic, clinically informed, research based yet informal, practical and natural presentation + approach to teaching. In this course, they will integrate standard paediatric manual therapy with movement and exercises specifically tailored for integrating motor function and integrating primitive reflexes to allow the course participants to be able to utilise the knowledge and skills presented straight away in their clinic environment.

“I have completed a number of courses run by Jamie Taylor. I have found them to be thorough and straight to the point. The information and techniques taught are very easy to implement into everyday practice. I have found his courses to be exceptionally beneficial no matter weather they be building on prior knowledge and experience or if you are learning content that is completely new.”
— NICOLE I.
Enrolment options
FULL COURSe

Join us for all 3 days

AUD $1250

INCLUDES:

  • A structured framework for working with paediatric infants.

  • A clear set of osteopathic guidelines for assessing and treating a paediatric infant. 

  • A variety of techniques in handling an infant to allow you to feel more comfortable around a paediatric infant and their parents.

  • Thorough history-taking, assessment tools and osteopathic treatment guidelines for treating paediatric infants.

  • Receive hands-on practice with the guidance of a master osteopath

  • Certificate of attendance + 27 CPD points

Individual seminars

Enrol in only the days you need

AUD $450

each

Note to Australian residents: All prices include 10% GST

All enrolment options include:

Presentation PDF

PDF copy of slideshow presentation

Research Articles

Relevant research articles pertaining to seminar topic

Certificate of Attendance

Certificate of Attendance for each seminar you've enrolled in

CPD Points

9 CPD points for each seminar you've enrolled in

Hands-on Guidance

Receive hands-on practice with the guidance of a master osteopath

FAQs

  • This course is open to all osteopaths - new graduates through to experienced osteopaths.

  • It is recommended that you read the material in the pre-reading section of your course curriculum. There will also be a copy of your course presentation. It is recommended that you print these slides ready for the presentation.

  • You will need a bottle of water, pen, a notepad or paper to write on and a printed copy of your presentation slides. Printing out your course pre-reading material would be helpful, yet, not essential.

  • Each day of the the course you complete will give you 9 CPD points.

    Please note, only the person who purchases the course will receive a certificate of attendance and gain the CPD points.

  • Contact Inspire Health Albury on (02) 60411329 or email hello@wisdomexchange.com.au if you have any questions.

    On the day of the course, if you need to contact someone urgently, contact Thanuja Vanderhoek on 0418164174

Learn paediatric osteopathy in a simple & practical way so you can treat paediatric infants with ease.

Enrol now