The Early Roots Podcast

Emily Roper
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Mental Health
  • Weekly

Follow Neuro-Developmental Delay Therapist Emily Roper as she discusses common problems she encounters working with children with developmental delays. She takes a deep dive into things like primitive reflexes, anxiety, ADHD, Autism, brain development, pregnancy, birth and more. This podcast provides information to parents and providers alike to bring understanding and help to children with developmental delays. 

  1. Oct 29

    Understanding Neurodevelopmental Delay Therapy (a great episode to start with)

    How can simple movement-based exercises help a child who struggles with anxiety, emotional regulation, attention, or learning? In this episode I break down what Neuro-Developmental Delay (NDD) Therapy actually is, how it works, and why looking beyond a child's symptoms can be so important. Many of the skills we expect from children—reading, writing, focusing, managing emotions, and navigating social situations—depend on foundational brain and body skills that develop much earlier in life. When these underlying systems aren't functioning efficiently, everyday tasks can become much harder than they should be, even for bright, capable children who are trying their best. In this episode: How the brain develops from the bottom up and why early developmental skills matter.The surprising connections between movement, sensory processing, visual skills, and learning.Why children with very different symptoms may benefit from exploring similar developmental foundations.What primitive reflexes, balance, coordination, and other brain-body skills have to do with everyday functioning.How NDD Therapy uses individualized movement-based activities to support development.Whether you're a parent exploring options for your child, a professional curious about NDD Therapy, or someone wondering how physical exercises could possibly relate to learning and behavior, this episode is a great place to start! Wondering if NDD Therapy might be helpful for your child? Early Roots offers free developmental screening questionnaires and phone consultations to help families explore their concerns and determine whether further assessment may be appropriate. We work with families both in person and remotely! Visit earlyrootstherapy.com to learn more and get started.

  2. Sep 17

    Guest Episode with The Toddler Whisperer: Gabriele Nicolet

    What’s actually happening when a child melts down—and what are parents supposed to do in the middle of it? In this episode, I’m joined by child development specialist, speech therapist, parenting coach, and host of the Complicated Kids Podcast, Gabrielle Nicolet. We talk about toddler behavior, emotional regulation, transitions, boundaries, and why kids can know the rules and still be completely unable to follow them when they’re overwhelmed. We also explore how these ideas apply to neurodivergent and developmentally delayed children, whose “toddler-like” behaviors may last well beyond the toddler years. Gabrielle shares practical ways parents can stay grounded, hold boundaries without escalating the situation, and look underneath difficult behavior to understand what their child may actually be communicating. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why does my child do this when they KNOW better?”—this conversation is for you. Interested in hearing more from Gabriele? 🌎 Website 📅Schedule a free intro call 📺Subscribe to Gabriele's YouTube Channel  👾Grab Tell the Story - my powerful anti-anxiety tool for kids 🌺Grab our free checklist to find out if you're raising an Orchid Kid  Gabriele's Instagram  Gabriele's Facebook Learn More or Connect with Me! 🌎 Website

  3. Jul 13

    Guest Dr. Laura Brayton: Preconception and Fertility

    Very excited to have another guest on. Today I get to chat with Dr. Laura Brayton all about women's health. Specifically about how to optimize health BEFORE conception. This not only help boost fertility, but preconception health is the ultimate prevention topic.  Dr. Laura Brayton is a holistic chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner with more than 20 years of experience helping women optimize fertility, pregnancy, and maternal health through root-cause medicine and holistic lifestyle practices. She specializes in conscious conception, fertility optimization, healthy pregnancy, empowered birth, and early motherhood wellness. Through a combination of functional medicine, chiropractic care, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine, she helps women address the underlying causes of hormone imbalance, fertility challenges, and pregnancy-related discomfort. Dr. Brayton is the founder of Hoboken Family Chiropractic + Wellness, where she has supported thousands of women and families throughout pregnancy and postpartum care. She has recently expanded her work through a virtual functional medicine practice. She is also the host of the Well-Adjusted Mama Podcast, launched in 2014, where she interviews leading experts in holistic health, birth advocacy, and maternal wellness. Dr. Brayton offers virtual functional medicine services and has a specific preconception program from families interested in optimizing fertility and overall health.  You can find Dr. Brayton here: Website - Discovery Call Instagram - @drlaurabrayton Facebook - @drlaurabrayton

  4. Jun 16

    Stuck in Fight-or-Flight

    Today's episode is all about how the stress response develops. I see the phrase (and even use it sometimes) "stuck in fight-or-flight" often! It is a description I see a lot for kids who have a lot of big intense reactions to the world and seem consistently stressed or on edge.  In this episode we look at how the stress response develops and what it looks like as we age. If children have an immature stress response, they do overreact to the world and physiologically experience more stress than their peers. These are the kids that seem like they are constantly stuck in a state of stress.  Check out my website to learn more.

  5. Jun 8

    Guest Andrea Jones: Functional Medicine and Holistic Support

    Today is a special episode. I have my very first guest. I am speaking with Andrea Jones.  Andrea is a Registered Nurse with 20 years of clinical experience. She spent the first 15 years of her career working in inpatient pediatrics,  PICU & NICU before leaving conventional medicine in 2018 to create her Functional Medicine practice. She is an author, speaker, neurofeedback practitioner and mother to 2 brilliant girls.  Links: Thriving Together Community  Strong Start Discovery Call with Andrea Wrapped in Kindness Book Connect with Andrea: Instagram

  6. Apr 7

    The Many Faces of Anxiety

    Today's episode is all about the different ways anxiety can present in children. Anxiety is such a huge broad topic and can look vastly different from child to child. Its also the most common reason parents bring their children in to see me. In today's episode we look at lots of different ways that anxiety can show up. We touch on common ones like nervousness and avoidance, but also less common symptoms like stool withholding and anger.  If you are interested in learning more or if you have a child who is struggling with any of the anxiety symptoms mentioned in this episode you can visit my website here to learn more.

  7. Mar 10

    We Need More Play!

    Todays episode is all about different types of play and how they impact development. Our brains are wired to learn through play. It is one of the most efficient ways that we learn. Different types of play promote different types of learning. Today's episode dives into lots of different types of play and how they help your child grow.  Learn more on my website.

  8. Jan 11

    Parenting Styles

    Today's episode is all about parenting styles. Specifically the four original styles developed by Dr. Baumrind: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive and neglectful.  Most of the different types of parenting styles we hear about in pop psychology today can be traced back to the original research on these four. We look at parenting across two domains: warmth and structure and discuss the long-term results for children that grow up with different parenting styles.  Hopefully this episode will make it a little easier for parents to understand some of the things that go in to building happy, healthy, well-adjusted children.  Here are some of the links I mentioned in the episode: Dr. Siggie - She is a fantastic resource for parenting advice. She has great free tips on her Instagram and website. She also has more in-depth courses you can purchase.  The Gottman's - The Gottman's are well-known for their expertise and study of relationships. The are often the go-to experts for marital support, but their parenting resources and research is also top-notch.  You can also visit my website if you want more information on early development and supporting children with developmental delays.

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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Follow Neuro-Developmental Delay Therapist Emily Roper as she discusses common problems she encounters working with children with developmental delays. She takes a deep dive into things like primitive reflexes, anxiety, ADHD, Autism, brain development, pregnancy, birth and more. This podcast provides information to parents and providers alike to bring understanding and help to children with developmental delays. 

Information

  • Creator
    Emily Roper
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Early Roots Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Early Roots Podcast

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