ABOUT
MEET THE OWNER
What drives Kathryn every day is her passion for helping children find their confidence, independence, and sense of belonging. Through a combination of sensory integration and movement-based therapy, she creates a safe, empowering, and joyful space where children can showcase their inner selves, developing resilience, self-love, and a deep sense of pride in who they are. Kathryn’s approach is deeply rooted in play-based and child-led learning, allowing children to explore, discover, and thrive in an environment where their natural curiosity and creativity are honored. This method not only fosters a love for learning resulting in more effective therapy, but also empowers children to build confidence, self-expression, and resilience.
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Kathryn’s philosophy is that development occurs in a hierarchical process, where each stage builds upon the last. She is deeply passionate about ensuring no gaps are left in the foundational building blocks of a child’s development, so they can reach their full potential. Because brain function is so intricately linked, Kathryn proudly collaborates with developmental optometry, physical therapy, mental health professionals, and speech therapy to create a truly holistic approach to a child’s development, ensuring they have the support they need to achieve optimal success in every aspect of their growth. and development.
Kathryn Ring is a dual-licensed occupational therapist and certified K-5 Florida educator with nearly a decade of experience as an award-winning elementary educator. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to supporting students, particularly those with exceptional needs. Her passion for making a deeper impact in the lives of children led Kathryn to pursue a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy.
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During her studies, Kathryn discovered her love for the sensory integration framework, oculomotor development, and supporting children with their emotional regulation which became the foundation of Move and Bloom’s approaches. Driven by a dream to create an environment where children are celebrated for their unique qualities, Kathryn envisioned a space where every child’s inner experience could be heard and understood. This vision ultimately led to the creation of Move and Bloom Therapy, a nurturing neuroaffirmative therapeutic environment where children are supported to grow and develop into their authentic selves.​
WHY A COMBINED APPROACH WORKS: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY & DEVELOPMENTAL OPTOMETRY
​Addressing oculomotor dysfunction often requires more than one lens—literally and figuratively. That’s where the power of an integrated approach comes in.
Developmental Optometry focuses on evaluating and enhancing how the eyes move, work together, and process visual information. Through individualized vision therapy, a developmental optometrist helps strengthen the eye muscles and visual system, supporting improvements in regulation, attention, academics and overall daily functioning.
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Dr. Murray, at the Vision and Learning Center, is deeply committed to improving pediatric mental health and literacy through a collaborative, integrative care model. With a strong passion for whole-child development, Dr. Murray works closely with other specialists to provide team-based care—empowering children to reach their fullest potential both in and out of the classroom.
Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on how visual challenges impact a child’s ability to participate in everyday activities such as motor coordination, handwriting, executive functioning, attention, social, and self-care skills. Oculomotor dysfunction can lead to significant visual stress, as children often work much harder to compensate to keep up with daily childhood occupations. This extra effort can contribute to frustration, anxiety, and emotional fatigue, impacting overall mental health and well-being.
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OTs support reflex integration and sensory processing, which are foundational to oculomotor function. Alongside vision therapy, occupational therapists can help a child develop visual processing abilities that support academic success and community integration. Through play-based and functional activities, occupational therapy helps improve fine motor skills, visual-motor integration, self-regulation, and confidence—supporting both emotional and developmental growth.
Physical therapy (PT) is a critical component of a multidisciplinary approach to pediatric development, working in close collaboration with occupational therapy and developmental optometry. Many children with oculomotor challenges experience difficulty with eye teaming, making it hard for both eyes to work together effectively. This can significantly impact depth perception and spatial awareness—key abilities for navigating obstacle courses, jumping, or safely and confidently exploring playground or novel motor social environments.
In addition to affecting visual-motor coordination, these challenges often lead to compensatory movement patterns. Children may rely more heavily on their dominant eye, or their visual system may trigger asymmetrical reflexive responses that are outside of their conscious control. These disruptions in sensory-motor integration can manifest as muscle imbalances, clumsiness, sensory seeking, or avoidance of physical activity—often because the child’s body cannot reliably interpret spatial input from their environment.
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Growing Seeds Physical Therapy, utilizes a sensory-motor, play-based approach to address these underlying challenges. Our interventions target body symmetry, oculomotor function, postural control, motor skills, and emotional regulation—supporting whole-child development through integrated, evidence-based care.
Team
approaches
lead to
strongeroutcomes and more comprehensive support for the
whole child.
When OT, PT, and Developmental Optometry work together, the child benefits from:
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A more complete evaluation of both vision and function
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A holistic treatment plan that ensures no gaps in development
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Coordinated care that addresses both the neurological, emotional, and sensory-motor aspects of vision​
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WHY IS OUR PROGRAM UNIQUE?
CHILD-LED​
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​Child-led therapy, also known as child-centered or child-directed therapy, is not merely unstructured free play without therapeutic intention. Instead, it is an approach where the therapist follows the child's lead, engaging in the child's play and using their interests and actions as opportunities to introduce therapeutic methods and support development. In this therapy, the therapist observes and understands the child's cues and interests, joining them in their play while following their lead.
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The therapist uses play to build rapport, trust, and a strong therapeutic relationship, while also incorporating various therapeutic techniques and strategies. Throughout the process, the therapist supports the child's exploration, learning, and development, ensuring the inclusion of the child’s specific goals, such as motor, sensory, and vision skills. This approach recognizes the child's autonomy and agency while providing a supportive and guided environment for growth and thriving.
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Child-led play fosters long-lasting adaptive brain changes through the activation of key neural pathways involved in motivation, learning, emotional regulation, social skills, and cognitive flexibility. The combination of intrinsic motivation, neural plasticity, and real-world problem-solving makes it one of the most effective ways for children to develop and retain new adaptive responses in the brain.
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SENSORY INTEGRATIVE​​
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Sensory Integration Therapy is a therapeutic approach designed to help children process and respond to sensory information in a more organized and adaptive way. It focuses on helping children integrate and make sense of the input they receive through their senses—such as sight, sound, touch, taste, and movement—so they can appropriately respond to the world around them. Sensory processing plays a crucial role in the development of the brain, acting as a foundational building block that drives cognitive, emotional, and physical development.
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The sensory system acts as the brain's “driver,” organizing incoming sensory information to create appropriate responses. When sensory integration is working effectively, the brain can accurately process these signals, leading to smooth coordination, emotional regulation, and effective learning. However, when sensory processing is disrupted, children may experience difficulties in responding to everyday situations, which can affect their behavior, learning, and social interactions.
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Sensory Integration Therapy works to address these challenges by engaging children in activities that help them better process and respond to sensory input. Through guided play, exercises, and sensory activities, the therapy helps strengthen the sensory pathways in the brain, promoting improved regulation, focus, and adaptability. By supporting sensory integration, this therapy ultimately helps children build the foundation they need for optimal cognitive, emotional, and physical growth.
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At Move and Bloom Therapy, our sessions are conducted in a fully equipped therapy gym, where we use body-based approaches and sensory integration to support your child’s development. These activities engage the body and sensory systems, while also integrating other key brain centers, including the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is essential for higher-level functions such as decision-making, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and social interaction. By targeting multiple areas of the brain, true integration can occur promoting coordination, strength, balance, and body awareness, while fostering cognitive and emotional growth. The dynamic environment of our therapy gym allows your child to build vital skills for self-regulation, adaptive responses, and thriving in daily life.
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​COMPREHENSIVE
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Our journey began when we, as a group of dedicated pediatric specialists, realized that more and more of our patients needed integrative care. Through our integrated approach, combining multiple specialty areas including Developmental Optometry, Mental Health, and Sensory Based Physical therapy, we are able to acknowledge the intricate interconnectedness of brain function and prioritize brain integration to drive meaningful progress and outcomes for children. By acknowledging that brain function is intricately linked, we are able to accelerate progress and foster lasting change.
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NEUROAFFIRMATIVE​​
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​At Move and Bloom, we take a neuroaffirmative approach to therapy, which means we recognize and celebrate the unique neurological differences of every individual. Our neuroaffirmative approach is designed to create a safe, inclusive space where your child’s strengths and needs are respected. By fostering self-expression, autonomy, and empowerment, we provide a supportive environment that encourages growth and development in a way that aligns with their unique brain wiring. With this approach, we help your child thrive by meeting them where they are, honoring their authentic selves, and helping each child to shine in their own unique ways.