• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Without Limits Learning

Remove the barriers to success

  • Home
  • About
  • Parents
    • Moves4Me – Individual programme
    • Helpful tips and tricks for parents
    • 16 Activities for Learning – Ebook
    • Simply L.O.V.E Parent Workshop
  • Teachers
    • Moves4LilMinds – Preschool Programme
    • Moves4Minds – Primary School Programme
    • Professional Development
  • Wellbeing
  • Success Stories
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Book
  • Body Brain Blueprint

reflexes

Pushing our children to ‘learn’

May 9, 2018 By Leanne

Assessing Neuro Motor Readiness for Learning

 

The joys and excitement of a child turning five is celebrated as a rite of passage. The child growing up, going to ‘big school’ and putting on their new uniform brings delight to parents and teachers. But when is a child really ready for school? How can we tell if they are going to succeed or not? Are there ways to tell if a child is school ready? Or do they turn five and are magically able to adjust? Can we help them learn? What are the keys for success? And how can we help them?

We know that child development is fluid – children develop faster or slower than others, but generally all children follow the same milestones of development despite country, culture and race.  This development is physical, mental and emotional and these factors are interrelated in a wholistic way meaning they are all interdependent on each other. For example, the maturity of the emotions is largely dependent on maturity of the mind, just as maturity of the mind is impacted by maturity of the emotions.  However there has been little discussion as to how the maturity of the physical body also impacts mental maturity and agility and visa-versa. Can we know if a child is ready for school by reading their physical capabilities?

The truth is we can! We can see if a child will start school on the upper hand or not if we look past the a,b,c’s and 1, 2, 3’s.  As teachers we have tended to do away with assessing children too young – and for good reason.  However, we have also done away with observing and ensuring children reach their developmental milestones physically.  The assumption is that “all children will get there eventually” and while this may be true in part it does not help the child and adults working with children best provide for their physical development alongside their mental and emotional development. In fact, if children do not meet their physical milestones it can hinder their progress in other areas.  And don’t we all want to give our children the best possible start? Why allow delay if it is not necessary.

Let me explain.  Primitive reflexes are apart of our central nervous system and are meant to be there until around one year of age.  It is at this time that they begin to transition into postural reflexes.  We need these postural reflexes to help defy gravity, give us good posture and fluid movement all through life.  But most importantly these postural reflexes allow us to continually operate in our mature brain, that is the part at the front of the head which problem solves, evaluates and does other executive functions.  Without getting too technical – primitive reflexes come from the brain stem and spinal cord.  Postural reflexes release these so that we are free to operate in our mid-brain and cortex – the thinking brain.

It is for this reason that assessment of the primitive and postural reflexes at 5 will determine the physical maturity of the child and subsequently the ability to operate in their cortex long-term.  Primitive reflexes are like a ‘trigger’ to a child’s brain. Any movement of the head or limbs causes different reflexes to operate to distract and interrupt the child’s processes. Some reflexes such as the ATNR will even cause involuntary movement of the arms upon head rotation.  I’m sure you know this child.  The one with the messy sloping handwriting, or the one who children always say “he hit me” only to have the child emphatically deny it.  Or the one who is constantly ‘clumsy’. This is because reflexes are not conscious.  They are rooted in our subconscious primitive minds.  It’s cause and effect.  Turn head, arm goes out.

However, with a specific movement programme tailored to release these reflexes, the child can be free of the annoying and damaging effects of them.  This programme can be undertaken at home one on one with a parent, or in preschools and schools by trained teachers. Age is no barrier for the programme it can work at any age, yet at 5 we can see how the child will transition into primary school and support this process. The assessment tool also helps us recognise the signs and symptoms of neuro motor immaturity in the classroom.

No longer do children need to live with the emotional insecurity and fight/flight reactions of the Moro reflex.  Or the inability to ride a bike, or handwriting issues, mid-line crossing and co-ordination difficulties of the ATNR. Or the postural distractions, inability to swim, and constant wriggle of the STNR.  Even issues with speech and language can be helped and healed through remediating the TLR. When we understand what is causing the behaviours we can then set about freeing the child from them.

These are all constant issues for children every day of their life that the adults around them and they themselves are largely unaware of. They live with them continuously and when it is time for big school the adults wonder why they cannot still hold a pencil, draw a circle, or sit still on the mat. They aren’t ‘naughty kids’, their bodies and brains just aren’t communicating well yet. But they can. Both teachers and parents can access this support for their child at school or at home. We can see if a child is ready for formal learning at 5, and the good news is we can help them if they aren’t.

If you know a child who suffers from these symptoms there is help! If you are a teacher, you can help all your class become physically ready for formal learning by registering your interest in the one-day teachers’ course here. Or fill out our initial screening questionaire on the here to see if your child needs this support.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: child, education, help, learning, movement, parent, problem, professional development, ready to learn, reflexes, school, school ready, teacher

What’s the deal with reflexes?

August 4, 2016 By Leanne

What are Primitive Reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are automatic stereotyped movements directed from the brainstem. We don’t think about them, we don’t try to make them, they just happen. These Primitive reflexes are needed for survival and development in the early months of life. However, as we mature with age, higher and more sophisticated places of the brain should mature and take control. These primitive reflexes will become a hindrance to learning and development if they are not “put to sleep” or integrated into our central nervous system.

What happens if Primitive Reflexes don’t go away?

If primitive reflexes are retained past the first year of life (at the very latest) they can cause issue with our social, academic, and motor (movement) learning. It actually becomes a barrier to development. Many children with learning disorders such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum, and Non-Specific Learning Difficulties as well as other Neuro-Developmental Disorders are known to have retained primitive reflexes which contributed to their issues. Basically, we need primitive reflexes for a little while but by one year of age, they should no longer be actively working in our bodies. We then need to develop postural reflexes by four years of age.

Reflexes are linked to the Sensory Processing Systems. These are Auditory (sound), Taste, Tactile (touch), Smell, Visual, Vestibular (balance and stability), and Proprioceptive (messages conveyed through our body). Because of this, primitive reflexes that are causing issues usually do so in one or more of these areas as well. This can lead to what is known as Sensory Processing Disorder.

Causes of retained Primitive Reflexes

There are many reasons why a child may still have primitive reflexes causing havoc in their bodies. Children who are born by caesarean section, or experience trauma in birth, are often high risk. Being exposed to toxins and medicines can also contribute. Other causes may be due to the environment they experienced in the first few months of life such as not enough time of the floor, whether it is on their tummy or crawling on stomach and knees, or even lack of specific movement in their early years. Illness and sickness also play a part especially in regards to chronic ear infections – as it impacts the vestibular (balance) system.

Sometimes we need to remember that because the brain is so easily mouldable, we don’t always have to worry about the reasons why they are this way, but instead, let’s celebrate the change that can be made. Primitive reflexes can be put to sleep no matter what age, and postural reflexes can develop if the child is provided a developmentally appropriate movement programme. This means we can make huge progress in a child’s life! We can help their body and brain communicate effectively with one another and allow the child’s cortical brain to gain increasing control over their body. Change is possible! There is a second chance.

If this sounds like your child, contact me now. If you’re interested, keep reading. Over the next few weeks I will explain different reflexes and how they impact our children and their learning journey. From my personal experience to you, let’s journey to make our children’s learning, movement, and self confidence excel.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Amphibian, ATNR, baby reflex, learning, Moro, Palmer, Pincer, postural, posture, primitive, reflexes, retrain the brain, STNR, TLR

The Poltergiest!!!

May 24, 2016 By Leanne

My interest and curiosity in the STNR (Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex) is not new to you all.  I wonder if it really does bridge the Primitive reflexes with the Postural’s, or if it is solely a Primitive reflex.  In addition to this I ponder about the retention of the reflex and how this impacts subsequent reflexes (namely Postural’s).  If there is a STNR still present in children, it is said that the Postural reflexes will not be as well developed as is necessary. Also, does it mean that that child will struggle with top and bottom integration for the rest of their lives?  Will there come a time whereby their age allows developmental maturity and the STNR no longer ceases to be in control despite its presence in assessments and posture.  From my own experience, I know I function competently but probably not ideally, and I am constantly aware of and adjusting my own posture.

I was re-assessing a child just yesterday.  I watched intently as I assessed for the STNR which is conducted in a table position (on hands and knees).  One thing to note in this assessment is convergence of the eyes upon movement of the head.  I watched the feet, arms, elbows, back and neck position.  Thinking that this child would most probably register as having a partial STNR.  It wasn’t until I positioned myself by the head of the child and watched what happened to the eyes that I was astounded.  I mean, it was something out of the poltergeist!  Truly, I had not noticed this before if it was present.  And I have not seen this in any other child.  As the head lowered from looking at the ceiling to the placement of their hands the eyes suddenly converged half way down, making cross eyes.  The eyes stayed there – much to my surprise – until the child blinked and refocused.

To see this was both amazing and astounding.  Wow.  Really!  As the reflex came into effect the lack of control of the child’s eyes was plain to see.  I didn’t know that the eyes did this so strongly with this reflex, and to think how it must have felt for the child is quit disturbing.  As someone who is prone to travel sickness I am aware of the feeling of visual vestibular mismatch.  This would have been exactly the same feeling.  The brain would not have processed the same sensations through her vestibular input as well as visual.  And to think this is most probably occurring on a daily basis.  The impact on the educational achievement and physical coordination is huge.  Every time this child would move her head up and down her eyes would change.  Imagine this in the classroom where they have to look at whiteboards then books, the teacher then pupils and more books.  The head is constantly moving and this is why active primitive reflexes have such a detrimental effect.  Even on the sports field where they have to move to catch balls, the eyes would change, and unfocus and the child would spend so much time gaining control over their body that there would be little time left for actual learning.

However, the impact of Primitive reflexes in older children is not always so accepted and is often disputed.  But upon seeing how it impacts a child’s body, completely outside of their control, I honestly wonder why.  It is obvious that reflexes play a part in normal childhood development.  Yet why do we refrain from acknowledging their impact on coordination and academic success later in life.

How can we help?  What can I do?  These are questions of practicality.  Not theory.  Though both are important and valid.  What can we do to help children in our care better their physical coordination so that reflexes are ‘put to sleep’ and controlled coordinated movements are made?

One of the first things we can do is to ensure our children are moving.  Moving every day.  Moving more than they are sitting, especially in the early years.  Any kind of movement is beneficial.  For the STNR particularly it is the coordination of the upper and lower parts of the body.  Imagine that the child is cut in two along the line of their tummy button.  Can their arms and legs perform coordinated movements at the same time?  Can they go left – left and right – right then in opposites left and right together without thinking?  This crossing the mid-line and bi-lateral integration is indicative of a brain that can coordinate efficiently between the two hemispheres of the brain.

Let’s move!  Simply move.  Run, (because that uses both sides of the brain), crawl (because that coordinates both top and bottom), and do strength based exercises which allows the increase of extensor muscle tone (muscles on the back) as well as arms and core.  These muscles are essential for static balance and good posture when sitting still.  We can use this as a time together, playing and having fun.  Let’s not become too busy to play and move with our children.  Remember; a well coordinated body means there is a well coordinated mind!  Happy moving!

boy playing on the playground summer day
boy playing on the playground summer day

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: behaviour, eyes, reflexes, STNR, Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex

A quick snippet . . .

January 26, 2016 By Leanne

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To get us all thinking about how the brain is impacted by the movement of the body here is a quick reference chart on some of the reflexes that impact our ability to learn.

Remember Primitive reflexes aren’t always the bad guys.  We need them when we are young – but when we get past 4 years old they should have done their dash.  I mean, who wants to see a 10 year old try to suck on his sandwich!?

In all seriousness, if children do continue to have a few of these Primitive Reflexes going on after 4 years of age it does become very difficult for them to focus on academic learning and sports.

Anyway, check out the chart, post a comment or two, or contact me now if you think some of these symptoms sound like your child.  The good news is your child doesn’t have to stay this way!

Happy reading!2089870_orig

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: attention, behaviour, coordination, focus, learning, meltdown, reflexes

Copyright © 2023 Without Limits Learning · Log in