My doctoral research with young children highlighted the link between neurodevelopmental disorders like dyslexia and ADHD with retained primitive reflexes. Other studies have found that children diagnosed with ADHD are more likely than their peers to have retained primitive reflexes. Often a diagnosis of ADHD can mimic retained primitive reflexes.
So, what are primitive reflexes?
Reflexes are muscle movements that happen unconsciously to certain stimuli and basically, they are part of our protection system to keep us safe in infancy and to prepare us for later development changes like sitting and crawling. We are all born with a set of these reflexes, and they originate from the most primitive part of the brain. They are like angels in early infancy but rascals if they are retained rather than integrating. That is why each milestone is so important for babies – especially crawling which strengthens certain brain connections and tummy time.
Why do some children retain primitive reflexes?
Some research links it with a traumatic birth, repeated ear infections early in the child’s life as well as skipping key development milestones – walking without crawling, not enough tummy time. Sleeping on their backs rather than their front is also an issue as this impacts the ability of the neck to strengthen and impacts tummy time and the ATNR reflex negatively. The exciting thing is that the brain is extremely plastic. By taking the body through the physical motions of the developmental stage, which was skipped, the brain can be encouraged to develop the connections, which should have been formed during infancy, at any time. It is as if the programme is already there and needs to be activated by movement.
Random movements
When I was a teacher, I used to observe that often, a child was labelled as having behavioural problems or being disruptive in school when in fact, it is often involuntary. They would really try hard to be “good” but could not keep it up. It seemed that there were involuntary random movements that were causing issues that could not be controlled such as rocking, unable to sit still, arm randomly moving. This caused these children to have a problem with attention because the constant involuntary movements continually distracted them.
The retained primitive reflex STNR, for example, reflex called the Symmetrical tonic neck reflex, sometimes mimicking ADHD due to lack of crawling meant there were children who found it hard just to sit at a desk. Another reflex that is often mimicking ADHD is called the Spinal Galant reflex. If this reflex is retained past the first year, it can result in bedwetting, short-term memory issues or a lack of concentration or the inability -ants in their pants. In addition, the Moro reflex can keep a child constantly over alert and does not let them relax, causing them to pay attention to everything rather the discerning what they need to pay attention to such as the teacher, again mimicking ADHD.
When I completed the research and set up the Child Centre, I was able to make huge differences to children by helping them integrate their reflexes using movement and kinesiology. There were children who had been labelled with ADHD that no longer fitted the label once their retained primitive reflex had been integrated. If you think this could be the case for your child contact us at info@childcentremethod.com and we can send out a simple set of tests for you to carry out at home to screen your child.
How can the Child Centre method help?
The Child Centre Method is a “systematic integrated programme that allows the practitioner to firstly identify the individual challenges that each child/client faces and secondly, to create a unique program for that individual.” By training to use this unique and effective holistic therapy you will be able to help children to integrate primitive reflexes. As a result, the child will be more emotionally stable, calmer, and happier. To find out more click on full course training or book to train to.
