Some children with autism can be “toe walkers” who have extremely tight calf muscles. Many children with developmental problems or autism have chronic tension in these tendons and muscles, with accompanying motor/emotional/cognitive issues and, in severe cases, postural or structural problems. Both these categories of children can have a tendon guard reflex that is not integrated.
What is the Tendon Guard Reflex?
The tendon guard reflex is important for survival/ protection and development. When not integrated the reflex can keep the child either in constant motion or immobilised in a posture of withdrawal and search for safety. The tendon guard reflex is an automatic whole body reaction to a message from the brainstem. Under threat, the body has three choices: freeze, fight, or flight. In the “freeze” response the abdominal, shoulder, and neck muscles contract. This can be a sudden, unexpected sound, sight. It causes complete stillness and a quieting the body while activating vision and hearing to locate possible danger. This helps us to narrow the field of attention, movement, and action, to concentrate on and analyse details when in danger.
The tendon guard reflex causes spinal muscle contraction, getting us ready to move, initially and it helps infants contract their spinal muscles. Eventually, the muscles allow standing, walking, and posture control develops. The mature reflex also enables individuals to widen the field of vision, movement, and action, to see the “big picture,” to act and to foresee consequences. When tendon guard reflex is not integrated there can be a narrow attention field and limited ability to act. Behaviour becomes compulsive, over-focused on unimportant details. When not integrated, movement development, sensory integration, attention, organisation, comprehension, and overall cognitive development can be affected. Children can be withdrawn or hyperactive and inappropriate risk takers.
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.
