Reflex Integration Therapy

We are born with a whole range of reflexes – a set of instinctive, involuntary reactions to a certain stimulus. These reflexes have evolved to aid our passage from the womb, to protect us from harm in our vulnerable early months and to help us move in a gravity-based environment.

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Through the natural movements that we do as a baby, our primitive reflexes become integrated while our postural reflexes get activated.  However, if there has been some form of stress during pregnancy, birth or early infancy, there may have been issues with integrating the reflexes in the way they should have been.  Even something such as your baby skipping the crawling stage and going straight from bottom shuffling to walking can have an impact. Major stressors throughout life can also mean that reflexes return as a way of ‘keeping us safe’. 

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When our reflexes are not behaving how they are supposed to, it can have a really big impact on our everyday lives.  Chances are, most of us have some kind of retained reflex, but if it isn’t causing us problems, then we don’t need to do anything about it.  However, there are several issues that may be present which indicate that reflexes are hanging around when they shouldn’t be.  These include (but are not limited to):

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• Bright yet underachieving

• Low self-esteem, frustration

• Problems reading, writing cursive script

• Emotionally and socially immature

• Problems socialising with peer group

• Poor short-term memory and concentration

• Easily distracted, fidgety; problems remaining seated when required to do so

• Difficulty waiting their turn

• Talking excessively, finding it hard to play quietly

• Tendency to interrupt and not listen when spoken to by an adult, tendency to blurt out answers

• Short-tempered, argumentative, defiant, blaming others for mistakes

• Fussy eater

• Poor self-organisation, lacking in fine and gross motor skills

• Bedwetting over the age of 5

• Hypersensitivity – to light touch, fabrics, labels, etc

• Problems with maths, telling the time

• Hearing problems

• Eczema, rashes, migraine, asthma

• Tantrums after school

• Lacking in confidence, eg reluctant to take part in extra-curricular activities

• Difficulty putting thoughts on paper

• Dislike of change or surprise, poor adaptability

• Finding it hard to copy from the board

• Difficulty in holding a pencil/poor handwriting

 

A Neuro-Developmental Assessment can help us to ‘see’ into the brain.  We are able to figure out what is going on, and then what we can do to help the brain to function how it’s meant to be functioning.

 

What is a Neuro-Developmental Assessment?

An assessment will take around 2 hours to complete, and looks at the following areas:

• Static balance

• Dynamic balance

• Patterns of Motor Development

• Dysdiadochokinesia

• Aberrant reflexes

• Laterality of the brain

• Oculo-motor exam

• Visual perception

• Executive functioning skills

• Other areas as needed

 

Once the assessment has been completed, a written report will be sent to you within 10 working days.  A second appointment will be made to go through the findings of the assessment and to begin a programme of exercises.  These exercises are what the brain needs to become wired together correctly again, with the movements being chosen based on the areas that have been highlighted during the assessment. 

 

Appointments will then be every 4 weeks to check on the client, make sure exercises are being completed correctly and give new exercises if they are ready for them.