The Importance of Integrating Reflexes by Sonia Story Integrating reflexes is key for the ability to learn easily, manage our emotions and impulses, and meet life’s challenges with greater ease. Incomplete intregration of childhood reflexes can be mild to severe, and contributes to anxiety; depression; ADD; ADHD; autism; learning disorders; developmental delay; sensory-integration disorders; vision and hearing problems; behavioral challenges; extreme shyness; lack of confidence; addiction; inefficient, effortful work and constantly feeling overwhelmed. Neurodevelopmental Movement helps children and adults complete the reflexes and transform challenges into strengths. What is a reflex? Even reflexes that are completely integrated When reflexes are active, body parts cannot easily move independently. may become reactivated later by trauma, A A reflex is an automatic, instinctual move- injury, toxins and stress. movement of the head causes an auto- ment that assists in development, growth matic movement in the limbs, hands or and survival. Blinking is a reflex. Many Why are reflexes important? feet. Extra limb movements happen below reflexes are active throughout our lives. Other the surface level and cause confusion in reflexes—called “primitive reflexes”—surface From the womb on, the childhood reflex the neuro-sensory-motor system. This movements literally grow the brain. Repeti- confusion creates difficulties with growth, in the womb and infancy and are designed coordination, reading, writing, speaking to become inactive after the toddler stage. tive, automatic reflex movements are essential and thinking. Two familiar primitve reflexes are sucking for the development of balance, mobility, vision, hearing, speaking, learning and com- A child who fidgets in his chair and cannot and grasping with the hand. Ideally, primitive focus is more than likely suffering from reflexes merge into more sophisticated move- municating. active reflexes. Once reflexes are integrated, ments, and become integrated. An integrated Reflex movements are the first founda- head and limb muscle groups can move childhood reflex is no longer active. tions of the nervous system. independently, and the ability to sit atten- Like a block tively without fidgeting comes easily. What causes unintegrated reflexes? tower, all further development depends on the readiness of the foundation. Active reflexes cause aches and muscle tension, weak muscle tone, fatigue and Reflexes originate in the brain stem, or Unintegrated, active childhood reflexes can the need for great amounts of effort to survival brain. be caused by: When reflexes remain complete tasks. active, the survival brain is constantly We unconsciously learn Lack of enough proper movement in early to compensate for and suppress active childhood: Plastic carriers, propping devic- stimulated. In this survival mode, there is less ability to access the prefrontal lobes, reflexes, which can cause considerable ten- es, playpens, walkers, swings, jumpers and sion and drain energy. Skills that should be car seats all restrict movements required for where we think, create, communicate and make beneficial decisions. In other words, automatic (like reading and writing) can be brain development. TV and computer use done only with continuous conscious effort. also hamper opportunities for movement. we are more likely to react instead of control- ling our impulses. Movement and Play for Integration Stress of the mother during pregnancy, breech birth, birth trauma, Caesarean or Unintegrated reflexes trigger the “fight or flight” response, creating chronic stress. At any age, we can integrate the reflexes and exposure to sonograms. rebuild the foundation of our nervous system Even when there is no logical reason for Illness, trauma, injury, chronic stress. stress, we can feel stressed because our through Neurodevelopmental Movement. Environmental toxins and plastics; com- physiology is constantly reacting as if We start by assessing which reflexes need plications with vaccinations; exposure to threatened. Stress becomes a habit, often integration. Then we do a series of age-ap- electronic pollution. below the level of our awareness. propriate activities specifically designed for each reflex. Neurodevelopmental Movement is highly effective because it taps into the The Learning Hierarchy same system we are designed with at birth [The illustration depicts] the normal hierarchical for reflex integration and brain development. developmental system, beginning before the birth of the infant and carrying on through adulthood. We add play, because play is fun, healing and If the foundations—the primitive and postural transformative. reflexes—are unstable, weak or have gaps in their development, they will undermine all other levels to some degree. The motor, perception, speech Neurodevelopmental Movement creates and conceptualisation will also be unstable, and breakdown in any or all of these areas can occur, quantum shifts and positive changes. Life causing the higher-level functioning areas to also and learning become much easier once the be affected. Although these stages do overlap to a certain extent, if a stage is missed, interfered with or childhood reflexes are integrated. not fully integrated, it can prevent full development of subsequent stages. Unfortunately the child will not Neurodevelopmental Movement is ‘grow out’ of their learning and behaviour problems. beneficial for all ages and skill levels. The problems may alter and appear to improve as It is the child learns to compensate in other ways, but the effective for reflex integration, whole-brain weakness in their system will remain, causing stress on their system. They may also resurface when the child learning, optimizing skills, reducing stress, moves to more intensive learning situations, where eliminating blocks and opening the heart. the demands of higher learning are greater, and the pressure for academic progress is more urgent. Families especially benefit from the harmony and positive changes that grow from doing © Claire Hocking, Educational Kinesiologist & Brain Gym Instructor—Australia movement together. www.wholebrain.com.au Ph (03) 5282 5965 Mobile 0419 569 071 © 2007–11 Sonia Story | www.moveplaythrive.com KEY CHILDHOOD REFLEXES and Consequences of Unintegration POSSIBLE LONG-TERM EFFECTS POSSIBLE LONG-TERM EFFECTS Fear Paralysis Reflex FPR emerges in the 5th OF AN ACTIVE MORO REFLEX OF AN ACTIVE ASYMMETRICAL TONIC NECK REFLEX to 8th week of womb life, and ideally is integrated before birth. FPR is most likely a protective mecha- – Sleep disturbances, difficulty settling to sleep – Dyslexia Easily triggered anger or emotional outbursts Reading, listening, handwriting and spelling nism in the face of danger and may help us learn – – – Shyness difficulties to cope with stress. FPR is a “freezing” reaction similar to a deer caught in the headlights – Poor balance and coordination – Poor sense of direction . – Poor stamina – Confused handedness There is tightening of the jaw and eye muscles; limb – Motion sickness – Focus and balance difficulties muscles contract and pull in toward the core. The – Poor digestion, tendency towards hypogly- breath is held, and there may be a significant drop cemia Symmetrical Tonic Neck ReflexThe STNR helps in heart rate. Those who study reflexes do not always – Weak immune system, asthma, allergies and the baby lift and control the head for far-distance agree on what triggers FPR, but in general we can infections focusing. The STNR also prepares the baby for think of the FPR as a response to a perceived threat. – Hypersensitivity to light, movement, sound, creeping (crawling), using automatic movements touch and smell If the FPR is not fully integrated at birth, it can – Difficulties with vision, reading or writing for raising up on all fours. At this stage in develop- cause lifelong challenges related to fear. There is an – Difficulty adapting to change ment, movement of the head is automatically linked underlying anxiety preventing an individual from – Cycles of hyperactivity and extreme fatigue to movement of the arms and legs. If the STNR moving forward toward meaningful goals. When – Easily distracted, difficulty filtering out extra- remains active, it is another main cause of inability the Fear Paralysis Reflex is unintegrated it interferes neous stimuli to function well in school. This is because up-and- with the integration of successive reflexes, especially – Difficulty catching a ball down head movements cause underlying arm and the Moro Reflex. – Difficulty with visual perception leg movements, resulting in neuro-motor ‘static’ that POSSibLE LONG-term EFFectS – Easily fatigued, irritable under fluorescent makes concentration and learning more difficult. lighting OF AN actiVE Fear paraLYSIS reFLEX POSSIBLE LONG-TERM EFFECTS – Shallow, difficult breathing OF AN ACTIVE SYMMETRICAL TONIC NECK REFLEX Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex The TLR has two – Underlying anxiety or negativity Squirming or fidgeting; poor posture, forms: forward and backward. In the forward TLR, – – Insecurity, low self-esteem as the head bends forward, the whole body, slouching – Depression, isolation, withdrawal arms, legs and torso curl inward in the char- – Headaches from muscle tension Constantly feeling overwhelmed – acteristic fetal position. In the backward TLR, – Difficulty writing and reading – Extreme shyness, fear in groups Apelike walking as the head is bent backward, the whole body, – – Excessive fear of embarrassment –