Why Learn Primitive Reflex Integration?

My primitive reflex integration training journey has been one of the most interesting and fulfilling things in my life (excluding having children, of course) and I have recently developed my own course to teach

to others. I'm really proud and excited to be able to share this as I think it offers a really important drug free intervention for children and adults who struggle with trauma, anxiety, processing, emotional and postural challenges.

However, the problem is that not enough people have any idea what it is! So this is a short blog post about primitive reflex integration and why YOU should train in it. If you are reading this post then it's likely that you will already have a vested interest. Primarily used for children, but also successfully with adults, Primitive reflex integration can help address the harder to live with parts of conditions such as ASC, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia. It can help address the underlying effects or trauma, anxiety and OCD type behaviours. It can help with movement disorders such as cerebral palsy, Parkinsons and MS (although in no way a cure) and can help improve muscle tone and processing in conditions such as Downs Syndrome (Trisomy 21) It works alongside any other treatment, medication, talking therapies, listening therapies or other physical therapies.

Primitive reflexes are movement patterns that babies make, so to encourage these reflexes to integrate we can use a floor based movement program, deceptively simple but deeply effective. Using repeated, rocking movements that stimulate different areas of the body to target different retained primitive reflexes to encourage them to integrate into the central nervous system. It uses passive (where the subject lies still and is moved by someone else), active (where the subject moves themselves), and kneeling & sitting movements. It also uses movements that mimic the movements of a baby in utero, which can be passive or active. Isometric pressure where the subject gently pushes against resistance and helps to re-educate the muscles and hand and foot massage which works specifically on retained reflexes there.

These repeated rhythmic movements build new neural connections between brain cells, allow sections in the brain to increase connectivity and speed of processing and integrate primitive reflexes. Primitive reflexes are movement patterns that live in the central nervous system and compel us to move or freeze at our earliest stages of development. They have a role to play, either keeping us safe, helping us to be born, find food, roll over, sit, crawl and eventually walk. If these don't develop and integrate as they should, the cause particular developmental issues. More information here. Better connections through the brain stem allow better sensory processing, better connections through the limbic system allow better emotional control, better connections through the cerebellum allow better control over movement and memory and better control through the pre-frontal cortex allows better decision making and impulse control.

The consequences of this is it makes life EASIER to function. It gives choices in how to behave rather than the red mist of the limbic system being in control, focus & concentration improves, writing, speech and language improves, posture, stamina, proprioception, fine and gross motor skills improve, anxiety, sensory processing improves. School and sports performance improves, restlessness, bedwetting, tics and tremors improve.

So if you are the parent of a child who is struggling, or if you work with children with SEND as a teacher, TA, OT, physiotherapist, counsellor, psychotherapist or complementary therapist, including primitive reflex integration would make a huge difference to your children. It's simple, safe and effective. Accredited by the CMA you get CPD points too!

So if you would like to learn An Introdution ,to Primitive Reflexes have a look at my upcoming courses here or drop me a line for more details at Niki@OrganisedMind.co.uk