FAQ

• What is this program about?

This movement-based program focuses on movements that stimulate brain maturation and reflex integration in order for the brain to function at its highest possible emotional and cognitive level. This approach starts addressing gaps in a child’s development from the foundation up.

• What are Rhythmic Movements?

To build a strong foundation, rhythmic movements are introduced from the start in order to mature and develop the brain. These movements are based on natural spontaneous movements that babies make during infancy. They mature the brain stem and cerebellum, and form new links to other parts of the brain.

• What is Reflex Integration?

A reflex is a movement made involuntarily in response to a stimulus. There are reflexes present in the womb and in the first year of a child’s life. These reflex reactions are there for survival and for laying the foundations for movement patterns children learn such as creeping, crawling, walking and running. Primitive reflexes need to be stimulated repeatedly until they complete their purpose and then diminish around the time a child is a year old. Integration of primitive reflexes are necessary for higher centres of the brain to take over movement. They help us develop physically, emotionally and intellectually. 

Unintegrated reflexes hinder development and can cause problems with learning, emotions, impulse control and can contribute to anxiety, ADD, ADHD, autism, speech disorders, learning disorders, developmental delay, sensory processing disorders, vision and hearing problems, fatigue, extreme shyness etc.  With unintegrated reflexes, instead of learning becoming automatic; continuous, hard labored effort is needed to learn even though a student has adequate intellectual ability. 

Reflexes can remain unintegrated for a number of reasons, including: Lack of tummy time, lack of movement opportunities (propping devices and screen time), pre-birth stress, traumatic birth and environmental toxins. Reflexes can also become active again after illness, trauma or injury and can be remediated as the brain is able to adapt to demands of our environment. The brain has plasticity to regenerate (Dr. Robert Winston) and for that reason these movements are helpful for people of any age.

• Who will benefit from Rhythmic Movements and Reflex Integration

Any person of any age could benefit from rhythmic movements and reflex integration

• Typical signs that your child’s brain is still functioning from an immature state:

• Signs of unintegrated reflexes (some)

This is a select short list of signs. Please contact us directly for a comprehensive checklist.

The following is a list of possible causes. In the end, the cause should not be the focus, but rather the solution to solving the problems that you are experiencing due to unintegrated reflexes should be the focus:

• Why are reflexes not integrated?

• Stressful pregnancy
• Traumatic birth
• Missed milestones (milestones can also be missed due to unintegrated reflexes)
• Environmental toxins
• Lack of tummy time
• Lack of opportunity to move – carriers, propping devices, walkers, over use of car seats
• Electronic device use
• Illness, injury, trauma and chronic stress at any time in life

It’s important not to dwell on the why, but focus on how to work towards a more mature and developed brain.