Using Primitive Reflexes for therapy at home
We love our children more than anything in the world! We will do ANYTHING to help our children succeed! Any therapy, any diet, ANYTHING to improve their behavior, their attitude, their happiness.
I know that every situation is different — each of us have children with unique and special needs. We as their parents are the best equipped to help them! But this includes knowing that we also will need outside help.
Did you know that we can rewire your brain and nervous system?
Dr. Reuven Feuerstein stated that, “everyone —regardless of age, etiology or disability — has immeasurable ability to enhance their learning aptitude and heighten their intelligence.”
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.
This is all new to me— I know some of you live in these fields of study, and you’re amazing! After chatting with a friend who began utilizing multi-faceted cognitive therapies for her children, I began research on how I could begin new therapies with my high needs child. The more I research, the more I realize that each one of my children would benefit — for different reasons — and that I can benefit too!
The Equipping Minds program treats the whole person through a multi-disciplinary approach. This includes nutritional therapy, neurodevelopmental therapy, vision therapy, sound therapy, quantum reflex integration therapy, and vestibular therapy. Through regular practice of the program, you may develop a decrease of symptoms of physical, emotional and/or social challenges and an increase in cognitive abilities which impact academics, relationships, communication, and life skills.
That’s a lot, and it’s incredibly overwhelming. I have been down many rabbit holes to learn the ins and outs of this and other programs like it. And I will never be an expert!
I need to start small. I think everyone needs to start small. Doing something small at the beginning to experience some wins can be so impactful!
Read more about how to help your hyperactive child here.
Check out more movement ideas combining Waldorf and Charlotte Mason Philosophies here.
A SIMPLE WAY TO START —
From birth, a baby learns “primitive reflexes” — these are movements necessary for a baby’s survival. And if an infant doesn’t learn them within the first 6-12 months of life, they can get trapped so to speak, and after, the brain begins to wire without them and the body will adapt. If a child has irregular neural development (physical/emotional/social), then the primitive reflexes may have persisted because they were not inhibited before about 12 months of age.
For example, if a baby doesn’t learn to crawl — the opposite arm with the opposite leg, before they walk, they have an inhibited primitive reflex and this will affect their vestibular (balance) for their entire life!
The incredible news is that the primitive reflexes can be worked on at home. After just 30 days of consistently doing these exercises — for about 15 minutes a day — your brain can grow, learn, and adapt!
I’m so excited about this — everyone can do these for 30 days and experience great results!
We had worked on many of the reflexes when we did occupational therapy — but the reality is that it got incredibly time consuming, and when our insurance stopped paying for it, we had to stop. Also, then life got in the way! No more, I’m making these a priority over the next couple of months.
Quick note: my children will not easily do these exercise for the 15 minutes of allotted time. We are doing 1-2 exercise for 30 days, then moving on to the next 1-2 exercises. That’s why we are doing this — new things, out of the routine, are HARD (near impossible) — this is not a quick and easy fix for us. But I am here for consistency. I will work at this and give it all I have!
THE PROGRAM
The Building Brains quick program was made several years ago (so the website isn’t brand new!), and works on the following reflexes:
(Also, here is a Fear Paralysis exercise.)
When children (or adults!) are asked to do something they aren’t wired to do — the brain simply can’t do it. And we need new wiring!
From doing this, I’m personally looking forward to the many benefits: increased executive functioning, attention, learning, thinking, and analyzing skills, improved visual and auditory processing, long-term memory, attention, comprehension, communication, and critical thinking skills.
This is not a magic program! First of all, you have to put in the time and effort to make it happen, and after that, there are no promises for how it will impact everyday life. But I have seen and heard many, many stories of improvements from many parents and teachers and doctors who study the brain and the positive effects that can be made by just this one thing, the primitive reflex work.
I wanted to share in case this is something, at a very low time and cost commitment, that you may want to try and implement as well. I’ll be sharing more about the other therapies we will be implementing and the impact they have on each of us. Have you tried this or occupational therapy before? I’d love to be able to cheer each other on!
The full exercise video that we are using is from Pyramid of Potential (you need to add in the Fear Paralysis exercise, which is not included) — this is an old website, but I promise it’s legit, scroll down to Growing Brains Everyday, it’s a download for 19.99! (Here is the Fear Paralysis exercise.)
Or to create your own, here are exercise videos for each reflex!
You can read more about Primitive Reflex Remediation and watch more videos here!
Read more about how to help your hyperactive child here.
Check out more movement ideas combining Waldorf and Charlotte Mason Philosophies here.
Thank you for this information! It has been very helpful. I cannot find the Growing Brains Everyday link for the exercise program to purchase. Does it still exist?