There are no “one size fits all” solutions when it comes to therapy for our children. Even if both your kid and my kid have seemingly similar behaviors, a treatment plan can be wonderfully effective for your child, while it just backfires for mine.
This seems strange to us, because in other areas of our lives, what works for one – works for all.
If I try ordering a pair of shoes, and I read a review that these shoes run big, I know that I just need to go half a size down and I’ll be good.
But kids – thankfully, really – are a lot more complex than a pair of shoes. Which means that if my Shlomo and your Moishy both have shrieky tantrums when we get into the car, they will likely need different reactions from us as parents in order to settle down. Shlomo suffers from severe motion sickness, and we can’t drive down the block without a just-in-case bag. Moishy can’t handle transitioning from playing in the living room to going to the supermarket, and he’s just plain overwhelmed.
An outsider looking in sees a meltdown and tags it as a “behavior” issue.
But we know that it’s just the symptom of a deeper problem.
The role of reflexes
All people are born with primary reflexes built into their nervous systems. When you stroke a baby’s cheek, he will reflexively turn in that direction. When you put your finger into a baby’s palm, she will reflexively grasp it.
Reflexes are specific movements which happen in response to a stimulus. When an infant learns to use that movement independently of the reflex, the movement will become more sophisticated, and the reflex will integrate. As the baby uses these patterns, they spur on the next stage of development.
Retained reflexes
There are many reasons why an infant’s reflexes might not integrate naturally, including genetic factors, trauma, or if the infant doesn’t have enough freedom to move around. Many children with ASD, ADHD, or other developmental delays have retained reflexes. If a reflex doesn’t integrate, it can cause a lack of coordination, balance, attention, emotional regulation, or higher order thinking skills.
Will therapy help?
A qualified therapist who is trained in reflex integration can correct retained reflexes by teaching the body the proper motor responses to different reflexes. Once the child masters the exercises, his movements can begin to develop proper patterns.
There are various modalities which apply reflex integration, including INPP, MNRI, Rhythmic Movement, Bobath, and others. Reflex integration is usually provided by OTs, but there are PTs, SLPs, and other specialists who can be trained in reflex integration as well.
Call Ezreinu for a referral at 718-750-1010.
Is it a quick fix?
Nope! If there’s a retained reflex which is getting in the way of a child’s development – even if you treat the symptoms with traditional therapy – the reflex is going to continue popping up in different areas in the child’s life. Reflex integration strikes at the root of the issue by creating new neuropathways, which takes more time and work than slapping a band-aid onto the symptoms. Just as it takes time for a typically developing child to reach each milestone, achieving regulation and new skills through reflex integration is a process which requires time, patience, and consistency.
Thank you to Danielle Amster from Sensory Wellness and Amy (Friedy) Guttmann-Singer from Hands On OT for sharing your extensive knowledge with us!
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