Retained Primitive Reflexes – Children’s Reflex Integration Therapy

How does Reflex Integration Therapy work?

The Reflex Integration Programme gives the child the opportunity to go back to the very beginning of balance training and postural development.

Following a detailed assessment of their primitive reflex responses, your child will be given an individual programme of specific developmental exercises to be carried out for just 10-15 minutes per day under your supervision. The programme follows a chronological sequence, the first stage being to gain head control – the basis for good posture, and secondly, the ability to use right and left sides, and upper and lower sections of the body in different ways – the basis for co-ordination.

The exercises are based on the natural movements normally made during the first year of life and most are carried out in a slow and controlled way on the floor. These movements form the foundation for all voluntary movements later.

What happens in a Reflex Integration Therapy session?

Treatments are carried out fully clothed, in a quiet peaceful environment. 

The Full Diagnostic Assessment

This assessment lasts approximately three hours and involves understanding more about your child’s ability to balance, their gross and fine motor skills, co-ordination, laterality and ocular motor function. Having welcomed you into my therapy space, I will explain more about the way that I work and spend time getting to know your child, involving them in identifying areas and goals that they would like to feel more comfortable and competent about. I will then take your child through a series of assessments in order to understand which exercises would be the most appropriate to start with and take you through these.

Follow Up Reviews

Arranged every 6-8 weeks, these last approximately 90 minutes. I will begin by reviewing the last few weeks with yourself and your child to understand what has changed. I will then spend some time repeating some of the physical assessments that were performed as part of the Full Diagnostic Assessment: those for the Primitive Reflexes, static and dynamic balance and oculomotor function. This information will enable me to decide which exercises would be the most appropriate going forwards. I will then spend some time taking yourself and your child through these.

There are times during the Review when a deeper process tries to come forward to be witnessed. When this occurs, I will work intuitively with my other therapy skills (Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy and Integrative Baby Therapy) to hold a safe therapeutic space and let this process unfold. This may mean an additional review session would need to be organised.

Ongoing Support & Mentoring

Between reviews, I provide ongoing support for your child in the form of regular exercise check-ins to ensure all is progressing at the right pace and level for them, whilst empowering you with the tools and understanding to create a nurturing environment for growth and success for all.

How will your child feel after a Therapy Session?

Due to the nature of the Retained Reflexes therapy, each client’s journey is a very personal and individual one in which I work in deep relationship with their system. Many children feel tired after their assessment, so it is advisable to plan a quiet time for the rest of the day. There may also be a post behavioural or emotional reaction too such as irritability, low tolerance for frustration or becoming easily stressed or anxious. I invite parents to hold such situations in a calm and empathetic way whilst also being curious as your child may be trying to give you an insight into a deeper pattern. Such symptoms should ease within the following 24-48 hours. 

New exercises may also cause a similar reaction or a regression in behaviour for a short period whilst your child’s system adjusts to working at a different level.

What Happens Next?

To find out more, please call me on 07790 783280 or arrange an initial free consultation with no obligation today.