Learning and Behaviour

Concentration, co-ordination, learning and behaviour are all closely linked with the function of your nervous system. How you perceive the world around you, how your nervous system reacts to certain situations, and how your nervous system is communicating with the rest of your body is determined by the health and performance of your central nervous system as a whole.

Children with learning, behaviour and attention difficulties are increasingly labelled with terms and letters such as ADHD, ADD, ASD, Autism, Asperger’s, Auditory Processing Disorder... the list is almost endless. When a diagnosis is given, parents are often relieved that the cause of their child’s problem has finally been figured out. However, the next step in ‘treating’ this problem is often the prescription of medication, such as Ritalin, that will serve to dull down your child’s symptoms (and their nervous system). Ritalin itself is a Class II Narcotic. Parents can sometimes find themselves at a loss when trying to find an alternative to the medication option.

Research is starting to indicate that all of these children with lots of different symptoms, lots of different difficulties actually have something in common: dysfunction in the central nerve system.

Your child’s nervous system begins to develop around 3 weeks after conception. Shortly after this time the nervous system develops certain patterns, or Primitive Reflexes, that will serve to protect foetal development, assist in the baby knowing what to do during the birth process, and will enhance your baby’s chance of survival.  Basically, Primitive Reflexes are survival reflexes that promote the safe and healthy arrival of your baby into this world.

As the nervous system matures (with your child’s growth) these Primitive Reflexes are integrated into higher brain functions, and are replaced by more selective and specific responses. Failure of these reflexes to integrate properly- i.e. Retained Primitive Reflexes- can result in learning difficulties, behavioural problems, low attention and concentration, poor posture and altered visual or auditory perception. Some of the earlier signs can include delay in crawling, or a very short period of the normal cross-crawling pattern, delay or difficulty in learning to speak or socialise with others, or difficulty in learning to walk or toilet train.

Examination of your child by a Chiropractor at Embrace Life may include, where necessary, assessment of their neurological responses, including evaluation of primitive reflexes. If Primitive Reflexes are found to be present past their useful age, we know that the higher centres in the brain may not have taken over its responsibility- this gives us a nonspecific tool to assess overall brain function. As well as assessment for Retained Primitive Reflexes, your Chiropractor will also check your child for other signs of disruption to optimal nervous system function, including spinal and cranial subluxations (aberrant joint movement).

To encourage integration of Retained Primitive Reflexes, and to optimise nervous system function, a combination of gentle chiropractic adjustments and gentle pressure on particular points will be used.