Neuro Developmental Therapy
This page provides information about a drug-free, non-invasive treatment for specific learning disabilities/specific learning difficulties called Neuro Developmental Therapy. Initially, there is a brief discussion of Specific Learning Disabilities/Difficulties, this is followed by an introduction to the theory behind Neuro Developmental Therapy, an outline of what the therapy involves, a description of the primitive reflexes and how their continued presence may affect your child's academic performance, and a short screening questionnaire to determine if this therapy might suit your child.
The term specific learning disability is widely used to label children and adults who have unexpected or unexplained difficulty with schoolwork, especially reading. Nearly 5% of all children in the U.S. are now labelled this way (Farnham-Diggory, 1992). This term is applied to individuals who do not acquire a particular academic skill, are not mentally disabled, and have not any persistent obvious emotional disturbance or hearing or vision problem (Bee, 1997). With a specific learning disability, individuals usually show a marked difference in their level of achievement in the area of their specific disability as compared with their general functioning. Thus there are many children of school-age who are of average or above-average intelligence who are not benefitting from normal remedial education.
Specific learning disabilities are denoted by a variety of terms such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia (defined below), and also incorporate behaviors that affect ability to learn such as attention deficit disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
DYS- is a greek word meaning 'difficulty with'
DYSLEXIA - difficulty with words (lexis greek for word)
DYSCALCULIA- difficulty with calculations
DYSPRAXIA - a disorder of movement
DYSGRAPHIA - difficulty with coherent writing
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - describe the condition under which an individual may have poor concentration, short term memory loss, hyperactivity, inability to sit still or to be quiet or to follow sequential instructions.
The Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology (INPP), has shown that approximately 85% of children with average to above average intelligence who have Specific Learning Disabilities/Difficulties and who do not respond to remedial help, have a cluster of Primitive Reflexes (Blythe, P, 1992). These primitive reflexes should only be present in the very young baby and are generally inhibited by the developing brain within the first 6 months of life. This cluster of primitive reflexes also significantly affects the emergence of the Postural Reflexes that should be present in all older children and adults.
This combination of a cluster of Primitive Reflexes and the absence of Postural Reflexes can play a role in difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, copying, and math. Concentration can also be affected leading to Attention Deficit Disorder, problems with short-term memory, the ability to sit still and attend to the task in hand.
A series of tests for these aberrant reflexes have been standardized by INPP, and inter-test reliability established (Field, J. & Blythe, P. 1989).
INPP has also established a physical Reflex-Inhibition movement program that gives the brain a second chance to control the Primitive Reflexes and 'release' the Postural Reflexes.
The continued presence of a cluster of primitive reflexes above the age of one year and the absence or underdevelopment of postural reflexes above the age of three and a half years is defined as Neuro-Developmental Delay (NDD). The reflex inhibition program designed to treat NDD is called Neuro Developmental Therapy.
Many researchers have found that NDD responds to remediation based on a series of physical exercises (Ayres, 1973, 1982, Bender 1976, and Bernhardsson and Davidson 1983 'in' Goddard Blythe & Hyland, 1998). INPP-trained Neuro Development Therapists use a screening questionnaire to identify children whose difficulties may stem from NDD.
Neuro developmental therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free therapy comprising of a series of physical exercises designed to retrain the reflex pathways and improve control over voluntary movements, visual functioning and perceptual abilities.
Typically a program will take between 5 and 15 minutes a day over a time period of 9 to 12 months. Progress is reviewed every 2 months and the program changed as necessary.
- Eileen Vard