It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July without a host of firework-fueled celebrations. The loud noises and unpredictable flashes of light are also incredibly stimulating, especially in a crowded, often hot setting. Navigating this holiday with auditory processing and sensory challenges involves planning and an understanding of the impact of our earliest reflexes.
Our earliest form of learning is through self-exploration and play. A report by the LEGO Foundation found that children show significantly greater gains in literacy, motor, social-emotional development and math skills in an environment that allows a mix of free play with instructional learning.
When I’m not with clients or in our Elmhurst space, I’m often delivering custom learning opportunities on the road. When a team of professionals, or even a family unit, learns together, meaningful connections are made through the collaborative experience.
Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, has been attributed to a number of causes but generally occurs when the body is unable to feel when the bladder is full. When immature reflexes slow the development of nerves that control the bladder, as well as muscle tone in the region, a child’s brain may not receive those bathroom signals while in a deep sleep.
Spinal Galant is a reflex that establishes our ability to move side to side, and subsequently, the ability to move upright with a stable spine. Muscle tone in the lower spine, and stiffness in the lumbar region of the back, impact posture and postural development throughout life.
In this case study, we examine how active Moro and immature TLR impacts a client’s vestibular processing. The young girl experienced moments of fear and dysregulation during everyday activities like driving in the car and taking a bath. Our mobility work gave her a greater sense of control over her body and comfort in her day.
In Thrive Therapy’s workshops, we compliment cognitive learning from our reflex integration textbooks with crucial hands-on demonstration. The opportunity to feel movement in your body and to demonstrate an exercise in a partner’s body brings rhythmic movement therapy to life.
Motion sickness is one of the most unpleasant experiences that a traveler can endure. Physiological symptoms like nausea and dizziness come from a sensory conflict within our vestibular system during moments of physical, visual or virtual motion, and our reflexes play a major role in creating this foundation for balance and an awareness of our moving surroundings.
The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex, or TLR, helps infants establish head control, leading to muscle tone, that supports their independent navigation, from rolling to crawling and learning to walk. The ability to move the head in both directions equally allows for movement with stability.
In this case study, we see a client whose emotional distress and regulation challenges impact his entire household. With overactive FP and Moro reflexes, he tried unsuccessfully to self-soothe before Thrive led him on a gentle path toward safety and success.
