Neuro-Developmental delay is a term that is used to describe that, for some non-specific reason, a child’s or adult’s central nervous system and reflex system are immature and underdeveloped. This indicates that they may have held up stages of early development which manifest as a child not reaching their milestones as expected.

An underdeveloped central nervous system and retained reflexes can disrupt subsequent motor development, visual functioning, hand-eye coordination, posture, balance, and perceptual skills. Missed developmental milestones may result in physical limitations, therefore eliciting frustration, hyperactivity, stress, and hypersensitivity, which can escalate into emotional challenges as the child grows older.

If unresolved, these challenges may persist into adulthood, potentially manifesting as agoraphobia, heightened sensitivity to stimuli, anxiety, panic attacks, indecision, and low self-esteem.

Every child is born with a set of primitive reflexes, which are sometimes known as ‘survival reflexes’, which should be inhibited or controlled by a higher part of the brain during the first year of life. They are automatic/ involuntary movements that are fundamental for the development of muscle tone, sensory integration, head control, and overall development.

As a baby grows, they slowly disappear as the infant’s brain starts to develop and mature, their movements start to become more voluntary and controlled. Movement is crucial for brain development to help integrate primitive reflexes. Vison and movement are closely connected and work together in the integration of these reflexes, enabling an infant to explore their surroundings as they develop through early childhood. Everything is affected by the integration of primitive reflexes from gross to fine motor skills to oculomotor movements. These muscle responses serve to create the foundation for movement patterns, safety, and understanding of where our body is in relation to the world.

The persistence of primitive reflexes can lead to struggles that can often puzzle parents and experts alike in the absence of pathology and learning difficulties. They can contribute to issues such as coordination, balance, sensory perception, fine motor skills, sleep, immunity, energy levels, impulse control, concentration, and all levels of social, emotional, and academic learning. They are also implicated in poor sports performance, self-esteem, anxiety, and emotional regulation.

If your child is smart but underachieving in any aspect of their life, such as sports, academia, personal relationships, anxiety, then it is most likely due to retained primitive reflexes. In the absence of pathology, higher brain functions can be accessed once primitive reflexes are integrated and are replaced by mature postural reflexes, which allow for subconscious control of posture, balance, and coordination.

They are crucial as babies learn to roll over, sit up, crawl, and eventually walk and run. When these reflexes are fully developed, a child can adjust their posture and stay steady even when their balance is challenged. But if these reflexes are not fully developed, a child might bump into things or fall over more easily. The reflexes kick in depending on how much balance is thrown off — just a little tilt might activate one set, while a bigger threat to balance will trigger another.

Signs of neuro-developmental immaturity tend to be more pronounced as children enter into senior school, as they develop into early teenage years. Signs of struggles will start to emerge in the form of fatigue, not being able to enjoy sports (particularly swimming, any ball sport, and dancing), self-esteem, and difficulty in creating and maintaining relationships.

The following list are indicators that you or your child might have retained primitive reflexes that could be impacting your daily life, making it more difficult. For a full list, please click here.

· Poor motor coordination and balance

· Poor fine motor skills/ manual dexterity

· Poor hand-eye coordination

. Low self-esteem

· Very smart but underachieving

· Mouth is moving when hands are engaged (e.g. when practising an instrument or cutting with scissors)

· Slumping the head close to the table when writing

· Messy eating

· Sitting in a 'W' position on the floor

· Swim better when underwater

. Difficulty following instructions

. Sensitivity to light, smell, touch, and sound

. Task avoidance

. Easily frustrated/ sensitive

. Behavioural issues

· Mixed laterality or still unestablished laterality by age 6/7

· Dysrhythmia/ poor timing and rhythm of movement

· Easily distracted

. Anxiety

· Physical timidity: dislike games and sports

· Agoraphobia

· Anorexia

· Asthma and eczema

· Hayfever

· Prone to allergies

· Poor immunity (constant ENT problem)

· Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

· Vertigo

· Angel at school, demon at home

· Two left feet (awkward dancer)

You can book a free 30-minute discovery call to allow you the opportunity to ask questions and to see if this programme can help you.

This programme is not a quick fix. It lasts between 12-18 months. It requires that you commit to a 2 to 5-minute exercise daily for the duration of your prescribed programme. If this is likely to be difficult then this is not the right programme for you.

It is a two-hour physical assessment where we examine things like static and dynamic balance, patterns of motor development, fine motor skills, laterality, and whether you have a cluster of retained primitive reflexes.

Absolutely. We are available by phone or email if you have any questions or need support in between appointments.

Unlike other reflex integration programmes and interventions, the INPP method works from the ‘bottom-up’ identifying the earliest point in development which is missing. By doing the exercises every day and repeating them long enough it helps modify the neural pathways that underpin those movements and the changes they are going to make to build a solid foundation for neuromotor development.