Attention, Balance and Coordination

The A.B.C. of Learning Success

Sally Goddard Blythe

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781119164760
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Teaching Methods

An updated edition of the definitive handbook on the physical basis for learning for professionals involved in education and child development, written by the respected author of acclaimed titles in the field.

• A comprehensive overview of the relationship between neuromotor maturity and physical development on learning outcomes and behaviour in childhood and later life
• Explores why early reflexes are important, their functions in early development, their effects on learning and behavior if retained, and the possible effects on other aspects of development
• Brings together a specialist body of knowledge and makes it accessible to anyone involved in treating the symptoms of specific learning difficulties and emotional problems.
• Includes new information on the role of the vestibular system in anxiety and agoraphobia, a new chapter of case studies, and an Epilogue placing the INPP Method in a broader scientific context

1
Windows on the Brain

1.1 Introduction

Although all learning ultimately takes place in the brain, it is often forgotten that it is through the body that the brain receives sensory information from the environment and reveals its experience of the environment. Postural control reflects integration of functioning within the central nervous system (CNS) and supports brain–body functioning. Immaturity or conflict in brain–body functioning affects the brain’s ability to assimilate and process information and to express itself in an organized way.

One method of assessing maturity and integrity in the functioning of the CNS is through the examination of primitive and postural reflexes. The presence or absence of primitive and postural reflexes at key stages in development provides “windows” into the functioning of the CNS, enabling the trained professional to identify signs of neurological dysfunction or immaturity.

This book, I hope, will give the reader an understanding of why early reflexes are important, their functions in early development, their effects on learning and behavior if retained, and the possible effects on other aspects of development such as posture, balance, and motor skills if they are not integrated at the correct time in development.

---

Reflexes will be described in detail in subsequent chapters.

---

There is an increasing body of scientific evidence to support the theory that physical skills support academic learning and are involved in emotional regulation and behavior. Since its foundation in 1975, the Institute for Neuro‐Physiological Psychology (INPP) in Chester has been the pioneer in researching the effects of immature primitive and postural reflexes on learning and behavior, developing protocols for the assessment of abnormal reflexes and related functions, and has devised a specific method of effective remediation (the INPP method).

Research carried out both independently and by the institute over the past 30 years has shown that there is a direct link between immature infant reflexes, academic underachievement, and increased anxiety in adult life, and that a remedial program aimed directly at stimulating and integrating primitive and postural reflexes can effect positive change in these areas. This book will outline the underlying theory, mechanisms, developmental markers, and effects of immature reflexes in older children to assist professionals involved in education and child welfare to recognize the signs of neurological dysfunction and their implications.

The book will also explore interdisciplinary shortcomings endemic in the current system for identifying, assessing, and providing effective remedial intervention for learning and behavioral problems. In this context, the book will propose that there is a need within education for a new profession to bridge the present gaps—a neuro‐educator—trained specifically to assess children’s developmental readiness for education.

1.2 Developmental Readiness for Education

Chronological age and intelligence are not the only criteria for learning success. Developmental readiness for formal education is equally important. Developmental testing of motor skills is carried out regularly in the first year of life, but when responsibility for the young child moves from the domain of medicine (midwife, pediatrician, and health visitor) to education at the time of school admission, a child’s developmental readiness in terms of physical development is not assessed as a matter of routine. Once a child enters formal education on reaching five years of age in the UK, assessment of physical development takes place only if medical problems arise. Assessment within the school system tends to focus on educational problems or visible symptoms rather than investigation of underlying causes.

INPP in Chester was set up in 1975 by psychologist Peter Blythe, PhD, with the aim of investigating whether underlying physical factors could play a part in specific learning difficulties and in some phobic disorders. In the 1970s, Peter Blythe and David McGlown devised, first, systems of assessment to identify areas of impaired functioning, and second, physical remediation programs to correct the underlying dysfunctions. These methods of assessment, which involve examining the neurodevelopmental level of the child and the subsequent physical programs of remedial intervention, are now known as the INPP Method of Developmental Training.

By the very nature, symptoms of specific learning difficulties tend to cross diagnostic boundaries, with different categories sharing a number of symptoms in common (comorbidity). This is particularly true of many of the symptoms of dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), and some aspects of autistic spectrum disorders. A number of the symptoms shared in common are a direct result of immaturity in the functioning of the CNS and are sometimes referred to as neurological dysfunction or neurodevelopmental delay.

1.3 What Is Neuromotor Immaturity?

Neuromotor functioning provides one indication of maturity in the functioning of the CNS. It is also linked to functioning of the vestibular, proprioceptive, and postural systems, which cooperatively provide a stable platform for centers involved in oculomotor functioning and subsequently visual perception. Individuals with n...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• About the Author
• About the Contributors
• 1 Windows on the Brain
• 2 The Significance of Primitive and Postural Reflexes
• 3 Primitive Reflexes of Position
• 4 Primitive Tactile Reflexes
• 5 Postural Reflexes
• 6 Use of the INPP Screening Questionnaire
• 7 Postnatal Factors Using the INPP Questionnaire
• 8 The Development of the Vestibular–Cerebellar Theory
• 9 The Effects of Neuromotor Immaturity in Adults and in Adolescents
• 10 Development of the INPP Method—from Theory to Fact
• 11 Other Factors in Specific Learning Difficulties
• 12 Missed and Misdiagnosis
• Appendix 1: Screening for Neurological Dysfunction in the Specific Learning Difficulty Child
• Appendix 2: Frequency Range of Vocals and Musical Instruments
• Glossary of Terms
• Bibliography
• Index
• End User License Agreement