From the moment we are born our body begins to respond to our environment and learns to adapt and survive within that environment. We learn and change from a baby requiring complete support to become free standing, independent individuals who can walk, talk and interact with our environment in many different ways. The first responses we have are reflex actions that enable us to feed, hold on to things, gain muscle control and improve our balance and co-ordination in life. Our visual system is also trained and improved through our early reflex actions.
The reflexes with which we are born are known as primitive reflexes. Their role is to assist the birth process and help us survive the first few months. As the infant brain develops connections to higher centres in the brain develop and take greater control of body movement, posture, balance and co-ordination. The primitive reflexes should be replaced by more mature patterns of response known as postural reflexes.
Neuro-Motor Immaturity can occur when the primitive reflexes are not fully integrated and the postural reflexes are not fully developed. This can result in children experiencing difficulty sitting still, developing co-ordination and body control, developing fine motor skills, developing adequate eye control and visual function to assist learning tasks including reading, writing and comprehension. This physiological basis for learning difficulty can cause frustration and an inability to comply with many of the requirements of a standard schooling experience. It can interfere with concentration, memory and perception of information. Some children may be hypersensitive to sound or visual stimulation, unable to exclude irrelevant data and information and are therefore easily distracted.
The INPP method of Neuro-Developmental Therapy helps address difficulties associated with Neuro Motor Immaturity. A clinical assessment process is used to determine an individualised movement and therapy programme designed to meet the developmental profile of the child or adult seeking assistance. Regular assessments inform the INPP practitioner who will modify and adapt the programme over a period of time ensuring continued customisation as the client progresses.
