Primitive Reflex Integration Case Studies
Better Regulation, Fewer Meltdowns, and Less Aggression after Reflex Integration
OT helps 5-year-old with sensory issues to make great progress on goals
This young boy had difficulty calming himself, and exhibited challenges with transitions, aggressive behaviors, sensory seeking, and falling asleep. Once he began receiving rhythmic movements from the Brain and Sensory Foundations program his regulation improved, and soon he was initiating these movements independently. After just five weeks of rhythmic movements and reflex integration he demonstrated notable gains across various goals.
Submitted by Tiffany Katsefaras, OTR/L
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Frequent aggressive behavior | Decreased aggression; learning to process feelings and emotions in order to select an appropriate response |
| Anxious, especially during transitions | Decreased anxiety, especially around transitions |
| Difficulty staying on-task, especially sensory-calming tasks | Engaging in sensory-calming strategies, e.g., independently initiating movements after school and just before bedtime |
| Increased escalation (3-5 times per day); meltdowns | Fewer meltdowns |
| Unaware of his body's cues when escalating | Better body awareness; pausing prior to aggression to try a calming activity |
| Difficulty falling asleep | Falling asleep more easily due to independently practicing movements before bedtime |
This client (H) is a 5-year-old typically developing male who presents with sensory integration challenges which leads to difficulty in attention to tasks, sleeping—particularly falling asleep, and eating a variety of textures. He often presents with increased aggressive behaviors and increased sensory proprioceptive seeking behaviors. His goals include decreased aggression, increased ability to attend to a task specifically a sensory calming task, and falling asleep quicker with fewer night wakings.
I chose to begin with all of the rhythmic movements [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course] for H and complete them once upon returning from school and just prior to bedtime. I chose these times because just after school he seemed to be consistently escalated and I chose before bedtime with the goal of helping him calm to fall asleep easier. I chose the rhythmic movements because they have been found to be calming and I felt the smooth, fluid movements could help re-set his CNS to be more calm after school as well as before bed to help him reach his goals. I also chose to teach him the Hook Ups [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course] and I encouraged him to engage in these when he demonstrated increased escalation (initially 3-5 times per day) or when he became upset to assist him in calming.
Additionally, I chose to stimulate and worked to integrate the Fear Paralysis Reflex due to H’s difficulty in sleep and his aggressive behaviors. I also thought about potential anxiety from H leading to his presented challenges which could mean an unintegrated FPR.
During our sessions, H was visibly calmer after a few minutes of engaging in the rhythmic movements. He began asking for more time in each movement during our sessions. Once a consistent routine was established and following 3-4 sessions, he began to independently initiate the movements following school and just before bedtime. He began demonstrating a more calm state in the evenings, he was able to find and initiate sensory strategies with fewer verbal prompts as he showed an increased awareness of his body’s needs prior to aggression. He even began showing his older sisters the Hook Ups when they were becoming escalated. H did present with a slight FPR so I decided to use the Fear Release Tapping Points [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course], which he responded well to. Overall, H’s aggression decreased and he required fewer prompts around falling asleep. Additionally, he demonstrated less anxiety around transitions, which I wasn’t aware of until there were fewer meltdowns.
I learned that the rhythmic movements are powerful and while H’s challenges didn’t resolve completely yet, his aggression and anxiety have decreased and his body awareness and ability to appropriately engage in sensory calming strategies has increased. He did often request rhythmic movements to help him calm. I also learned how impactful an unintegrated reflex can be even if it only slightly presented.
I have been using these tools with H for 5 weeks and completing 5-6 sessions per week.
We also did a 5-Step Balance Process [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course] to support his ability to engage in a calming activity so he can have fun with his sisters. Afterwards, H demonstrated more confidence in his ability to pause prior to aggression so that he could try a calming activity. He also had “more tools in his tool box” when he began to become escalated. This process seemed to help him break down his feelings and emotions in order to select an appropriate response. This process really opened up a great dialogue around his feelings and anxiety leading to aggression. I found this process extremely helpful when working with H.
(Edited, emphasis added)
*Disclaimer: The activities in the Brain and Sensory Foundations curriculum make use of the natural processes of neuroplasticity and development that are innately wired in the design of human beings to promote maturity and function. These activities appear to calm, organize, and mature the neuro-sensory-motor systems just as we see in the healthy development of human infants. Individual results may vary, and we do not claim to offer a diagnosis or cure for any specific condition or disorder. The Brain and Sensory Foundations activities appear to improve overall functioning resulting in measurable improvements for a range of conditions as demonstrated in over 1800 case studies from participants.