Submitted by Jessica E., Mother of four from Southern California
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| 2-year-old — 6-10 wake-ups a night | 1-2 wake-ups a night, and occasionally sleeps all the way through |
| 2-year-old — Mild speech delay | Many new words, and clearer speech |
| 2-year-old — Extremely clingy | Able to play independently or with other kids for long stretches of time |
| 2-year-old — Comfort nursing at least 15 times a day | Asks to nurse only at waking and bedtimes with very infrequent comfort nursing |
| 9-year-old — sensory processing issues | Sensory seeking behavior and hypersensitivities are greatly diminished |
| 9-year-old — Threw up if driving for more than 30 minutes | Motion sickness has completely disappeared |
| 11-year-old — Fearful nature | Much more confident |
I recently took the [Brain and Sensory Foundations] class and was amazed! I have four children, ages 2 to 11, one of which has had significant difficulties due to sensory processing disorder and many food sensitivities. All of my children have been poor sleepers until at least the age of 5 or 6. The information Sonia presents in this class has been SO helpful and has provided huge insight into each of my children's ways of interacting with the world and many of their difficulties
We started with the rhythmic movements before working on reflex integration, and after doing them consistently for a while, sleep improved for my 2 year old -- we went from him waking and calling for me to help him re-settle 6-10 times a night to only once or twice a night. He even sleeps through occasionally now.
"He also had a mild speech delay, and within two weeks of beginning the rhythmic movements, he started saying many new words and expressing himself much more clearly."
He's been extremely clingy and needy for me since birth, and has also made great strides in this area -- able to play independently or with other kids for long stretches of time without needing to have me right next to him and even comfortable going to his class at church and going with his grandmothers and other friends while l leave him! This has been so freeing for me! He had also been asking for comfort nursing at least 15 times a day, and has gone to only asking to nurse at waking and bedtimes with very infrequent comfort nursing.
My 9 year old with sensory processing disorder has been significantly helped as well through the rhythmic movements and reflex integration. Both his sensory seeking behavior and hypersensitivities became greatly diminished. We used to get only small chunks of time when he was "in the green" (nervous system well regulated and operating with the appropriate level of alertness for the situation, not hyper or wild nor sluggish). With regular rhythmic movement of a few minutes every night (with four children, it's been impossible to consistently make it happen twice every day) and working on his Moro/startle reflex and feet reflexes, he's been spending more and more time 'in the green' until it's become his regular way of being!
"I feel like we are finally getting to spend time with the amazing boy I've always known was 'in there' somewhere!"
In the class, Sonia explains the possible long term symptoms of each reflex being unintegrated.
"Of about 20 symptoms of Moro/startle unintegration, my son has had all but 4 of them -- and almost all of them have disappeared or greatly improved since starting the movements."
Just to mention a few that have improved: his motion sickness has completely disappeared -- he used to feel sick every time we were in the car and would throw up if we drove longer than 30 minutes, he's no longer overwhelmed all the time, he has hardly been sick at all this past few months and when he has, it's been mild (as opposed the last year when he had 12 significant illnesses in a four-month period), he's much less reactive with his siblings, he's better able to pay attention visually to what he wants to focus on, and he had also needed a regular dose of melatonin every night to be able to settle down for sleep, and has decided on his own to wean himself off with complete success!
My oldest son needed open-heart surgery when he was three months old, and the information in the class about trauma or surgery causing reflexes not to integrate or to become unintegrated was so eye opening! It explains so much about what we thought was his personality, but I see now is related to the fear paralysis reflex and others. He is 11 now and has always been fearful of and very resistant to anything new (including participating in this therapy!), but after seeing the changes in his brothers, he sheepishly asked me to start working with him.
"We have only worked with the rhythmic movements so far (not yet begun the reflex integration), but already he is more confident and less fearful -- more at home in the world."
I can't thank Sonia enough for sharing this life-changing information! What a gift to our family!
From Jessica,
Mother of Four from Southern California
Posted June 13, 2015, less than 5 months after the start of the 8 week Brain and Sensory Foundations online course.
[Edited for length and clarity; emphasis added]