Submitted by Anneli Tromp, Registered Biokineticist, South Africa
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Couldn't hold attention and focus on something to get it finished | Definite improvement in focus and attention; completes tasks at school more easily and with less distraction |
| Difficulty in reading and spelling | Reading is more fluent |
| Struggled with handwriting; incorrect pencil grip | Writing and pencil grip are dramatically improved |
| Would have metdowns when she couldn't get something right | Calmer when attempting homework that she doesn't immediately understand; extreme fear of failure has decreased |
| Slouched at the desk | Posture is improved |
| Found reading tiring | Less fatigued when doing homework |
| Had trouble falling asleep | Sleeping better |
7-year-old girl: Caesarean section, Gromets x 3, did crawl for about 5 months on hands, mostly asymmetrically, on one hand and one foot, sometimes symmetrically but looked like she enjoyed the moving on the bum or one leg, one arm more. Mom described the main challenges as: concerns regarding difficulty in reading and spelling, slow processing (work slow at school, can’t finish homework), can’t hold attention and focus on something to get it finished. Hand writing is a problem, emotional intelligence is a big concern. Child saw a psychologist for anxiety before, but not with great success, still outburst and meltdowns (especially if she can’t get something right). Some Feedback from Neurodevelopmental Profile / Parent Questionnaire: Poor core strength: sitting still is difficult, clumsy at times, easily distracted, slouches at the desk, poor handwriting, difficulty paying attention, anxious, impulsive, emotional outburst, finds reading tiring, difficulty keeping eyes on the line, difficulty falling asleep, incorrect pencil grip.
Neurodevelopmental Profile/parent Questionnaire: 6 November 2022:
We started with the rhythmic movements [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course] before working on reflex integration, and after doing them consistently for about 3 weeks, the feedback from mom was that she is less emotional and handles unforeseen challenges and changes better, and she slept better.
On the 21st of October, I assessed the child with the Neurodevelopmental movement assessment tool [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course]:
Started with TLR [Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex] as the biggest concern was to improve the core strength, so that she does not get so fatigued while completing tasks, that will in turn help her paying better attention. The next step was to focus on the Moro Reflex and The FPR [Fear Paralysis Reflex] as learning to adapt to change and coping better with challenges would mean, less stressful events and outburst and dealing better with life in general.
We followed with the ATNR [Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex], as her reading and writing was another big concern and as we know if the ATNR is unintegrated, reading and schoolwork is are extremely difficult because the eyes are not teaming well and the hand-eye coordination is not fully developed.
We also started with the Hand reflex during this time to improve that tight pencil grip, that will help make the writing more fluent. She does the hand sequence [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course] every morning on their way to school and it has become a fun activity for her while singing a song with mom.
Changes during sessions: I see the child twice a week, and mom continues with activities on the other days. I was astounded by her quick progress. Within 3 weeks’ time, focusing on TLR MORO and Fear paralysis, I saw better core strength, she started with only being able to hold the “flying” on belly for 6 seconds, she was on 20 seconds x 4 at the end of the 3 weeks. Her posture improved dramatically, and she doesn’t get that fatigued with the movements as when we started. She was much more comfortable with mom not sitting with her the entire time while I was doing the movements with her. After 7 weeks she loves seeing me, her favourite movements are still “Roly Poly”, and “bottom walking.”
Changes after sessions: Mom’s feedback after 7 weeks on the program: Definite improvement in focus and attention, even the teacher gave feedback that she can do her tasks at school easier and with less distraction. Her reading is also more fluent, and her writing and pencil grip improved dramatically. She is still clinging on mommy from time to time, but that extreme fear of failure is definitely less, she tries doing her maths, and normally there would be a meltdown if she does understand it, but lately she is calmer, asks and tries again. She also does not get as fatigued anymore while completing her homework, her posture is much better while sitting at her desk, and her sleeping habits have also improved. Mom says this is: “The best thing I’ve ever done for my child.”
Both Mom and I are absolutely amazed by her progress. Not sure if this is going to be the end results on all my children, but definitely hope so!
This is such an amazing tool… I’m astounded by the quick results.
I definitely learned that you need to be adaptable during your session and ask the child what they prefer.
This has been an amazing experience for me so far and I’m overwhelmed by the idea that with something you love doing, you can make such a big difference in someone else’s life.
(Edited, emphasis added)