Chris Evans tells of ‘revolutionary’ treatment that helped son
The presenter said seven-year-old Eli has come on in leaps and bounds over the last year - By Julia Hunt
The presenter said seven-year-old Eli has come on in leaps and bounds over the last year - By Julia Hunt
Chris Evans has told how a “revolutionary” treatment helped his seven-year-old son with learning difficulties.
The presenter said Eli was diagnosed with “retained reflexes” – a condition where primitive reflexes remain active – after having problems with reading and writing, but that by doing just 10 minutes of exercises twice a day, he is now four stages above his expected reading level.
Speaking during The Chris Evans Virgin Radio Breakfast Show with Sky, Evans said it was “like a miracle”. He said of Eli: “He loves school. He loves life. He really loves life. He’s a really bright kid. “But he couldn’t read and he couldn’t write. And he is seven, you know, and at the start of this year, his new year at school, he couldn’t really read and he couldn’t really write.”
“But he’s creative, such genius,” he added. “The kid is obviously a genius. You know, he’s a shining star in our world. So was he dyslexic? How was he with his maths? Not very good.”
The DJ said his wife, Natasha Shishmanian, discovered a clinic that focused “on a link between all these learning issues and potential issues of communication or spacial awareness”.
Read the entire article by clicking here: Chris Evans tells of ‘revolutionary’ treatment that helped son
The presenter said Eli was diagnosed with “retained reflexes” – a condition where primitive reflexes remain active – after having problems with reading and writing, but that by doing just 10 minutes of exercises twice a day, he is now four stages above his expected reading level.
Speaking during The Chris Evans Virgin Radio Breakfast Show with Sky, Evans said it was “like a miracle”. He said of Eli: “He loves school. He loves life. He really loves life. He’s a really bright kid. “But he couldn’t read and he couldn’t write. And he is seven, you know, and at the start of this year, his new year at school, he couldn’t really read and he couldn’t really write.”
“But he’s creative, such genius,” he added. “The kid is obviously a genius. You know, he’s a shining star in our world. So was he dyslexic? How was he with his maths? Not very good.”
The DJ said his wife, Natasha Shishmanian, discovered a clinic that focused “on a link between all these learning issues and potential issues of communication or spacial awareness”.
Read the entire article by clicking here: Chris Evans tells of ‘revolutionary’ treatment that helped son
International Journal of Pedagogy Innovation & New Technologies (Dec 2020)
School functioning of students with neuromotor immaturity
By Maja Zielinska & Sally Goddard Blythe
By Maja Zielinska & Sally Goddard Blythe
The objective of the article is to outline the problem of neuromotor immaturity in the context of school functioning. Research on neuromotor immaturity has been reviewed for child development and difficulties at school. It has been established that neuromotor immaturity constitutes an area of interest of scientists in many fields, including neurobiology, medicine, psychology, and pedagogy. Numerous studies provide information on the subject of the presence of a relationship between the student's difficulties in learning and neuromotor immaturity.
Download the article here
Download the article here
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How ADHD can resemble 'retained primitive reflexes' in children
- By AMANDA CASSIDY
When Amanda Cassidy wrote an article about how she thought her son had ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and instead discovered he had what's called 'retained reflexes', it went viral. It also marked the start of her journey into the world of neurodevelopmental therapy that many parents are not aware of.
The response to my article both took me by surprise and overwhelmed me. Like myself, most people had never heard of retained primitive reflexes. Over 1.5 million people read the article I wrote about my son, and it was shared over 90 thousand times.
Teaching magazines in New Zealand asked my permission to republish so the thousands of primary school teachers could better identify it amongst the children they teach. I was interviewed on talk radio in New York and Canada and have replied to thousands of emails from concerned parents all over the world.
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am also a concerned parent who was surprised to learn how often these behavioural traits are initially mistaken for ADHD. Of course, a diagnosis of ADHD is respected when diagnosed by medical professionals, but to know that there was another avenue that might explain some of the patterns in behaviour was eye-opening – especially when it can be treated easily and very effectively with simple exercises.
Read the entire article by clicking here: How ADHD can resemble 'retained primitive reflexes' in children
The response to my article both took me by surprise and overwhelmed me. Like myself, most people had never heard of retained primitive reflexes. Over 1.5 million people read the article I wrote about my son, and it was shared over 90 thousand times.
Teaching magazines in New Zealand asked my permission to republish so the thousands of primary school teachers could better identify it amongst the children they teach. I was interviewed on talk radio in New York and Canada and have replied to thousands of emails from concerned parents all over the world.
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am also a concerned parent who was surprised to learn how often these behavioural traits are initially mistaken for ADHD. Of course, a diagnosis of ADHD is respected when diagnosed by medical professionals, but to know that there was another avenue that might explain some of the patterns in behaviour was eye-opening – especially when it can be treated easily and very effectively with simple exercises.
Read the entire article by clicking here: How ADHD can resemble 'retained primitive reflexes' in children
Finding a cure when 'something is not quite right'
Clumsiness, bed-wetting and poor social skills could be symptoms of mild neuro developmental delay, writes Alison Healy
When parents go to see a neuro developmental therapist, they often say exactly the same thing, according to therapist Moya Mulroy. "So many times I've heard parents say 'there's nothing wrong with my child, but there's something not quite right'," she says. The "something" could be clumsiness, poor balance, difficulty concentrating, dyslexia, poor social skills or bed-wetting. Neuro developmental therapists see these problems as symptoms of a mild neuro developmental delay.
It's all connected with our primitive reflexes, explains Mulroy, a paediatric nurse. We are all born with primitive reflexes. These can be seen in the way a new baby is easily startled or the way he grips a finger. Normal movements cause these reflexes to be shed within the first six to 12 months to allow more sophisticated brain functions to develop. Some children do not lose these primitive reflexes for various reasons and this may prevent other functions developing. Genetic factors could explain the retention of such reflexes, or illnesses such as multiple ear infections. "If a baby's movement is restricted between the ages of nought and one, that can often lead to some skills being compromised for the rest of time," she says.
Mulroy cautions parents against limiting a baby's movement by strapping them into car seats and buggies or carrying them around for long periods. Instead, lie them on their tummies on the floor at intervals to encourage movement.
Early signs of developmental delay might include a failure to crawl, a difficulty in learning to ride a bike and in tying shoelaces or using cutlery. "Or they could be clumsy in sport. You might see a boy who loves football but never gets picked for the team and can't seem to get it together," she says. Neuro developmental therapy (NDT) can help by using a number of movements that are naturally used by a baby and young child to encourage the nervous system to develop. Children are given a programme of exercises that may include crawling, yoga-type movements and an exercise called "the flower". Trampolining and swimming can also help.
"The brain pathways have been blocked and you need to straighten them out. The flower exercise is a foetal movement which opens up the pathways assisting the speedy transfer of information to the brain. Most of the movements are vestibular, stimulating your inner ear." About 10 per cent of Mulroy's client base has autism. While there are complex factors in this condition, NDT has been known to help, particularly in terms of social behaviour.
NDT is relatively new to Ireland, according to Una Hatch, treasurer of the Irish Association of Neuro Developmental Therapists. The therapy was developed in Chester and was introduced in Ireland in the 1990s. The association was formed last year. Its 37 members around the State typically come from a nursing, psychology or teaching background. Referrals to such therapists are mostly made by resource teachers, psychologists and GPs.
Read the entire article by clicking here: Finding a cure when 'something is not quite right'
It's all connected with our primitive reflexes, explains Mulroy, a paediatric nurse. We are all born with primitive reflexes. These can be seen in the way a new baby is easily startled or the way he grips a finger. Normal movements cause these reflexes to be shed within the first six to 12 months to allow more sophisticated brain functions to develop. Some children do not lose these primitive reflexes for various reasons and this may prevent other functions developing. Genetic factors could explain the retention of such reflexes, or illnesses such as multiple ear infections. "If a baby's movement is restricted between the ages of nought and one, that can often lead to some skills being compromised for the rest of time," she says.
Mulroy cautions parents against limiting a baby's movement by strapping them into car seats and buggies or carrying them around for long periods. Instead, lie them on their tummies on the floor at intervals to encourage movement.
Early signs of developmental delay might include a failure to crawl, a difficulty in learning to ride a bike and in tying shoelaces or using cutlery. "Or they could be clumsy in sport. You might see a boy who loves football but never gets picked for the team and can't seem to get it together," she says. Neuro developmental therapy (NDT) can help by using a number of movements that are naturally used by a baby and young child to encourage the nervous system to develop. Children are given a programme of exercises that may include crawling, yoga-type movements and an exercise called "the flower". Trampolining and swimming can also help.
"The brain pathways have been blocked and you need to straighten them out. The flower exercise is a foetal movement which opens up the pathways assisting the speedy transfer of information to the brain. Most of the movements are vestibular, stimulating your inner ear." About 10 per cent of Mulroy's client base has autism. While there are complex factors in this condition, NDT has been known to help, particularly in terms of social behaviour.
NDT is relatively new to Ireland, according to Una Hatch, treasurer of the Irish Association of Neuro Developmental Therapists. The therapy was developed in Chester and was introduced in Ireland in the 1990s. The association was formed last year. Its 37 members around the State typically come from a nursing, psychology or teaching background. Referrals to such therapists are mostly made by resource teachers, psychologists and GPs.
Read the entire article by clicking here: Finding a cure when 'something is not quite right'