Indications of Imbalance
Indications of Imbalance
Retention of Primitive reflexes
We are all born with primitive reflexes as these are essential to our survival over the first 12 months of life. It is the instinctive movements that a baby makes throughout the first year of life that helps to use these reflexes up (or helps them to integrate). This is why movements such as rolling, rocking and crawling are so important for a child’s growth and development. Thus, when we see a cluster of primitive reflexes that haven’t been integrated well due to the fact that a child either did not complete a milestone or didn’t do it for long enough to use the reflex up we start to see the classic hallmarks of functional disconnection. Do they startle easily, what about at the swimming pool - let me guess they hate floating on their back, or diving head first under the water?
Poor body awareness
Is your child clumsy, poor balance/ coordination, physically awkward?
Poor gross or fine motor skills
May have poor posture, altered gait (walking style), uncoordinated, little sense of timing/ rhythm, may be delayed in childhood milestones such as sitting, crawling (or crawl with an unusual pattern), walking. Does their head or body always tilt to one side, a foot turn in or out. What about coordination of the hands and feet - What is their handwriting like?
Poor eye coordination
There is often an imbalance in the muscles of the eyes - this can present as a change in shape or position of the eyes. The child may not be able to keep a steady gaze when the head is moving or follow the words on a page. Does your child find it difficult to read?
Poor social skills
The basis of all social relationships develops naturally very early in life and is based on the baby’s ability to read and understand other’s emotions and intentions by observation of their facial expression, tone of voice, body postures. Does your child find it difficult to make and maintain friendships?
Abnormal emotional reactions
Social and emotional development occur at the same time in particular neurons in the brain. If the social engagement system is not functioning ie non verbal communication is not understood well, emotional responses to those social cues also aren’t able to develop. This leads to an alteration in how emotions are felt and expressed. Does your child have anger outbursts that seem over the top? Or have the inability to look at your face and interpret what you are feeling?
Sensory sensitivity
Sensation is vital to brain development, thus an overactive or under active sense will have significant changes in how your child’s brain is developing. Is your child over/ under sensitive to sound, light, touch, smell/ taste?
Compromised immune function
As the brain is the master controller of the immune system an imbalance in the two hemispheres can lead to an uneven immune function. Does you child get sick a lot (ear infections, respiratory viruses etc)? Or is your child’s immune system overactive - do they overreact to environmental stimuli? - Do they get asthma, allergies, chronic food sensitivities?
Academic challenges
There often seems to be large discrepancies in their academic achievement - great at some subjects but poor in others. The symptoms that this can lead to are many and varied. How many of these boxes does your child tick?
Poor oral and written expression
Poor reading and written comprehension
Poor writing skills
Inability to organise
Lack of focus
Reading and spelling problems
Inability to follow directions
Lack of concentration
Difficulty understanding cause and effect
Poor sequencing ability
Confusion when presented with multiple pieces of information
Poor social skills
Poor cognitive awareness
Cognitive skills (executive function) are slower to develop than our other functions, and are very complex - they are what makes each of us unique. Executive function is what drives how we think, learn, make decisions, plan, express emotions, control impulses, establish goals, regulate behaviour, form relationships. Again there are a whole host of symptoms that may be indicators that our cognitive development is delayed.
Inappropriate laughing or giggling
Lack of fear, especially in dangerous situations
Risk taking
An aversion to being cuddled, touched
Sustained unusual or repetitive play
Avoiding eye contact
A preference to play alone
Difficulty in expressing needs
Insistence on everything being the same/ routine
Difficulty interacting with others
Difficulty setting goals and prioritising
Difficulty controlling emotions
Difficulty learning, remembering, paying attention
Poor motor control
Inability to monitor own actions
Inability to make friends or sustain relationships