“Ultimately all learning takes place within the brain; however, it is through the body and its sensory systems that information is perceived and received. Sensory information needs to be accurate and effectively integrated for coherent and efficient body function.”
PRIMAL Movement Therapy was founded by Allison Berry, a Functional Neurologist and Neurodevelopmental Educator based in Thornbury, Melbourne, Australia.
Allison is passionate about supporting individuals to achieve their functional potential: physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively. She has witnessed and experienced the profoundly positive effects of both the INPP™ program and the Functional Neuro Health approach on the maturity of the central nervous system and looks forward to sharing her expertise with you.
Movement: the language of learning
The body trains and develops the brain through movement.
As an individual matures and grows, it is generally assumed that higher brain centres will increasingly control the lower centres. However, persistent or existent lower-level brain dominance affects a child’s ability to function, behave, and learn (Goddard, 2005). The reflex profile of an individual provides insight into the maturity of the central nervous system and, thereby, the level of automated control over balance, posture, and motor function (movement).
A clear indication of the maturity and integrity of the central nervous system [CNS] and its effective function is the presence of mature postural reflexes and the integration of primitive reflexes. A mature reflex system provides the foundation for automatic control over balance and posture and mastery of movement, which are essential to maintaining focus and attention—prerequisites for academic learning.
Neuromotor immaturity affects learning potential
Neuromotor immaturity [NMI] is defined as “the continued presence of a cluster of primitive reflexes in a child above six months of age together with absent or underdeveloped postural reactions above the age of three and a half years” (Goddard Blythe, 2017).
NMI directly impacts the vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (awareness of where the body is in space), and postural systems, which work in concert to provide stability for oculomotor (eye movement) function and visual perception.
Individuals with NMI often experience challenges with balance, body coordination, and visual perception. In children, these difficulties can influence behaviour and limit educational potential, while in adults, they may contribute to emotional instability and heightened anxiety.
Specific learning difficulties arise from inadequate mastery of the following key motor skills (essential for academic learning):
Smooth and controlled eye movement is required for reading
Hand-eye coordination is a prerequisite for writing
Spatial awareness, orientation, and bilateral integration underpin conceptual understanding in mathematics.
Specific learning difficulties also arise from inadequate balance and postural control, which are required to master sitting still and maintaining focus without distraction from sensory stimuli. Balance is fundamental to developing accurate proprioception and spatial orientation (up, down, left, right, forward, and backward).
NMI related symptoms and diagnosis
Poor or immature balance
Poor or immature motor coordination
Postural insecurity
Difficulty sitting still
Difficulty concentrating
Visual dysfunction
Auditory dysfunction
Sensory hyper/hyposensitivity
Delayed speech
Behavioural concerns
Emotional regulation concerns
Anxiety and panic disorders
ADD and ADHD
Autism
Dyslexia
Dysgraphia
Dyspraxia