As parents, sometimes we are caught in the middle of the excitement of having our children achieve their milestones ahead of times, especially when it comes to walking. What we don’t realized is how important crawling is.
Crawling is a natural systematic pattern of development and given the opportunity all infants go through it. These patterns of development are activated by a series of automatic movements called primitive reflexes. These automatic inherent movement are crucial in assisting infants in fully developing the brain and central nervous system. Primitive reflexes begin emerging in utero and continue to surface during the first year of life. As infant reflexes merge into more sophisticated movement patterns, they become inactive or integrated. However when these reflexes remain stuck por active, they create a wide variety of challenges.
Incomplete integration of childhood reflexes is common. They impact the lives of millions of children and adults. They are major contributing factors in the diagnosis of ADHD, dyslexia, autism, sensory challenges, bedwetting, physical coordination challenges, speech challenges, and other learning and behavioral challenges. Anxious disorganized movements, caused by active reflexes, are a reflection of disorganized brain activity.
Some causes of Unintegrated Reflexes are :
- Birth Trauma
- Lack of bonding at birth
- Not enough necessary movements before age three: belly crawling, belly movement, rolling, turning, rocking , creeping, crawling
- Too much time spent in bay carries, playpens, walkers swings, jumpers and car seats
- A misaligned pelvis
- Environmental toxins in the body
- Dietary imbalances and sensitivities.
Left unintegrated, emotional congestion can build up around these unintegrated reflexes. Children can stay stuck in the limbic system, these children can become anxious and schooling can be a painful experience for them.
What to do?
If a child is given a safe place to move as they need to, these reflexes can become integrated. The internal reflex template exists within everyone, and is always available to be fully completed. These patterns can be completed through playful, joyful movement lead by the child.
So go ahead let your baby crawl as much and as long as possible no matter how old they are!
Veronica Boske has worked in the public school system and non-profit organizations for over fifteen years, from pre-school to college. She is a Holistic Child Development Specialist. Veronica holds a masters degree in Social Work from Boston University. She received her training as a Health Coach at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City and her homeopathic training at Teleosis Homeopathic Collaborative in Newton, MA. She is a Learning From The Heart /Aprendiendo del Corazon facilitator, Kundalini Yoga Level 1 teacher and Child Play Yoga certified teacher. Veronica offers workshops, group and private sessions for children and families in English and Spanish
Veronica Paris LICSW 