Birth Trauma and Stress Management

We are seeing more and more adults coming into our office due to traumatic birth issues. Traumatic births include breech, very long, very short, C-Section, forceps or suction deliveries. Problems can happen in any birth and, obviously, it is most important that both mother and child come through alive, even if traumatized. So it is without judgment that we look at this issue.

The infant developmental reflexes appear in utero, transform during birth and continue their work through the first year of life. Trauma at any of these times can affect an individual’s ability to regulate muscles, emotions and even thoughts. Most people who have had a traumatic birth have a vague understanding that it has left its mark on them. Deep stress, anxiety, exhaustion, overdrive, sustained learning issues, sensitivities and a lack of peace are only a few of these remnants.

Our work with adults of traumatic birth usually gives voice to this deeper knowledge by measuring and drawing attention to often seemingly inexplicable issues. A Plan for Learning reflex session starts with a short assessment of reflexes preselected by goals and a history. Throughout a session, the checks, integration techniques and home program activities are woven together to aid resolution. A 75 minute session cost $150 and includes a written chart of reflexes checked and measured, home activity suggestions, a DVD of the session and a CD of the activities suggested. The ideal number of visits varies from between two and eight. Reflex integration sessions booked between now and Sept 1, 2011 will receive a 10% discount with the mention of this announcement. A more peaceful future awaits.

The HANDLE Approach & Reflex Integration

Development of how we intake, process and react to our world depends on the sensory-motor feedback system. Before we are born, our senses trigger motor reflexes, which then help regulate and use the senses. This feedback growth continues after we are born through the seminal (seed) senses and the infant (primitive) motor reflexes. This feedback system develops our processing modalities of the Upper Brain (cortex). As you can see, infant reflexes play a role in development.


The HANDLE Approach looks at the entirety of the sensory-motor development. As a metaphor let’s consider HANDLE a basket. The basket’s handle includes the incredibly important principles that lift and guide the HANDLE approach. The basket’s bowl gathers holistically many pieces of the whole system: the sensory, motor, reflex, nutrition, genetics, environment, and much more. No other approach that I have found comprehensively deals with so many parts of an individual’s system.

Dealing with one facet of the neuro system, such as, nutrition, reflexes, motor, etc, can be helpful at times. That is why many HANDLE practitioners are themselves or may suggest complementary therapies to focus in on a particular area. Although HANDLE works holistically and developmentally to integrate infant reflexes, there may be reasons to deal one or more individually with other techniques. However, these may or may not stay integrated if the underlying body senses are not well enough developed.

Infant reflexes are within us to support development and safety. Sometimes they become atypical due to trauma. Other times they are atypical due to developmental factors that take a more holistic approach to remediate.

New Online Introduction to Autism Course

Just a quick announcement of our new online course, done in coordination with Professional Learning Board. This course is a great overview of what autism is and differences that people on the spectrum have compared with neurotypical. The course gives many opportunities for parents and teachers to try approaches to make learning and interaction easier for students with autism.

Find my new online course: Introduction to Autism at http://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/introduction-to-autism-class/

Needs of the Lower Brain Must be Met for the Upper Brain to be Fulfilled

Our Lower Brain holds our developmental and survival resources. Sometimes these resources are called “primitive” because they are with us from the beginning and are foundational for our growth and survival. However, if the Lower Brain ain’t happy, the rest of the person usually can’t be fully happy either. The Lower Brain can feel unsafe because of issues dealing with gravity, body in space sense, efficient energy use, inconsistent sensory input or conflicting signals.Let’s look at these issues more closely:

Gravity: From the moment of conception our developing body-brain system must do a dance with gravity. To live, cells, organs and tissues must push against gravity. Our first developing sense deals with measuring and reacting to gravity. Most developmental issues have their genesis with issues around gravity regulation of muscles and tissues. Autism, dyslexia, low tone, ADHD and other concerns have challenges with gravity.

Body in Space: All of our senses constellate to let us know where we are in relationship to other people and things in the environment. It is the basis of our sense of boundaries. If this body map isn’t well established, the body-brain system sends out an unconscious alarm. This alarm is often picked up by the Upper Brain as generalized anxiety. Although anxiety is usually associated with emotions, a physical feeling of lacking safety will trigger negative emotions. People on the autism spectrum, those with OCD, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental issues can have issues sensing their body in space.

Efficient energy use: Development is all about learning how to conserve and use limited neural energy wisely. When unnecessary energy is being eaten up by overworking Lower Brain functioning, the result is often a burst of energy and then exhaustion. This pattern is often seen in ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder and other syndromes.

Inconsistent sensory input: The body-brain system does not like to receive conflicting sensory signals. It would be like someone seeing a barking cat. The alarm signals go off. The brain wants agreement among the differing senses. If one sense is consistently giving unreliable information, the body-brain system will block or transform that information to improve agreement. This is a very inefficient use of neural energy and can interfere with day-to-day functioning.

Conflicting signals: The sensory system is not the only system that dislikes conflict. If a person has retained infant reflexes in the Lower Brain and the Upper Brain wants to move in a way counter to the reflex pattern, tension arises. It is as if one horse is pulling one way and the other another. Both horses do not get where they are going and use a great deal of energy trying. Most people with neurodevelopmental or learning disabilities have retained or atypical infant reflexes that interfere with planned motor activities.