The Parietal Lobe Language Wired to Brainstem Body Senses

Our spatial awareness of the spatial world affects every aspect of our development, including our language and social interactions. It may seem like an odd thought that our language and social relationships hinge on our perception of space. What at first may seem like a bizarre idea may become clearer if we look at the language we use when interacting with others. Our English language uses spatial words to discuss our relationship with others. For example:

                Young people need to find themselves.

                We have to face ourselves.

                We  get around what others say.

    We should try and stand in his or her shoes.

                We need to into another’s perspective.

                We may need a go between.

                We stand behind our friends.

The italicized words are at their root about space. Because our development in space is such a fundamental one, it is sometimes difficult to see how much we depend on it. It is only when we experience those with a lack of body sense development that we can understand. 

The direct developmental link of the reflexes to body sense awareness in the parietal lobe and its interaction with the Wernicke's area of speech processing is the quickest way to improve language processing issues. For more information sponsor or attend Fusion Training course: Reaching Out: Body Space, Language and Social Interaction.

Different Theories and Practices behind Primary Reflex Inhibition and Integration

Primary or primitive reflexes are involuntary movements activated by a sensory trigger typically seen in infants or others with atypical neurology. Typically these primary, infant reflexes have a protective and developmental effect for the very young child. As the sensory-motor cortex of the brain matures, typically the primary reflexes are inhibited. Later, as the voluntary motor system develops, reflexive motor patterns may be used for strength and stability, as well as emotional expression. As the result of trauma before, during or after birth, the primary reflexes may come out of integration or may have never become integrated. It is not generally known what role genetics plays in reflex retention.

There are three basic types of reflex integration: isometric, passive/active positions and activity based. The isometric based approach has been developed by Svetlana Masgutova and others. The practice includes activating the particular muscles used in a reflexive response and holding them voluntarily so the motor cortex can gain control and develop an inhibiting ability over them.

The passive/active positions are simple sustaining the position of the reflex posture and moving from the contraction to the extension position. These postures also allow the motor cortex to differentiate these patterns and integrate the patterns.

The activity based programs, included in the work of INPP and many other groups, use games and higher level activities that include some or all of the motor patterns of one or more reflexes.

All the types of reflex integration help the motor cortex to differentiate and inhibit primary reflex patterns. Other techniques may be included to augment the integration work. Massages, with specific sensory or motor goals, are often necessary to gain symmetry and relaxation for some muscle groups. Sensory work is also often needed to regulate and organize the body senses to complete the integration of the sensory-motor systems.

Relationship of Hand and Mouth in Development

Movement in the hand and mouth are connected developmentally.
Below are just a couple of the ways:

Many primitive reflexes help a baby use hands to
feed and later learn to talk. One of these early reflexes is Babkin Palmomental where when the babies palm is touched or stretched and the baby’s mouth opens. You will see this in elementary
classes when children are raising an open hand and some mouths are usually hanging open. Hand to Mouth is another developmental reflex related to the one above. If something is pressed into the palm of a toddler, it is raised to the opened mouth.

In our course you may remember that the motor
areas of the mouth and hand are very close together in the Upper Brain. Some people have trouble speaking if they can’t move their hands. Also movement of the hands activates the speech centers of the brain in the parietal lobes. Research that uncovered this relationship was explored by Shigeru Obayashi and his team in 2001.
If anyone doubts the above have them open their mouths and
hands widely and after 5 seconds tightly fist the hands and tightly purse the mouth for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Now have them reverse the action. Open the mouth and clench the fist and open the hand and purse the mouth. This second pattern goes against the pattern and is usually harder to accomplish.
Of course later in life, most people can use the upper brain
of the cortex to override the lower automatic systems used in development. One
will still see the hand mouth relationship when showing an emotional reaction,
such as, surprise where both hands and mouth are open and anger where hands and mouths are clenched.
The relationship between the mouth and hand is very important in early development. So in atypical development the motor relationship between hand and mouth can be used to restore disrupted or traumatized development.

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.

Developmental Resources: Dorothy's Slippers

Inner developmental resources are like Dorothy’s Slippers: you had them all along; you just didn’t know how to use them. Nature has provided us with some magnificant tools for healing and self growth. These tools are very real and physical, yet most people aren't consciously aware of them. We live in a cortex driven (upper brain) era. Many of us have lost awareness and trust in our deeper resources, such as our body senses and reflexes. We feel cut off, fragmented and somehow missing something. Our upper brain or cortex hunts for the reasons for these phantom feelings, usually in outer, complex, and unproductive ways.

Think of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She wanted to get home. She went to the upper brain (the Wizard) and he sent her out into the world to seek her way home, only to end up back where she started with no satifaction. It was only when she listened to her inner resources, Glinda, that she found that she had always had what she needed, both in Oz and at home. Her slippers of gems (ruby in the movie and diamond in the book) where literally at her feet.

The developmental gifts in our lower brain, including our body senses and reflexes, are there waiting to be called upon to balance and sustain us through our life. Let's start using them now. So all together: click your heels together three times....

Gravity, Our First Relationship

First there is Gravity, pushing down upon us to the center of the Earth. We are designed to push back in the tone of our cells, tissues and muscles. Gravity and Tone push and yield in the rhythms of our bodies: breath, heart beat, lymph flow, cerebral spinal fuild, and brain waves. And our reflexes with flexion and extention and contraction and expansion reflect the push and pull of the consistent interaction of tone and gravity. After birth, we have been squeezed and pressed and transformed, ending in the press of gravity, hitherto unknown to us. It is somewhat like coming out of water after a long swim. The gravity feels heavy and cloying, but as newborns we have never felt full gravity. We must work hard to push against it or we sleep and allow gravity let us "fall" asleep.

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex- STNR

Not too long ago I posted a very short clip of one position of STNR on YouTube. Someone commented that it was "wrong". It shows the "Child's Pose" position of STNR. It is true that this pose is not the first pose in the development of STNR, but it is one stage along the way. Some experts don't even acknowledge STNR and instead consider all the phases to be parts of Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) or may even call it Tonic Neck Reflex (TNR). This arguement shows how sticky it can be to divide a holistic, developmental movement into parts to begin with. (Applause is heard from Judith Bluestone watching from above and Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen in the East.) However, there can be really good reasons to looks at the developmental pieces of STNR if you remember in the end that it is a developmental sequence.


I divide STNR in my own way. (Those of you who know me are not surprised, I am sure.) Catherine Burns has helped me, as have many others. I label Low STNR when the baby is no longer in flexion when lying on the stomach and therefore can straighten the legs and bend the arms as the head is lifted. So much is accomplished in the position! Yeah for tummy time! The vestibular and visual systems are developed together and the colliculi of the midbrain are activated.

As the baby strengthens and the arms are straightened, the legs bend and the head flexes. This is in the form of "Child's Pose" of Yoga fame. This is a relaxation to the vestibular and organ systems. Many children sleep in this position. As the baby draws the straightened arms toward the core, the baby is pushed onto the haunches in the "Sitting Cat" position. Walking the hands forward, the baby is in the "Table" position or on hands and knees. Next comes the rhythmic rocking on hands and knees, in preparation for crawling.

Throughout as these positions of STNR continue to develop, the cortex is taking control through the motor cortex. As this is mastered, the pattern is purposely broken in the "Cobra" and "Teeter Totter" position, among others.

Marietta, GA-Postural Reflex Course Notes

Even with icy weather, a very enthusiastic group it was last weekend! We were very lucky to have in attendence, Max, 18, who has Asperger's Syndrome. He was our very excellent model for most of the activity explanations. During the Parachute Reflex explanation (see below), Max's mom noted that Max had to cognitively learn social space and often overestimates (is too far away) as an overcompensation for coming too close as a young child.
On the second day, many people were feeling changes in their reactions to stress. Many felt peace. Sharron says:
Personally I sense a greater freedom to laugh and relax. I gave a 20 min presentation Monday night on brain integration therapy to a home school group and was not as conscious of apprehension as in other days and enjoyed myself.

The Abdominal Sleep Reflex continued the relaxation and the Trunk Extension Reflex brought everyone back together. We are excited to be offering the HANDLE Intro course on this unique sensory-motor approach. March 19, 20, and 21 is the Big 8: Primary Reflexes and Development on March 26, 27 and 28th.

A special thanks to Rhea Brashear and the gang at Morning Star Montessori for sponsoring these courses.

Reflexes and Development of Social Relationships

It is widely understood that primary and postural reflexes are a built-in protection to us. They helps us move away from stimulus that may be harmful and protect us from falling. But fewer people consider the developmental benefits that reflexes offer.

Very clearly our sensory systems are functionally refined by our reflexes. Vision, audition, proprioception, and even tactility are drivers of reflexive reactions, as well as being developed through the reflexive movements.

Fewer experts yet see language and social development as an outcome of typical reflex development. Since language and much of social relationship are rooted in spatial concepts, our development of spatial understanding is key to mastering them. When we say, "We get along well.", we do not consciously remember that being "a long" another is a relationship of being spatially adjacent to another. How does that spatial alignment develop?

Some animals imprint on their mother and this establishes their "position" and "relationship" with her. As humans we use much more complex bonding in relationship development. However, some of our humble reflexes work to develop being in sync with those around us. As an example, on of our postural reflexes, the Parachute Reflex, is obviously for protecting us in case of a fall. Our arms reach out reflexively

when we trip. This safey mechanism is also a measuring stick of "closeness" in other social ways. When we "bring someone into our sphere" we are allowing one to come into our proscribed safety zone, and not "keeping one at arm's length". The handshake is the original safety device: dominant hand out (no weapon) and at arm's length.

Different cultures use the arm measuring stick in differing ways, but in the U.S. the preferable social distance is still at arm's length. This is just one of the many ways that original reflexive responses of our brainstem advise socially learned behavior and emotional responses.

Birth, Bonding and Attachment: The Book Part I

I have been grappling with a book on sensory-motor-reflex interactions for years. As with all writing projects, the structure and emphasis is key. So after many false starts, I think I have found the right approach. The direction will center on difficult births and the connection between them and reflex issues that can result in bonding, attachment and other psychological issues. As I teach the Birth, Bonding and Attachment course and work with clients, the more I come to appreciate the foundations set by typical reflex development. Having myself been breech born and delivered by forceps (sorry, Mom), I have a first person experience with many of the subtle and not so subtle effects of traumatic birth. Look forward to snippets as the year goes on and please feel free to comment in any way.

Big Eight Reflex Patterning Class-Brighton, U.K.

On February 10th, 11th and 12th, I had great joy in sharing the holistic approach to working with the basic Big Eight Primary and Facial Reflex Patterns in England. The class was well attended at Pilgrim Hall near Lewes, Sussex. I also worked with 4 students as clients as well, with many positive results. A manual, Powerpoint DVD and the first GOMO and Handwriting DVD were made available.

After the class was the HANDLE World Wide Affiliate Gathering, with presentations by Judith Bluestone, the founder of The HANDLE Institute International and Ros Blackburn, a 40 year old woman who has lived with Autism Spectrum Disorder her entire life. I got to eat dinner with Ros and was able to ask her questions about her and other's issues with auditory processing. I ask questions about all my hypotheses on Spatial Cognition and Language. All the answers followed my predictions.

As my MN Autism Society presentation draws near, I will be posting more on Spatial Cognition and Language.