Paradigm Shifting - Behavioral & Developmental Dis-Orders (?)

A new way of looking at ADD/ADHD, Autism and other cognitive and behavioral issues.

Old Paradigm ~ A Pill for Every Ill

In a traditional scenario, the view is that an ADD/ADHD brain has a lack of dopamine in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex. Central stimulants aim to increase the release, and prevent the uptake of, dopamine in the synapses, thus increasing the amount of dopamine available and preventing uptake by dopamine receptors, causing the receptors to eventually die off.

The problem with this reductionist approach is we fail to consider all the downstream effects of blocking dopamine uptake... And even more importantly, we fail to address the all-important question: WHY is there a lack of dopamine in the first place!?

New Paradigm ~ A Quantum Neurodevelopmental Approach

What if, instead of the traditional approach to behavioral and developmental issues, we looked at ADHD, Autism and other behavioral & cognitive presentations through a quantum neurodevelopmental lens?

Many children with ADHD and Autism, for instance, have low muscle tone, a hunched posture, shallow breathing and other behaviors that amount to insufficient arousal of the neocortex. Some individuals, might alternate between being hyper and passive.

Did you ever stop to consider that perhaps the hyperactivity is a way to stimulate the neocortex by moving around?

The same could be said for individuals with Parkinson's Disease-like presentations - the resting tremors are a way their nervous system has found to help the individual to MOVE! You can read more about this in last week’s post.

Why is there this NEED TO MOVE in these individuals? Why is dopamine lacking?

Movement & Primitive Reflexes

Think about this: Babies don’t sit still or follow directions, they are easily distracted, and they can’t organize activities or control impulses. But, they grow out of it by developing the nerve nets of the neocortex, prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia and cerebellum through movement. This is what we refer to as “linkage” of all the brain layers.

We are born with all these layers in place. Our directive is to respond to proper environmental stimuli in order to move and link these layers up.

The movements a baby does, both pre-birth and during the first 1-2 years after birth are reflexive, involuntary movements. They happen in response to assorted stimuli. Stimuli beget movement, which begets development and “linkage”.

At a most basic level, the first order of business is to link up the Basal Ganglia to the Brainstem and Cerebellum. When this happens, the Basal Ganglia exert inhibitory effects on brainstem circuitry, modulating these early movements and essentially quieting them down. We say that they’re INTEGRATIED. Only when early movements are integrated can other life-long postural movements (think sitting, standing still, walking, etc.) come online to guide our day-to-day. These postural movements are controlled at the level of the basal ganglia.

When proper stimuli are lacking, reflexive early movements don't happen as they should. When these early movements don't happen, different brain regions fail to link up and communicate with each other. When the different brain regions are not linked up, we end up with aberrant levels of neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine) and the resulting and corresponding aberrant movements and behaviors (e.g. hyperactivity, repetitive motions, “stimming”, resting tremors, etc.).

Those reflexive, early movements baby does have a name: Primitive Reflexes.

Primitive reflexes need to become integrated (i.e. disappear) in order for other, life-long, postural reflexes like standing, sitting, walking, etc. to develop. Only when postural reflexes are in place can the rest of the system continue linking up as needed (think emotional health, cognitive abilities, executive function, etc.).

These postural reflexes are what allow us to control our movements, pay attention when necessary, partake in age-appropriate decisions and exhibit healthy executive function.

Could it be that ADD/ADHD and so many other behavioral issues plaguing our children today are the result of retained or unintegrated primitive reflexes?

Could it be that Active Primitive Reflexes are at the root of low dopamine and the resulting need for movement?

Rhythmic Movement Training for Integrating Active Primitive Reflexes

Dr. Harald Blomberg worked with individuals with ADHD and Autism and helped them improve their day-to-day using gentle rhythmic movements that aimed to recapitulate the movements we do in-utero and during the first 1-2 years of life.

Teaching an individual to do these rhythmic movements helps link up the different brain regions that never connected, or that became disconnected due to trauma, disease, environmental toxins, etc., so that primitive reflexes can integrate and the proper postural reflexes can be established to support healthy behaviors.

As I’ve described previously, a linked up brain is a restful brain. When there is rest and EASE in the system, healing can take place. Learning can happen unencumbered. Proper movement patterns can be restored. And so on and so forth.

To learn more check out brmtusa.com or book a Complimentary Discovery Call so we can chat! For more information on how to work with us to bring developmentally-appropriate movement in to support your health, or your child’s, check our 1:1 and group coaching offerings, u[ in the Our Services tab.

We work with moms and their kiddos on these calls. In fact, a common occurrence is Moms contacting us for help with their kids, and they end up doing the work first! It’s beautiful to watch the process. As Mom “links up”, the child comes along and the connections happen, sometimes in one session.

Here’s to moving and blooming where we’re planted!

Amanda