RICHTER ACTIVE INTEGRATION RESOURCES
  • Home
  • Richter AIR courses
    • MORE course
    • Using Gravity
    • King of Swings
    • Exploring Sensory Integration
    • 1st RAIR Symposium Program
    • 2nd RAIR Symposium Program
    • 3rd RAIR Symposium
    • 4th RAIR Symposium >
      • A. Exploring SI
      • B. Using Gravity
      • C. Power of Breath
      • D. STEP SI
      • E. Function from the Inside Out
      • F. AIM for Function
    • 5th RAIR Symposium >
      • A. Power of Breath
      • B. Touch for Health
      • C. ARFID Training
      • D. AIM for Early Development
      • E. Complex Factors
      • F. Advanced Energy Work
      • G. Beyond the Hand
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • Policies
    • Links
  • RAIR Symposium Information
    • Exhibitors
    • Disclosures
Follow us

A. The Impact of Primitive Reflexes on Development, Sensory Processing, and Academic Achievement 

Presented by Paul Stadler, MS, OTR/L, NDT (INPP)


Thursday, February 20, 2014
6 contact hours
Intermediate Level
A Perspective on Reflex Integration
Since the 1940’s the Bobath’s and in the early 1960’s Mary Fiorentino in particular brought to the professional roundtable the significance of primitive reflexes and their influence with children with cerebral palsy.  In March 1969, Dr. Peter Blythe gave a lecture on reading difficulties that sparked a beginning that forever transformed the way we view primitive reflexes.  In 1975, The Institute of Neuro Physiological Psychology (INPP) was created by Dr. Peter Blythe together with his student David McGlown pioneering an assessment and treatment method investigating the role of retained primitive reflexes and underdeveloped postural responses in children with specific learning difficulties.  

Shortly after its inception, INPP extended its treatment intervention to work with adults with panic disorder, anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia.  In 1996, Sally Goddard Blythe, director of INPP, created a school based program “Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning” .  This session will review the history of assessment and treatment of primitive reflexes, the significance of primitive reflexes and postural responses on typical and atypical childhood development, review the research surrounding Neuromotor Immaturity (NMI) and its effect on sensory processing and academic achievement, discuss the diagnostic group who would benefit from the INPP method, and provide audio visual demonstrations from this presenters private practice.

Objectives: Participants of this session will

  1. Describe many of the primitive reflexes and postural responses.
  2. Identify the role of primitive reflexes in typical development.
  3. Discuss the impact of retained primitive reflexes on development.
  4. Outline the history of primitive reflex integration programs.
  5. Summarize the history of INPP.
  6. Explain Neuromotor Immaturity and its impact on academic achievement.
  7. And demonstrate the impact of NMI on sensory processing.


Agenda* 6 contact hours
8:30 - 10:00    Introduction
                        The function of primitive reflexes in typical development
                        The function of postural responses in typical development
10:00 - 10:30  Break
10:30 - 12:00  Impact of retained primitive reflexes on development and academic achievement
                        A review of the history of assessment and treatment interventions for retained primitive reflexes
                        Impact of primitive reflexes on sensory processing
12:00 - 1:00    Lunch
1:00 - 2:30      Impact of primitive reflexes on sensory processing (continued)
                        A review of the history of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology (INPP) and the INPP                             method
2:30 - 3:00     Break
3:00 - 4:30     Case Studies.

*Topic times may vary; contact hours do not.
Register Now
Paul Stadler is an OT with over 15 years of experience working with children from birth to 21 years of age with varied diagnoses.  He has lectured over the last 6 years at various universities on multiple topics on early childhood development. He is SIPT certified, trained in ABA, and an licentiate of INPP and instructor of the INPP school-based program for Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning, as well as a presenter at the 2012 and the 2013 American Occupational Therapy Association national conference on the effects of primitive reflexes on development. Visit him at his website.

Next session
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.