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Original poster

Retained Reflexes - any "side effects"

79 replies

nightcat · 02/10/2011 17:54

Have any of you who are doing RR therapy noticed any "side effects" in terms of increase of tics or any other symptoms?

We are only at the outset and I might be barking up a wrong tree.. and it could be some deficiency or even some bug still in the system.. or could it be the scenario again that it needs to get worse before it can get better like it was with GAPS at the beginning?

OP posts:
IndigoBell · 07/10/2011 21:32

BlueShark - that's amazing!

I'm so pleased.

Has his school noticed any improvements?

Becaroooo · 08/10/2011 09:14

blueshark

oh!!!! Smile

How wonderful!!!

Its my birthday today and your news had made it an even happier day!

Well done miniblueshark

UPDATE:

Took my ds1 back for a review at inpp yesterday.....his primitive reflexes are almost all gone!!! and his postural reflexes are coming in on their own!!! The practitioner was amazed as ds1 has only made very steady progress before. We may only need to go back once more which means in 9 months my sons major balance and vestibular issues are gone!!!!

We are thrilled Smile

Becaroooo · 08/10/2011 09:19

Honestly, am so thrilled for you blueshark Grin

I know what a MASSIVE difference this exercise has made to ds1....we still use a blindfold for this one btw! He is being kept on the astronaut and was given 2 new exercises yesterday which look a bit tricky, but we will persevere!

blueShark · 08/10/2011 22:27

Happy birthday Becaroooo Wine ! Hope you had a fantastic day.
I'm also thrilled for you DS progress, well done. And good luck with the new ones.

The exercises we are given by the slc are also helping but I'm also thrilled how fast this one from inpp has worked.

Indigo - school are amazed by DS progress month by month, they havent had child in he unit in the last 10 years with his dx to progress that fast. They have commented he has started making friends with a boy from the unit and another one from the mainstream class when he integrates some days.

So I couldnt be happier and if I wasn't so tired I would have celebrated with a small glass of wine now that baby is asleep and not due a feed in few hours Hmm

IndigoBell · 09/10/2011 07:39

they havent had child in he unit in the last 10 years with his dx to progress that fast.

Bought tears to my eyes. Blueshark that's the most amazing thing to hear.

Becaroo, blueshark, nightcat we are all on the right path. We just need another year or twos worth of patience and we'll get there.

I'm already 'there' with DS. Due to RRT and the other therapies we've been doing. He is now in Y6 and is about to come off the SEN register. He's head boy, top of his year academically in almost every subject, has friends - even a birthday party invite Grin. Even his handwriting is now fixed! (I never thought we'd crack that)

I'm not 'there' yet with DD. Still a long way to go. A long way. But she's also had a years less therapy than DS.

Becaroooo · 09/10/2011 09:10

Thats so wonderful blueshark

If I can find them I would be happy to post you the paper copies of the exercises ds1 has done/is doing from inpp?? If not I could try and explain them again!!!

If you PM me your address I will send them...if astronaut is working so well, maybe the others will too???

I find it really interesting that ds1 will have been doing the astronaut for the whole of his therapy time IYSWM? Its obv a very powerful exercise in its own right.

skewiff · 09/10/2011 21:48

I am doing a rr therapy with DS. But he has mild cerebral palsy - and we are doing it with Hemispheres.

I take DS to school (he's just in reception) 45 minutes late so that we can do these exercises first thing in the morning. I think it takes 45 minutes because DS has CP so we are working on him learning to use his hand and fingers in addition to the rr stuff (the lady who runs hemispheres is an OT).

Anyway, DS has made great progess since starting the therapy. How long do you all take to do the exercises? Do you do them all every single day? And are your children co-operative?

I am worrying (sillyly already, I know) that once in Yr 1, school will not give me the extra time in the morning and we won't then be able to do the rr therapy.

Becaroooo · 10/10/2011 13:35

Its takes my ds1 about 4/5 mins to do 3 exercises - we have only ever had max 3 exercises to do at any one time.

I cant do them in the morning as we dont have time and ds2 can be a pain when I am tying to do them with ds1 so we wait til dh is home and he can look after ds2 whilst I do the exercises with ds1 (sometimes dh does them with him, but not often).

Do you have to do them before school? I go to inpp and I was told that they could be done at any time....although my ds1 does not have cp.

skewiff · 10/10/2011 14:20

No I don't have to do them before school. But because they are a lot of effort for DS (he has virtually no use of his left hand and is learning from scratch how just to open his fingers and maybe use them individually) he would not be able to do them, he'd be too tired, after school. He is only 4 3/4.

INPP sounds interesting. But I think hemispheres (which does a similar thing) may be more appropriate for DS, at the moment, as the lady is an occupational therapist primarily.

It would be nice to have less exercises to do one day though ...

Becaroooo · 10/10/2011 16:45

I see.

Tbh I think the school should support whatever therapies are making life easier for your ds - and by extention themselves.

Dont have any experience of hemispheres, but have been impressed with inpp so far!

IndigoBell · 10/10/2011 19:05

I think in a year, by the time he starts Y1, it's very possible he'll no longer have 45 mins worth of exercises to do each day.

I also think if school have been good this far, there's every reason to think they'll continue to be good next year.

RRT for DS and DD takes 5 - 10 mins each.

RRT should take 12 - 18 months to complete.

WilsonFrickett · 10/10/2011 19:14

Total thread crashed but just wanted to say 'well done' to everyone, so great to see everyone's hard work paying off for the DCs Smile

Original poster
nightcat · 10/10/2011 22:22

skewiff, we r @ hemispheres too and my ds has reversed a lot of neuro probs through various treatments inc diet, altho we only started rr recently - I think this is helping too.

Becaroo, pm'd you as I would like to join the queue..

Indigo, are handwriting exercises separate from the rr ones? Can they be done at the same time as rr? WIll need to ask next time we go.

OP posts:
blueShark · 10/10/2011 22:31

RRT takes me 15 mins and I mostly do it in the morning as that s one thing done on my list which currently daily looks like below. If I left it for after school we will both be very overloaded and tired. DS often doesnt cooperate for all of the things I want to get done during the day so I just prioritise and select the ones that MUST be done right now, ones that can be done later and ones that can wait till tomorrow :)

RRT 15 mins
Sensory integration 10 mins
Writing 15 mins
Reading 15 mins
VB targets 15 mins on table and every opportunity throughout the day on the go

blueShark · 10/10/2011 22:33

we have been doing RRT for 9 months and I imagine we will be doing it for another year approx as DS started with 91% issues and its now down to 50%.

IndigoBell · 11/10/2011 06:42

Handwriting exercises are separate to RRT.

Becaroooo · 11/10/2011 07:57

I use "Write from the start" for handwriting exercises...there are 2 books (got mine from amazon) and ds1 has nearly finished book 1.

Its a series of progressive exercises eg: making certain shapes on the page repeatedly...atm ds1 is doing circular movements.

It also has colouring sections. His handwriting has certainly improved!!

Atm ds1 is doing;
RRT - 5 mins per day
Reading - 10 mins per day
Spelling and punctuaton - 10 mins per day
Handwriting - 5 mins per day
And am starting earobics soon too!!

blueShark · 11/10/2011 09:29

I also use write from it's start, it's really simple writing but amazing technique. DS improved pencil grip and now writes intelligent letters and numbers, before they were almost invisible and no tripod grip.

Grey24 · 11/10/2011 15:55

Could I ask please where to find out about retained reflexes? I'd like to read something to see if it might help my DD (about to be diagnosed with ASD). She has problems with motion sickness (she vomits within a mile of the house - we can't go anywhere at the moment), noise, sleep problems etc. Also where/how are you getting the therapy from? Who would I ask/contact? I realise it's self-funded, but don't know where to start. Grateful for any info & sorry if I've missed reading it somewhere on here.

IndigoBell · 11/10/2011 16:04

Grey - sounds like RRT would really help her. It helps with motion sickness.

Loads of people do it. Where in the country are you?

Here are some places:

INPP - Chester
Sound Learning Centre - London
Hemispheres - Loads of places.

Becaroooo · 11/10/2011 18:47

Hi grey

I go to inpp - its a 1.5 hour drive so not exactly near me, but nearer than london!!! They are/have been great. Can def recommend. It has cost us about £1500 (or will have by the time we have done) but its not all upfront, its paid on an appt basis.

She sounds like RRT could really help her!

Grey24 · 11/10/2011 22:52

IndigoBell & Becarooo - many thanks! Really helpful to have those links/info. We are on the Wirral, so not far from Chester really (only problem is her terrible car sickness, but we could try getting there on the train). I had seen people mention INPP in other threads, but didn't really know what/who it was - now I know! and not too far from me, either!
Something for me to investigate. Thanks again!

DebbieSolloway · 22/10/2011 13:55

Hey Indigo, Lovely to hear your son is the head boy.

NightCat, we began exercises in July. Done before bedtime stimulated him and pushed bedtime back by 3 hours.

I find he is moody - bursts of intense irritability.

Things can get worse before they get better, son's balance had worsened at the first assessment in Sept. This shows something is happening and is considered a positive.

oodlesofdoodles · 22/10/2011 16:38

What is the youngest you can start RRT? We have seen an INPP associate (not the people in Chester) who said that our DS 4.7 is too young and too uncoordinated. So we have been given some basic exercises to work on. Is this normal? I'm worried we might be wasting time and money.

blueShark · 22/10/2011 19:30

What are the basic exercises? Most rr seem basic but are powerful. Mind you, the sound learning centre ones seem easier than th obesity I saw from the inpp.