From the 1920's to 1950's the following scientists placed reflexes in the frame of both higher and lower nervous system activity. They saw in infant reflexes not only a protective or survival response to stress or danger, but also the neuro-physiological foundation for physical, emotional and cognitive development:
Russian physiologists, neurophysiologists, and psychologists – Pavlov and I. Stechenov
Neurophysiologists, A. Uhtomsky, N. Bernstein and P. Anokhin
Psychologists A. Luria and L. Vigotsky
More recently other neuroscientists, psychologists, and educators recognize and state that movement is one of the most important elements in an infant's and child's cognitive, emotional and social development: • Temple Fay (1954) • C. Delacato, 1962,1974, 1981 • Louise Bates Ames, 1967, 1980, 1981 • J. Piaget, 1973 • M. commons, F. Richards, 1984 • G. Miller, 1966 • C. Armon, 1997 • I. Masaru, 1991 • P. Lesgaft, 1998 • L Vigotsky, 1986 • N. Bernstein, 1947 • M. Montessori, 1995 • B. Nikitin, L. Nikitina, 2003, 2004 • H. Gardner, 1985 • J. Ayres, 1975 • M. Feldenkreis, 1995 • G. Dolman, 1984 • N. Kephart, 1969 • P Dennison, G. Dennisson, 1998 • B. Elkonin, 1974 • B. Davidov, 1998 • H. Blomberg, 1989 • P. Blythe, 1975 • B. Rider,1970 • M. Bender, 1976 • Wilkinson, 1994 • S. Goddard Blythe, 1996 • S. Masgutova, 1989 • S. Gold, 2008 • S. Bertram, 2002 • M. Jandling, 2003 • H. Pettman, 2001 • and more
Some examples of research:
Masaru (1991)and Nikitin and Nikitina (2003, 2004) have shown that in subjects three years of age or younger, development ( both cognitive and creative) is proportional to progress in movement. It has been suggested that the more a child naturally , frequently, and suitably moves in tune with their own nature, the faster their thinking ( composing, opposing, generalization, concept formulation, development of intelligence) and the more rapid their speech development ( L. Vigotsky, 1986; A Leontiev, 1974).
Neuroscientist Sally Goddard Blythe, director of the Institute for Neuro- Physiological Psychology, researched a number of children with infant reflexes, immature balance and co-ordination:
(2010) Germany: 164 children in primary schools, 50-60 per cent of seven to eight year olds. In a class of children with speech and language problems, 100 per cent.
(2006) Northumberland : 64 children in three primary schools: 40 per cent of four to six year-olds and 88.5 per cent of seven to eight year-olds.
(2004) Northern Ireland : 672 in six primary schools : 48 per cent of four to five year-olds and 35 per cent of eight to nine year-olds.
Bart, O., Bar-Haim, Y., Weizman, E., Levin, M., Sadeh, A., & Mintz, M. (2009). Balance treatment ameliorates anxiety and increases self-esteem in children with comorbid anxiety and balance disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 30(3), 486-495.
McMahon, K., Anand, D., Morris-Jones, M., & Rosenthal, M. Z. (2019). A path from childhood sensory processing disorder to anxiety disorders: The mediating role of emotion dysregulation and adult sensory processing disorder symptoms. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 22.
Pecuch, A., Gieysztor, E., Telenga, M., Wolańska, E., Kowal, M., & Paprocka-Borowicz, M. (2020). Primitive reflex activity in relation to the sensory profile in healthy preschool children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21).
Piek, J. P., Barrett, N. C., Smith, L. M., Rigoli, D., & Gasson, N. (2010). Do motor skills in infancy and early childhood predict anxious and depressive symptomatology at school age? Human Movement Science, 29(5), 777-786.
Shefer, S., Gordon, C., Avraham, K. B., & Mintz, M. (2015). Balance deficit enhances anxiety and balance training decreases anxiety in vestibular mutant mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 276, 76-83.
Thye, M. D., Bednarz, H. M., Herringshaw, A. J., Sartin, E. B., & Kana, R. K. (2018). The impact of atypical sensory processing on social impairments in autism spectrum disorder. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 29, 151-167.
