Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning: The INPP Developmental Screening Test and School Intervention Programme

by Sally Goddard Blythe

Overview

Updated INPP training manual for determining immature neuromotor skills in children and associated interventions to improve neuromotor ability

The substantially revised and expanded Second Edition of Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning is a long-established INPP training manual that has been consistently proven in practice which includes neuromotor skill tests for children, a developmental movement program, and information about paid online access to INPP video training materials.

The book comprises two main sections: Simple screening tests for use by teachers in schools to investigate whether immature neuromotor skills are a factor in children who are under-performing in literacy, numeracy, and writing or who may be underachieving, as well as a developmental movement program designed to be introduced into schools as a class-based activity, which is carried out under teacher supervision for 10 minutes per day, every day over the course of one academic year.

The manual is not intended to be used as a stand alone assessment for diagnostic purposes, but rather a simple means of screening for physical factors which can underlie specific learning difficulties and underachievement, and which respond to the school intervention program.

Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning includes information on:

• Simple tests to identify signs of difficulty with visual tracking, control of saccadic eye movements, and aberrant reflex response
• Testing gross muscle coordination and balance via the Tandem Walk and walking on the outsides of the feet (the Fog test)
• Assessing visual-auditory-speech recognition of sounds, including individual sounds, sound blends, syllables, and synthesis of the three
• Utilizing various neuromotor tests, including the Romberg test, the one leg stand, crossing the midline, and the finger and thumb opposition test for qualitative purposes.

Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning is an essential guide for teachers who want to identify children who may be under-achieving as a result of immature motor skills, implement the INPP screening test and/or program into their lessons, as well as researchers interested in using the screening test to evaluate children’s neuromotor skills and efficacy of various intervention programs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781394214686
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	11/07/2024
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Sally Goddard Blythe has an MSc. in Psychology and has been the International Director of INPP Ltd since 2000. Blythe has developed training course materials for courses offered to other professions related to education, medicine and psychology, currently offered under the umbrella of INPP International in 13 other countries.

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Table of Contents

About the Companion Website vii

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Overview 1

1.2 Rationale for Screening and Remediation of Neuromotor Immaturity 2

1.3 What is the INPP? 2

1.4 The INPP Developmental Movement Programme for Schools 3

1.5 What is Neuromotor Immaturity? 4

1.6 What is the Significance of Primitive Reflexes to Education? 5

1.7 What are Primitive Reflexes? 5

1.8 What is the Significance of Neuromotor Maturity to Education? 6

1.9 What is the Purpose of Developmental Screening Tests? 8

1.10 Why Assess Posture and Balance? 9

1.11 Why Carry Out Assessments for Balance? 9

1.12 What is the Difference Between Static Balance and Dynamic Balance? 10

1.13 What is the Significance of Postural Control in Learning? 10

1.14 Primitive Reflexes: Why Have these Three Reflexes Been Selected for Evaluation? 11

1.14.1 The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex 11

1.14.2 The Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex 12

1.14.3 The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex 13

1.15 What Evidence is there Linking Balance, Posture and Reflexes to Educational Achievement? 14

1.16 What Evidence is there that Intervention in the form of Movement Programmes Aimed at the Level of Primitive Reflexes Improves Educational Outcomes? 17

1.17 How to Use the Screening Tests 18

References 19

2 Developmental Screening Tests for Use with Children Aged 4–7 Years 23

2.1 General Instructions 23

2.1.1 Scoring 24

2.1.2 Tests 24

2.2 Neuromotor Tests 25

2.2.1 The Romberg Test 25

2.2.2 One Leg Stand 27

2.2.3 The Crawling on Hands and Knees Test 29

2.2.4 Crossing the Midline, Test No. 1 31

2.2.5 Crossing the Midline, Test No. 2 33

2.2.6 Finger and Thumb Opposition Test 35

2.3 Tests for Primitive Reflexes 37

2.3.1 Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) 37

2.3.2 The Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) 40

2.3.3 Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) – Erect Test 42

2.4 Tests for Visual Perception and Visual- Motor Integration 44

2.4.1 Pencil and Paper Tasks 45

2.4.2 Additional Measures 49

2.5 Score Sheets for 4–7 Year Old Test 50

2.6 Observation Sheets 52

2.7 Interpreting the Scores 53

2.7.1 Tests for Gross Muscle Coordination and Balance (/36) 53

2.7.2 Tests for Primitive Reflexes (/24) 54

2.7.3 Tests for Visual Perception and Visual- Motor Integration (/72) 54

References 54

3 Developmental Screening Tests for Use with Children From 7 Years of Age 56

3.1 General Instructions 56

3.1.1 Scoring 57

3.1.2 The Tests 57

3.2 Tests for Gross Muscle Coordination and Balance 58

3.2.1 Tandem Walk 58

3.2.2 Walking on the Outsides of the Feet (Fog Test) 60

3.3 Tests for Aberrant Primitive Reflexes 62

3.3.1 The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) 62

3.3.2 Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) 68

3.3.3 The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) 70

3.4 Tests for Oculomotor Functioning 72

3.4.1 Test for Fixation, Convergence and Control of Saccades (VALETT) 73

3.4.2 Test for Visual Integration 74

3.5 Tests for Visual- Speech Recognition 75

3.5.1 Sound Discrimination (Individual Sounds, Sound Blends and Syllables) 75

3.5.2 Sound Synthesis 77

3.6 Tests for Visual Perception and Visual- Motor Integration 78

3.6.1 Visual Perception 78

3.6.2 Visual- Motor Integration (VMI) 80

3.6.3 Spatial Difficulties 81

3.6.4 The Tansley Standard Visual Figures Test 82

3.6.5 Figures Based on the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test 83

3.6.6 Scoring the Visual- Perceptual Tests 86

3.6.7 Additional Measures 88

3.7 Score Sheets (7 + Test) 89

3.8 Observation Sheets (7 + Test) 90

3.9 How to Interpret the Scores 91

3.9.1 Tests for Gross Muscle Coordination, Balance and Reflexes 91

3.9.2 Tests for Visual Perception and Visual- Motor Integration 92

3.9.3 Tests for Auditory–Speech Recognition 92

References 93

4 The INPP Developmental Movement Programme 94

4.1 How to Use the INPP Developmental Movement Programme 94

4.1.1 Developmental Movements 95

4.1.2 Why Use a Movement Programme to Improve Educational Performance? 95

4.1.3 Instructions for Use of the Exercises 97

4.1.4 Guidelines for Schedule for Exercises 98

4.2 The Developmental Movement Programme 98

4.2.1 Introduction 98

4.2.2 Windmills 98

4.2.3 Caterpillar 100

4.2.4 The Curious Caterpillar 101

4.2.5 The Sea Anemone 102

4.2.6 The Octopus (Part 1) 103

4.2.7 The Agitated Caterpillar 104

4.2.8 The Parachute 105

4.2.9 The Octopus (Part 2) 106

4.2.10 The Head Lift 108

4.2.11 The Fish 109

4.2.12 The Lizard 110

4.2.13 Hand to Foot 111

4.2.14 Hand to Knee 112

4.2.15 The Hinge 113

4.2.16 The Bracket 114

4.2.17 Lower Body Rotation 115

4.2.18 Upper Body Rotation 116

4.2.19 The Tadpole Who Turns into a Frog 117

4.2.20 The Drunken Frog 119

4.2.21 The Alligator 120

4.2.22 The Commando Crawl 121

4.2.23 The Cat 122

4.2.24 Three- Point Crawling on Hands and Knees 124

4.2.25 Cross- Pattern Crawling on Hands and Knees 125

4.3 Additional Optional Exercises for Integration of Left and Right 126

4.3.1 Differentiated Angels in the Snow 127

4.3.2 Finger Exercises 130

4.4 Postscript 131

References 131

Appendix 1: Resources 132

A1.1 Test and Exercise Video Clips 132

A1. 2 Training 132

A1. 3 Supplementary Resources 132

A1.4 Other Books by the Author 132

A1.5 INPP Training Courses 133

Appendix 2: Chapter 2 Test Resources 134

A2.1 Tansley Standard Figures 134

A2.2 Vertical, Horizontal and Diagonal Lines 135

A2.3 Observation Sheet for Chapter 2 Tests 136

A2.4 Scoring Sheet for Chapter 2 Tests 139

Appendix 3: Chapter 3 Test Resources 141

A3.1 Test for Fixation, Convergence and Control of Saccades 141

A3.2 Test for Visual Integration 142

A3.3 Sound Discrimination (Individual Sounds, Sound Blends and Syllables) 143

A3.4 Sound Synthesis 144

A3.5 The Tansley Standard Visual Figures Test 145

A3.6 Adapted Bender Visual- Gestalt Test 147

A3.7 Observation Sheets for Chapter 3 149

A3.8 Scoring Sheets for Chapter 3 151

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"I have known and admired Sally Goddard Blythe and her late husband Peter's pioneering vestibular-related (balance, coordination, rhythm) reflex research into the origins of dyslexia (LD), dyspraxia, ADD, phobias... for well over 50 yrs. Thus, I was delighted to read her incredible and life-changing insights within, 'Reflexes, Movement, Learning, Behavior' and now its superb companion manual Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning—the latter enabling both clinicians and teachers to screen for and even prevent/mitigate the above-mentioned syndromes and/or their symptoms from arising. Amazingly, I had independently arrived at somewhat similar convictions based on my own clinical neuropsychiatric medical research—also discovering that the above and many other developmental and even acquired so-called cognitive and often co-existing motor disorders had an underlying primary cerebellar-vestibular or 'inner-ear' vs. cerebral origin. Importantly, 98% of my many patients had independently proven balance, coordination and rhythmic impairments, despite normal and superior IQ's—clearly validating Sally's brilliantly described insights. Just as important, 0% had primary cerebral neurological signs—clearly refuting the century-old and still prevailing primary cerebral concepts while further supporting our respective cerebellar and vestibular research efforts and resulting convictions. Because we arrived at our initially similar anti-traditional convictions from completely different directions, we had differing explanations as to: 1. How can an inner-ear or cerebellar-vestibular balance and coordination dysfunction or immaturity cause varied reading, writing, spelling, math... cerebral-related disorders in the absence of well-established cerebral neurological signs? and 2. How can improving the vestibular system improve the above differently-named 'cerebral' disorders? From a medical point of view, my theory was simple - based on the clinical study of thousands of patients. I reasoned that the cerebellar-vestibular system is a fine-tuner for all incoming cerebral/brain and outgoing balance, coordination and rhythmic brain signals. Thus, a primary vestibular signal-scrambling dysfunction confusing the reading, writing, spelling, math, concentration, activity, anxiety-modulating - cerebral-related brain areas can result in the varied cognitive and related symtoms/disorders without manifesting cerebral neurological signs while also accounting for the invariable presence of abnormal motor reflexes and impaired balance/coordination/rhythmic movements. Best of all, 75-85% of patients treated with inner-ear-improving meds often rapidly improved—further proving our respective theories. Perhaps a simple analogy will help explain our respective 'inner-ear' theories—too often befuddling some. Thus, for example, any normal individual can be rendered temporarily dyslexic, ADD, dyspraxic, imbalanced, phobic ... by simply spinning them until dizziness and dizzy signals result. And pre-treating them with inner-ear-improving motions-sickness meds can prevent or 'cure' them of their dizzy signals and resulting transient disorders. And finally, there's a phobia for every form of inner-ear-determined motion sickness and imbalance/dyscoordination—for good reason, eg. fears of moving elevators, escalators, planes, walking unassisted, heights, sports, etc. Now Sally and Peter's research similarly demonstrated that by improving the reflex motor disturbances —and/or it's inner-ear causes—in those patients with the above disorders, their many symptoms can improve without meds. And by recognizing the importance of the vestibular reflex system for learning in children and enhancing it when indicated, many can be spared endless suffering. In short, Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning brilliantly highlights the often overlooked complexity and incredible importance of early enhancement of the vestibular-motor system in providing normal cognitive development/functioning for all children. As a result, Sally's insights offer prevention for those screened early as well as safe, beneficial reflex treatment for all with the above disorders. And for best, rapid results, medical and reflex therapies may be combined when indicated."
—Harold N. Levinson, M.D.

Editorial Reviews

"Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning is not so much bedtime reading for the lay person, as it is a beautifully produced screening and intervention manual for practitioners and professionals working with young children – a substantially revised and expanded edition of the long-established and rigorously evaluated INPP training manual." Mother Magazine 2012

From the Publisher