Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell.
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. is a world-renowned psychiatrist and neurologist. He is credited with bringing about a dramatic medical breakthrough in the understanding, diagnosis, and successful treatment of dyslexia and its many related signal-scrambling disturbances of the inner ear and its supercomputer, the cerebellum, the lower brain of humans and the highest brain of most animals. https://www.dyslexiaonline.com/bio.html