Therapy

The INPP programme

There are several different movement programmes which are designed to help a child or adult with neuro-developmental delay (NDD) or neuro-motor immaturity (NMI). The one which will be discussed here is the INPP method.

The Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology (INPP) was founded in 1975 by Peter Blythe, PhD, to investigate whether there was a relationship between an immature nervous system and difficulties with learning and behaviour. Since its founding, the INPP has developed a reliable system to assess NDD/NMI and has treated thousands of children using specific, tailored, non-invasive exercise programmes – the INPP method. Aspects of the INPP programme have been researched and peer reviewed.

The INPP defines NDD as –

the continued presence of a cluster of aberrant primitive reflexes above six months of age and absent or underdeveloped postural reflexes above the age of three and a half years                (Goddard Blythe 2009)

A normal, full-term infant is born with a set of primitive reflexes which arise in sequence and are absorbed or integrated and these are taken over by postural reflexes. The primitive reflexes are integrated in the first year of life and the postural reflexes take about three and a half years to fully establish themselves. If, as described above, a few primitive reflexes are retained/aberrant and postural reflexes have failed to emerge or have not done so properly, then NDD will be seen and the expected full neurological development in your child is absent, diminished or late.

Before therapy is started it is important to do a full and thorough physical assessment. Only then is it possible to see if immature reflexes are present.

The assessment involves examining so-called gross and fine motor skills using a series of standard physical, non-invasive tests – such as the way a child moves, how well they can balance and how coordinated they are. Testing the primitive reflexes and postural reflexes makes it possible to gauge how mature the nervous system is and to see where it is, developmentally. With this information, an exercise programme can be set up for your child.

The INPP method is a movement programme which specifically addresses the presence of immature reflexes by providing exercises appropriate to the level of developmental maturity. This allows your child’s nervous system a ‘second chance’ to develop as it should have.

It is tailored to each individual, so it is not possible to give specific details here of the exercises involved. However, your child is required to do supervised simple movements, either on the floor or sitting, slowly and accurately for five to eight minutes every day.

You will need to come and see me for a review of your child’s progress every six to eight weeks. On average the programme takes one year to complete.

 

Pricing and Structure of Therapy

The costs of an average one year course are listed below. Remember that the Screening Questionnaire is free. If your answers to the questionnaire indicate that the INPP programme would be appropriate, before any commitment is made, it is best if you and your child come for an initial one hour consultation, where your questionnaire answers can be discussed and a short assessment can be done of your child.

Screening questionnaire	Free
Initial consultation – one hour	£90
Initial consultation with Johansen assessment - 90 minutes	£120

If your child is found to have issues which can be helped by the INPP programme then a full assessment is arranged. Following the assessment, a report will be written for you and then you and your child will return to discuss the findings and to start the exercise programme.

Full assessment (two hours minimum) and a written report on the results

£350

Your child will be seen for an hour every 6-8 weeks for a review and, when appropriate, for the exercises to be changed or supplemented. On average a client is seen for a year

Approximate cost of a full course of therapy

£980

It is never too late to start therapy. The brain is plastic, not rigidly wired, and new pathways are being established all the time. However, it is possible to think of starting therapy too early – a child’s nervous system may not be fully myelinated/’wired up’ until the age of seven or eight. If your child is under 7 years of age and you have concerns, contact me to discuss this further.

You can send me a message by e-mailing me at info@neurorestart.co.uk or go to the Contact page for more information.