CHILD DEVELOPMENT - ARE WE GOING ABOUT IT THE WRONG WAY?
By Veronica Greene (written for Scottish Out of School Care Network (SOSCN) in APR 2025)
Veronica Greene B.Eng (hons) founded Little Greene Yoga® and delivers training courses on brain/body connection in schools throughout UK & Channel Is. She is currently studying for a qualification in Functional Developmental Behavioural Neuroimmunology.
She also runs Certified Children’s Teacher Training courses (3-5yrs; 5-8yrs; 8-12yrs, Teen - Mind & Body (12-18yrs)
The ISSUE!
More children than ever before are being diagnosed with ‘Additional Support needs’. From challenges with focus, emotional regulation, sensory issues and delayed motor skills. Educators and parents are seeing a rise in difficulties that are impacting learning and behaviour.
What if, instead of just managing the symptoms and the behaviours, we looked deeper at what’s happening in the brain?
Research suggests that many of these issues stem from something far simpler, and far more overlooked - fundamental movement! Functional movement isn’t just about exercise! It’s the foundation of brain development, helping children integrate their primitive reflexes, maturing their nervous systems, and developing their brains, from the brain stem or the ‘bottom-up’ approach.
Humans are the only mammals that can’t walk immediately after birth.
This is because, unlike other species, we are born with smaller brains to accommodate the narrow human birth canal. As a result, most of our brain development occurs after birth.
The Missing Link in Child Development!
From the moment a baby is born, movement is the brain’s primary tool for development. According to Dr. Robert Melillo, a leading researcher in neurodevelopmental disorders, primitive reflexes serve as the building blocks for higher brain functions and development. When we miss vital steps in ‘integrating’ them, we miss out on the process required to develop a balanced brain.
This is not a new understanding and was researched greatly by Swedish psychiatrist Harald Blomberg after he worked with Kerstin Linde in the 1980s. In the 90s, he applied rhythmic movement therapy in his Psychiatry Clinic, observing significant improvements in children with ADHD, dyslexia & emotional regulation challenges.
Primitive reflexes are automatic, instinctual movements that are present at birth. Many of you will be familiar with the more obvious reflexes such as the Rooting Reflex, where a baby, when stroked at the corner of their mouth, will turn their head to find the source of food - breast or bottle. The Moro Reflex is also obvious - when a baby startles, throwing its arms out to the side at a loud noise or sensing they are falling. Everyone’s favourite, though we probably don't think of it as a primitive reflex, is the Palmar Grasp - when you place your finger inside a baby’s palm and they immediately grab your finger tightly.
While these reflexes are a great source of amusement, they are automatic, instinctual reactions for survival! These reflexes and others are usually checked immediately after birth. The absence of abnormal reflexes can indicate potential neurological problems and may require further investigation.
Primitive reflexes should naturally ‘integrate’ as a child grows, allowing them to develop balance, coordination, emotional regulation, and cognitive skills. However, when a child doesn’t get enough of the right kinds of movement such as tummy time, rolling, crawling, climbing, spinning and balancing, these reflexes can remain ‘retained’, leaving the nervous system in a constant state of stress. This can manifest as poor concentration, difficulty sitting still, emotional outbursts, and even challenges with reading, writing and motor skills, often leading to a diagnosis of Autism, ADHD & Dyslexia to name a few.
As mentioned, primitive reflexes are checked at birth and then again at 6 weeks. After that they are usually not considered an issue unless development is heavily stunted and pediatricians are checking for neurological issues.
Today’s modern lifestyle makes this problem even worse. With less outdoor play, increased screen time, and a focus on early academics over physical exploration, many children are missing key developmental milestones. Studies have shown a direct link between reduced movement opportunities and an increase in attention disorders, anxiety, and learning difficulties. Instead of simply labelling these struggles as behavioural or neurological issues, we need to ask: “Are these children struggling with their environment—one that no longer supports how their brains are designed to develop?”
Before looking at outdoor play, let’s first look at the very early stages. Many mums report that their babies “hate tummy time and cry”. Of course, babies don’t like tummy time in the beginning! The heaviest part of the body is the skull, and babies have to build strength in their back muscles to hold their heads up. While ‘tummy time’ may seem unpleasant, in the beginning, if performed in short, regular daily bursts, babies will develop their spinal muscles, helping develop rolling, which then leads to crawling and then walking. These are the physical development milestones, and if they don’t follow the ‘normal’ trajectory, then the brain development does not follow the ‘normal trajectory’.
CHILD READING
A Solution!
For over 23 years, I've been fortunate to work closely with children and teens across all stages of development, both in private classes and within educational settings. Throughout this time, I observed a strong connection between physical strength and focus—children with poor muscle tone often struggled with concentration. However, as we worked on developing their muscular strength, I noticed a significant improvement in their ability to focus for longer periods. Initially, I attributed this to the idea that building stability in the body creates stability in the brain.
Now, through my studies in Functional Neuroimmunology (The Melillio Method), I have a deeper understanding of why this happens. The yoga postures we practice with children naturally support the integration of primitive reflexes—key neurological functions that lay the foundation for cognitive and emotional development. As these reflexes integrate, both muscle tone and brain function improve, enhancing not just physical strength but also attention, learning, and self-regulation.
What is obvious is that we need a fresh approach because waiting for mental health support or a CAHMS appointment takes far too long. Resources are stretched, and one-to-one support simply isn’t a viable option for most children. We need solutions that can be delivered on a wider scale, reaching more children when they need help.
Over the years, I’ve designed Programs for Schools to support resilience, exam preparation and behavioural challenges. What I truly believe is that if we equip all educators with the techniques I’ve used, we won’t just be managing the growing crisis of behavioural and additional support needs—we’ll be providing solutions. We will also be down regulating our educators’ nervous systems to address the stress and burnout that is driving so many teachers and childcare professionals to exhaustion………..what are we waiting for?
3 exercises to try now with your class/group that works for 3 years to 18 years (and adults).
SPINAL DEVELOPMENT - Back Bending Exercise
(Can be used in any classroom situation, even at story time)
Backbends - "How we all used to watch Telly!"
Most children are spending too much time hunched over phones or tablets, which is affecting the development of their spine. This issue is magnified for those who missed out on the crawling stage. This exercise/position helps with physical spinal development, as well as integrating primitive reflexes.
Lie on tummy
head resting on hands
CALMING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
(Can be used anytime there is space, even as sleep time or relaxation at the end of gym class)
Abdominal Breathing (Belly Breath) - here we're using the floor for feedback on tummy expansion. Hands under the forehead helps us calm and withdraw
Lie on Tummy
Hands under forehead with elbows out to the side a
Breathe in through nose and feel your tummy pushing into the floor
Repeat 3 times, rolling the shoulders under each time checking that the pelvis is neutral and parallel to the floor
Breathe out through nose and feel your tummy draw back from the floor
(NB: option to throw blanket over while in this position as the weight of the blanket also calms the nervous system, through touch receptors in the body)
CRAWLING GAME - Lines of Crawling
(As the name suggest we set up mats for the children to crawl on - they love this even though it is hard work)
Children start on all 4s
Get them to focus on right arm and leg moving forward together then left arm and leg.
You can add music to keep to the rhythm or turn into a game where they pick up bean bags and balance them on their back. The bean bags that haven't fallen off are counted in the score!
Crawling Game
For Teachers wishing to adopt some of Veronica’s techniques, she has shorter modules for School Teachers which can put towards a Certification in Children’s Yoga.
If you are looking for more information on our BALANCED CLASSROOM PROGRAMS for School Teachers then click below…