The Pyramid of Learning and your child
When a child enters school, it is typically expected that they are ready to learn because they are at a certain age.
However, chronological age does not always match up with a child’s developmental age in areas of learning and/or social engagement.
To help understand where a child may be in terms of learning and social development, the Pyramid of Learning serves as a fantastic tool for both parents and educators.
The Pyramid of Learning shows how the brain develops in stages and that in order for a child to reach the the highest levels, that child must first build a solid neurological foundation through things like appropriate sensory integration.
Simply put, the child’s nervous system must be able to interact appropriately with the environment which in turn builds more complex brain connections and abilities.
If all proceeds properly, this continued growth leads to more advanced brain development and higher emotional and cognitive abilities.
However, if levels of development are missed or not fully integrated, it is likely that parents and educators will see growing signs of delays in social, emotional and/or academic areas which then leads to greater and greater levels of frustration and eventually, behavioral issues.
(This PDF on Developmental Learning Steps by Veronica Steer have a wealth of information on this topic.)
Proper nervous system input is essential for higher levels of development
If you take a look at the very bottom of the pyramid, you’ll notice that proprioception is one of the critical building blocks.
Proprioception is the ability to know where are body is in space so that we can balance, run, jump and close are eyes while being able to touch our nose.
We receive the majority of proprioceptive input from our spine and especially from the upper neck.
Studies have shown that altered movement of the upper neck due to persistent stress or trauma can negatively impact that proprioceptive information as it travels to the brain.
Imagine if a child had a stressful or traumatic birth. Or the countless falls and tumbles in the early years.
We know that injuries to the spine negatively affect the proprioceptive input as it travels to the brain.
Dr. Biedermann, a medical doctor specializing in manual medicine, described this in the 1990s and called it Kinetic Imbalance due to Suboccipital Strain (KISS).
Left untreated, he stated that it can lead to various developmental delays and neurodevelopmental and behavioral issues such as ADHD, sensory processing disorder and anxiety.
Chiropractors recognized this over 120 years ago and have been helping children by restoring proper motion and function to the neck and spine which in turn allows the body and brain to receive the appropriate information they need.
This is exactly why we see the profound results we see in our clinic.
When we restore the proper neurological function to the body so the brain can receive the appropriate input, the brain is able to work more efficiently and do what it was designed to do...
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