Apr 7, 2026 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog
When working with children who show some visual problems, for example, not being able to follow a moving object easily or whose eyes don’t converge or diverge appropriately, Integrated Learning Therapy (ILT) practitioners usually begin a helping programme by first testing for irregularities of the vestibular system (situated in the inner ear) and then working to improve vestibular functioning before turning their attention to the visual system. Why is this?
It’s simple. Children develop like a house being built. Builders start by ensuring a firm foundation and only after that do they begin putting walls, windows, doors and finally the roof in place. This analogy explains human development too. We need a foundation that gives us well functioning, early developing systems. These include sensory systems such as tactility, a sense of smell, taste and the all-important sense of balance and movement, conveyed to the brain by the inner-ear, or vestibular system. All later developing systems depend on these systems for support – something like the strong man in the circus, who holds up other acrobats. If he falters, they will all fall down.
In this example, the vestibular system takes the role of the strong man. Accordingly, development and functioning of (amongst others) the visual and auditory systems will rely on the optimal functioning of the vestibular system.
We are well aware that the vestibular and visual systems are intricately linked. While the inner-ear is extremely important for the development of balance and coordination, it also determines eye movements and our ability to live in a stable visual world. One way the visual and vestibular systems work together is via the vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR). When movement of the head is sensed by the vestibular sensors in the inner ear, the information is processed by the central nervous system. Signals are sent to the eye muscles which cause our eyes to move in the opposite direction. The result is a stable image on the retina.
Stimulation of the vestibular system can enhance eye movements and bilateral integration. While ILT seldom recommends fast movements, we can see the effect of movement on the eyes when observing a child with strabismus (a ‘squint’) or other binocular vision disorders. Many of us have had this experience – a child with a strabismus starts jumping on a trampoline and when he or she looks up, the eyes are straight. Sounds amazing but actually is explained by the connection between the visual and vestibular systems.
So working on an underdeveloped or irregularly functioning vestibular system can ultimately help a child’s visual problems – so often implicated in school-related tasks.
The key lies in gaining a thorough understanding of the child’s systems. Once we understand which are failing to support the child’s learning, it becomes possible to ensure firstly that the foundations are in place. Once this has been achieved, higher level systems can be encouraged to improve in functioning.
In this way, ILT looks for the underlying causes of learning difficulties.
Apr 1, 2026 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog
Just like we don’t all grow in height at the same rate, we have different rates of neurodevelopment. This means that the brain develops over time and reaches certain levels of development at different stages of childhood. That doesn’t mean that a child who is a little behind in development will be doomed for life.
Mild delays in development are usually the result of an immature nervous system (which consists of the brain, spinal column and all the nerves carrying messages from and to parts of the body). Here are some signs that can help you identify whether or not your child is a slower developer. Remember that all children may show one or more of these signs. Slow developers will usually show several.
- A history of ‘late bloomers’ in the family
- A premature birth
- Physical or emotional problems in the early months (including a stressful pregnancy)
- Chronic diseases such as asthma, upper respiratory diseases (e.g. ear infections, tonsillitis), viruses and so on.
- Difficulty with social skills: taking turns, sharing, communicating with peers. A child who seems to prefer younger children may be showing a need for more time to catch up
- Difficulties with coordination: skipping, hopping, catching a ball, climbing stairs, cutting, colouring-in.
- Overflow movements shown when a child moves body parts that don’t need to be engaged during a particular movement, e.g. arms flapping when he climbs stairs, tongue moving during colouring-in, feet moving while engaging in a task. This is fairly common in pre-schoolers but shouldn’t be obvious in older children
- Delayed language development
- Difficulty paying attention, easily distracted, struggles to sit still
- Seems overly impulsive for age
- Thoughts are unrealistic, e.g. avoids a situation by believing it will go away if ignored. Typical of slightly older children who avoid homework!
- Birthday is later in the year than most classmates. Boys especially may lack readiness if they are six months or more younger than the majority in their class.
If you are concerned that your child is struggling to adapt easily to school because of suspected neurodevelopmental delays, it is important for you to check this out with an ILT practitioner.
[1] With thanks to Jane Healy, author of ‘Your child’s growing mind’.
Mar 25, 2026 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog
Are you one of those parents who dread an oncoming birthday party, with tables overflowing with sugary goods? Does your child show hyperactive behaviour or even symptoms of ADHD after eating a lot of sugar?
While your child certainly may show an increase in energy or excitability after a party, it seems that sugar doesn’t cause long-term problems. Paulo Graziano, a researcher at the Centre for Children and Families at Florida International University (FIU), says that there is no evidence to show that sugar causes ADHD.
However, nutrition does play an important role in children’s feelings and behaviour. A balanced diet does support skills like paying attention and resisting impulses. Good nutrition is simply essential for children’s physical, emotional and cognitive health, says Madeline Curzon, who studies how nutrition relates to children’s thinking and behaviour at FIU. She points out that glucose, a form of sugar, is a brain fuel but fruits, vegetables and whole grains are better sources than sugared treats or drinks.
The answer: teach your children to occasionally enjoy a sugar treat but to understand why healthy foods are important. Bear with the excitable behaviour that may follow a ‘sugar overload’ but know that it won’t last forever.
Image supplied by Freepik.
Mar 18, 2026 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog
It is a simple fact that the brain is directly affected by the food we eat, the air we breathe and how we treat our bodies. The way the brain is affected can be seen in our behaviour – and children who struggle with learning tasks or behaving appropriately are showing that their brains are not functionally optimally.
Too many such children are labelled with supposed disorders which are then treated with prescribed medications. Too often the labels are inaccurate and the medications unnecessary. Many practitioners working with these children believe that a less harsh approach, one that will not do damage to a child’s nervous system, is wiser. It is also sometimes more helpful than the overused starting place of having a serious, mind-altering drug given to a child as though it held no more risks than a Smartie.
For example, many children with learning problems suffer from allergies. Not all allergies present as a rash. A child will often experience headaches, leg pains, digestive disorders, muscle spasms or bedwetting. Dark circles under the eyes are also a telltale sign – and not always the result of a late night. Wheat, milk, eggs, sugar, peanuts, oranges and chocolate are common allergen foods. Very often, the child will crave the foods to which he or she has an allergy.
You can try a simple method to recognise allergens by taking a child’s pulse before and ten minutes after eating a suspected food. An elevation of 10 or more counts per minute in pulse reflects a probable allergen.
Parasites or bacteria are sometimes the culprits that may increase allergies. Candida Albicans (a yeast overgrowth in the gut) is often indicated when the child shows general ill-health and listlessness accompanied by disinterest in and aversion to sitting down and getting on with schoolwork.
Such children may be more sensitive to pollutants, food additives and preservatives, food colouring and dyes. These environmental offenders put the respiratory system in distress and the lack of proper oxygen to the brain can manifest as hyperactivity and unmanageable behaviours.
It may take some time to investigate the underlying causes of learning challenges but it is critical to do so. Once the source is discovered and addressed, the body has a marvellous ability to create balance and heal. The brain is plastic enough to be able to restore function and the reward is seeing a child achieve a calmness, purpose and a growing sense of confidence in himself.
Image supplied by Freepik.
Mar 11, 2026 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog
The world, although still a beautiful place, is fraught with man-made conflicts. Violent events, both globally and locally, dominate our news channels. As a result, we are seeing increasing amounts of youngsters with symptoms of stress.
Stress, with accompanying anxiety, is one of the causes underlying the development of tics and twitches. These include eye-blinking, throat clearing, small, repetitive movements of arms and legs, face pulling and sniffing. Some children may also make sounds. Other causes for the appearance of tics include the presence of toxins in the body and allergies.
While these signs can be alarming, remember that about 20% of children develop tics and show twitches at some point during the primary school years. Most of them will disappear as the child grows older.
Most children are not bothered by their tics and in these cases, parents shouldn’t bother either. It is important to remember that the child cannot easily control the tics and twitches so it doesn’t help to tell them to do so. The best is to ignore the tics and while waiting and watching, try no interventions. It will, however, be necessary to support the child if you suspect that stress brought about by the pandemic may be a reason. Anxieties and the symptoms of stress can be helped through counselling or play therapy – and always, a parent on hand to listen carefully to fears and help talk through them.
On the other hand, if the tics become severe, persist longer than a year, threaten to disrupt the child’s social relationships or perhaps invoke self-injury, then you need to look for appropriate treatment.
The most severe form of a tic disorder is known as Tourette’s Syndrome. This is possibly (but not always necessarily) a genetic condition and is often accompanied by co-occurring problems, such as difficulties paying attention, obsessive behaviours and anxiety.
Tourette’s Syndrome needs treatment which takes the form of either or both medications to reduce tics and also behavioural therapy. Care needs to be taken that the child is not diagnosed and treated simply on the presence of motor and/or vocal tics. There are some neurodevelopmental issues that can present as an underlying cause and that need to be addressed along with the tics. For this, it might be wise to consult a professional who will take an holistic view of the child and his or her development.
Image supplied by Freepik
Mar 4, 2026 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog
At the end of each term comes the report from your child’s school. Now, as parents, you have to read what one or more other human beings think of your child. This can be a pleasure but can also cause confusion and even concern. How seriously should you take the schools’ verdict on your child’s performance, behaviour, growing personality and abilities?
Obviously teachers are trained professionals and can be very helpful in identifying areas needing help or areas of great potential. But as a parent, you are equipped with knowledge and understanding of your child that no other person can hope to equal. For this reason, my message today is that you should learn to trust in your ‘gut feelings’ concerning your child – especially if they conflict with the opinions of others.
Over many years of dealing with families whose children show one or other need, I’ve come to value the opinions of parents. Very often conversations with them are prefaced with “I’m only his/her parent so I’m probably wrong, but ……”. Then the parent goes on to present me with a description of the child that, after thorough evaluation, is found to be highly accurate and insightful, but sometimes contradicts the teacher’s findings.
I’ve known many parents who instinctively felt that their child wasn’t really ready to learn, yet felt intimidated enough by officialdom to send them into formal schooling. Sometime down the line, they are referred for help with problems caused not by any lack of intelligence but instead a slower rate of neurodevelopment. Others may instinctively know that their young child is ready for school but are told to keep them back. These children may end up being frustrated and bored at school and have to possibly take the unwise step in being accelerated into a higher grade somewhere along the line.
This doesn’t mean that parents don’t ever make mistakes. Plenty of parents are guilty of pushing their children too fast and too far before they are ready; they are over-ambitious for children to succeed; some neglect children unintentionally due to work and lifestyle pressures, some refuse to recognise a needy area in the child, and so on. That, however, is not the message intended here.
I could write screeds about the occasions when parents were spot on in their analysis of the causes of their child’s behaviour, in contrast with that of the school. I recall a parent desperately sharing her feeling that her young son’s undesirable, hyperactive, non-compliant behaviour during the Grade 0 school day was due to his disinterest in classroom events. This was not accepted by the teacher, who saw the symptoms as being signs of anti-social tendencies, mental disorders, impulsivity, disobedience and more. The mother persevered with her belief and did not seek any intervention. The following year saw a drastic change in behaviour and when challenged, the youngster offered, “School is better now. We’re learning proper stuff.”
Something else to be taken into consideration is that what you want to teach your child is not necessarily what others want to teach theirs. What your child needs to be taught depends on the society into which he is being raised and in which he will have to cope. That means that others may not understand the culture of your family and have unrealistic expectations of your child – and your way of raising him.
When you feel that something is not right with your child, with the school situation, with health issues, with friendships, you don’t need to apologise for being ‘only’ a parent. You don’t always need to rush off for professional confirmation or intervention. It is helpful to have an impartial outsider confirm your beliefs and in some cases might be wise, but this isn’t always essential. The chances are that you’ll have your child’s best interests at heart and your decisions and actions will be based on the most intimate and complete knowledge of the child possible. Added to that, you know the child’s origins – you understand the gene pool that created him or her. Trust your feelings.
Image supplied by Freepik.
