The INPP® method: when early movement development affects learning
Some children try incredibly hard – and still reading, writing, sitting still or ball games stay difficult. Often the verdict is: “They just need to concentrate more.” But sometimes part of the explanation lies deeper: in early movement development.
The INPP® method looks exactly there. On this page you’ll find out, as a parent, what it is about, which signs to look out for and how a programme works.
What INPP is about
INPP stands for “Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology”. The institute was founded in 1975 in Chester, England, by Dr Peter Blythe and is now led by Sally Goddard Blythe, who has written several books on the subject.
Every baby is born with innate movement patterns, the so-called primitive reflexes. They help during birth and in the first months of life. As the brain matures, they are gradually inhibited and replaced by postural reactions – the basis for balance, posture, coordination and, later on, reading and writing.
If remnants of these early reflexes stay active, this is called neuromotor immaturity. The child then has to put more effort into many things that come easily to others – such as sitting still, moving the eyes smoothly along a line or holding a pencil loosely. It has nothing to do with intelligence or willpower.
Four reflexes that often play a role
Moro reflex – the early “alarm system”
In newborns, a sudden stimulus – a loud noise, bright light, a quick change of position – triggers a startle reaction. Normally it is inhibited in the first months of life. If it stays active, children often react to stimuli with stress more quickly, seem jumpy, dislike change and tire quickly.
Tonic labyrinthine reflex (TLR) – balance
It links head position to muscle tone throughout the body and forms the basis of balance. If it persists, difficulties with posture, balance and spatial orientation often show: some children avoid swings or merry-go-rounds, get lost easily or suffer from travel sickness.
ATNR – eye and hand
In the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, turning the head stretches the arm on the side the face is turned to. It supports early eye–hand coordination and should be inhibited by around six months of age. If it stays active, writing is often hard work: a tense pencil grip, losing the line when reading, much stronger orally than in writing.
Spinal Galant reflex – sitting
Touching along the lower spine makes a baby move the hip to the side. A persisting Galant reflex is associated, among other things, with restlessness when sitting – the child wriggles and fidgets even though they want to sit still.
Signs parents often describe
On their own, single points apply to many children and say little. But if several come together, an assessment can bring clarity:
• skipped crawling, or learned to walk or talk late
• finds cycling, catching a ball or swimming difficult
• suffers from travel sickness
• mixes up left and right or struggles with an analogue clock
• reading and writing take a lot of effort despite practice
• finds it hard to sit still and stay attentive
• is easily overwhelmed or jumpy
You can find the full INPP children’s questionnaire (in German) at inpp.ch.
How an INPP programme works
1 · Questionnaire
You fill in the INPP children’s questionnaire. It gives a first impression of whether neuromotor immaturity might play a role.
2 · Initial consultation
A detailed conversation about your child’s current difficulties, their developmental history and whether the programme is a good fit.
3 · Assessment
An assessment lasting several hours: primitive reflexes, postural reactions, balance, gross and fine motor skills, eye movements, visual and – if needed – auditory perception, and laterality.
4 · Feedback session
About two to three weeks later, the results are explained in detail and related to your child’s difficulties. On request you receive a written report.
5 · Home exercise programme
Your child receives an individually tailored programme of slow movement exercises modelled on movement development in the first year of life. Each exercise is demonstrated, practised together and given to you in writing. Daily time: around 5 to 10 minutes.
6 · Follow-up appointments
Every six to eight weeks, progress is checked and the programme adjusted. Overall, the programme usually takes one to one and a half years.
What this means for your family
The exercises only take a few minutes – but they only work if they are done regularly over many months. That is often the biggest hurdle in family life, and your child needs your support along the way.
This is where parent coaching can help: together we look at how the exercises can get a fixed, relaxed place in your day, how you can motivate your child without building pressure, and how you can stay in good contact with school and specialists.
An honest word on context
The INPP® method is a support programme – not a medical treatment and not a diagnosis. Whether persisting primitive reflexes cause learning and behavioural difficulties has not been conclusively established; the research base is limited, and professionals assess the approach differently.
Difficulties with learning, attention or behaviour can have many causes, for example problems with vision or hearing, ADHD, dyslexia or stress in the child’s environment. An assessment by a paediatrician – and, where needed, a psychologist – is therefore always part of the picture. INPP can complement it, but it does not replace it.
Where I stand – and an offer for training families
I am currently completing the part-time training “Die INPP®-Methode in Theorie und Praxis” (the INPP® method in theory and practice) at INPP. I have completed the first module, which means I am already qualified to carry out the detailed initial consultation (anamnesis). I will be able to offer complete INPP assessments from the beginning of 2027.
Training families wanted: to complete each module of the training, I submit several documented cases. If you are interested in the INPP method – for your child or for yourself – you can apply for a training place. You then receive the initial consultation (anamnesis) at a reduced rate. The further parts of the programme – assessment, feedback session, exercise programme and follow-up appointments – follow step by step as I complete the corresponding modules; the last part in spring 2027.
Cases are only documented for the training with your consent and in anonymised form. We agree on the exact rate and the timeline beforehand. If you would rather not wait, you can find certified INPP practitioners at inpp.ch.
Interested in a training place or questions about INPP?
Write to me or book an initial consultation – together we’ll clarify whether the INPP method could suit your child or you, and what the process looks like.
Get in touch