Child Centre Method

Having worked for over ten years supporting children’s communication and development I have learned that all aspects of children’s learning and development is intertwined and cannot be separated into different parts. The Child Centre Method (CCM) is a result of years of research and experience from Dr. Alweena Awan. CCM brings together a combination of complimentary therapy modalities to support children’s learning, behaviour and emotional challenges in a unique way. As a therapist working with a multidisciplinary team I have had the value and wisdom. Most conversations about children’s behaviour and emotional challenges return to the fundamental question, what is the underlying reason, motivation or cause? Dr. Awan’s evidenced based and researched Program highlights retained reflexes as an underlying point of stress on an individual’s system and provides a systematic Program to resolve stressors and integrate the reflexes, returning the induvial to a state of balance and equilibrium.

Dr. Alweena Awan is the Founder and international director of The Child Centre Method-Learning and Behaviour Improvement Program® (CCM). CCM is the culmination of over twenty years of experience working with children, as teacher, researcher and therapist.

The Child Centre Method ® is a “systematic integrated program that allows the practitioner to firstly identify the individual challenges that each client faces and secondly create a unique program for that individual”.

What are Retained Primitive Reflexes?

Retained Primitive Reflexes are the keys to understanding many child learning and behaviour issues. The integration and treatment of these forms a major part of the Child Centre method ®.

CASE STUDY : B came to me at 7 years old experiencing challenges with learning; reading, writing and spellings, taking down her homework from the board. She found it really challenging to sit and attend, even though she really wanted to. She also experienced some sensory and emotional regulation challenges. She wanted to do well and please people and always put pressure on herself to achieve, regardless of what her parents said to her. The CCM assessment revealed retained primitive and postural reflexes. Reflexes were integrated using CCM and B was given follow up integration exercises. Following two sessions her parents noted changes in her handwriting and behaviour. Following four major reflexes being integrated parents reported significant changes in her learning behaviour and emotional regulation. B was now happily sitting down to complete her homework, without feeling distracted, her handwriting improved and her mood was calmer and more relaxed in general.

Retained reflexes can be blocking you from realising your potential. Retained primitive reflexes are key to understanding children’s learning and behaviour issues and are at the heart of the Child Centre Method.

Child and family service

Through my personal and professional experience I have learned about the importance of working with the child and their family. Retained reflexes, emotional and behavioural challenges and learning difficulties are not just for kids. Becoming a parent has given me an opportunity to look at aspects of myself that were influencing my children’s behaviour and development. Through kinesiology, I was able to identify and resolve conscious and subconscious blockages, including retained reflexes, which had been barriers to me being free to be and express my true self.

Elements of the CCM Program and Attuning to Full Potential (AFP) Kinesiology provide an effective, gentle approach for adults to identify and resolve points of stress in their physical, emotional and spiritual body. Attuning To Full Potential – AFP

How do retained primitive reflexes affect learning and behaviour?

Primitive and postural reflexes are a cluster of programmed automatic movements which develop for our survival. The Moro Reflex, for example, allows a new born baby to take it’s first breath. As an infant grows and develops, this reflex is replaced by newly learned movements in the process of integration. Problems arise if the Moro Reflex is retained, as the body is held in “fight or flight” mode and in a constant state of high alert. This will impact on how the child learns and behaves and on their emotional well-being.

How are retained reflexes identified?

Retained reflexes can be identified by careful examinations of physical, emotional and social behaviours. Retained reflexes create great challenges to people at any age and can impact on natural abilities in reading, writing, speech and language, behaviour and emotions. The CCM provides assessment and integration of retained reflexes.

More on primitive reflexes

Primitive reflexes are a set of programmes in the brain which are present in all humans for survival. They are integrated and “switched off” when an infant starts to have conscious control of their movements and normal childhood activities e.g. crawling, climbing. If the reflexes are retained they can lead to neuro-developmental delay and poor sensory integration. For example, they can impair balance which will cause a child difficulty in judging space, distance, depth and speed. Balance is vital for everyone. When astronauts lose their sense of balance in space they start to write from right to left, reverse numbers and letters and produce mirror writing.

My child is afraid of separation, the dark, being alone.

My child sleeps in my bed.

My child won’t try new foods.

My child is afraid of change.

My child doesn’t like moving.

My child can’t stop moving.

My child worries about everything.

My child has poor confidence.

I want my child to be happy.