Creative Tutoring and Neuro - Developmental Therapy

What is in this article:

• Creative tutoring for children who learn differently

• Why tutoring and therapy under one roof?

• What are retained primitive reflexes?

• What neuro - developmental therapy involves

• A little about me

• What does it cost, and how do I start?

Some children can talk for an hour about the dress they'd design, the sculpture they'd build or how a bridge stays up, yet find a page of handwriting an ordeal. They are bright, curious and capable, and school just doesn't seem to show it.

If that sounds like a child you know, you're in the right place.

Thrive Neuro Studio is based in Freeland, near Witney, offering creative tutoring and reflex therapy in Oxfordshire, with sessions also available online. It brings together two things that don't often share a room: creative tutoring for children who learn differently, and neuro - developmental therapy, which looks at some of the physical foundations underneath learning. Here's what that actually means.

Creative tutoring for children who learn differently

My tutoring is built around hands-on making: Art & Design, Textiles & Fashion, Design and Technology and 3D Design. As a design and technology teacher with over 16 years of classroom experience, I've watched many children who struggle at a desk come alive with fabric, clay or a sketchbook in front of them.

The one to one private tutoring sessions are calm, practical and paced around the child, and they suit learners from pre-school right through to A Level. That includes KS3 tutoring for Years 7 to 9, a GCSE art tutor or GCSE textiles tutor for those working towards exams (GCSE tutoring is available too), and A Level exam tutoring and coursework support for older students.

I work as a SEN tutor in Oxfordshire, and my SEN private tutoring, sometimes called special education tutoring, supports a range of needs, from dyslexia tutoring to children with ADHD or autism. Creative tutoring for SEND children works because the making is the way in. Planning, focus, fine motor skills and confidence all get practised along the way, without it ever feeling like a worksheet.

Some children need something a little different from the usual route:

• Children who find school overwhelming. Tutoring for children with anxiety can offer a quieter, judgement-free space where they feel seen and capable.

• Families who home educate. If you're looking for homeschooling tutors who can add regular, practical, creative sessions, this fits well.

• Children who are out of school or on a reduced timetable. Alternative provision tutoring can give structure and a sense of progress without the pressure of a full school day.

Many tutoring services across the UK focus on a single subject or on exam technique. Thrive is a little different: we start with the child.

Why tutoring and therapy under one roof?

Sometimes the struggle isn't about intelligence or effort at all. For a child struggling at school, retained reflexes may be one contributing factor that's worth exploring, alongside everything else going on for them. That's why Thrive offers both, so a child doesn't have to be sent from place to place to get a fuller picture.

What are retained primitive reflexes?

Every baby is born with a set of automatic movements called primitive reflexes. They help with those first months of life, and they're meant to fade as the brain matures and more controlled movement takes over. Primitive reflex integration is the name for that process.

Sometimes a reflex stays active for longer than expected. These are called retained primitive reflexes. They aren't a diagnosis, and a retained reflex doesn't mean anything is "wrong" with a child. It simply means a nervous system may still be holding onto an early pattern.

Some of the things parents and teachers notice, which can have many different causes, include:

• poor handwriting and coordination in children

• a child who can't sit still at school

• balance and coordination difficulties in children

• sensory processing difficulties in children, such as being easily overwhelmed by noise, touch or busy places

• big emotional reactions to small things

  
  

None of these proves a reflex is retained. They're signs that it may be worth taking a closer look.

What neuro - developmental therapy involves

Neuro - developmental therapy (also called neuro - developmental delay therapy) starts with understanding what's going on. That begins with a retained reflex assessment for children, sometimes called a primitive reflex assessment, where we look at how a child moves, balances and responds. If you'd like a first look at home, the Reflex Checker on our website is a good starting point.

From there, reflex integration therapy for children usually involves a personalised programme of simple activities to do at home, reviewed at regular follow-up appointments. I also offer movement therapy for children, which uses movement to support the body and brain working together.

I'm trained in neuro - developmental therapy and have completed INPP training for teachers.

I'm also a certified Johansen IAS practitioner. Johansen IAS is a form of sound therapy for children and adults that uses personalised music, and some families explore it when a child has auditory processing difficulties, such as finding it hard to listen in a noisy classroom. It can also support children with sensory processing challenges and dyslexia, as well as many other traits that may have been diagnosed, awaiting diagnosis or just suspected.

Retained reflexes in adults are part of this conversation too. Teenagers, students and adults can also have retained reflexes, and assessments are available for them as well.

A little about me

I'm Alice, the practitioner behind Thrive Neuro Studio. I'm a qualified teacher (QTS) with over 16 years of teaching experience and a Master's in Advanced Educational Practice (SEND). I'm a trained Neuro - Developmental Delay Therapist, Johansen IAS certified, DBS checked and first aid trained.

What does it cost, and how do I start?

Tutoring costs and fees are straightforward: SEN private tutoring is £50 an hour, and neuro developmental therapy and sound therapy start from £95 an hour.

The first step costs nothing. You're welcome to book a free 15-minute call to talk through your child, what's feeling hard right now, and whether what I offer might help. There's no pressure and no expectation to book anything afterwards.

If you'd like to know more, you can find everything at thriveneurostudio.com or get in touch through the contact form on the site. Whatever route you choose, I'd love to help your child feel seen, capable and genuinely excited to learn.

In Summary...

You don't need to have had a formal diagnosis to explore neuro - developmental therapy. It is a complimentary therapy that can support every child. If you have had that niggling feeling that something just isn't quite going to plan with your child's progress and development then a conversation would be worthwhile to find out more. Any therapy that supports neuro - development is going to take time and that is a commitment that some families find a challenge because it isn't a quick fix unfortunately. However, as someone who has gone through the process myself and with my own children I can whole heartedly say that it is the best thing I ever did.