When the Gut, Brain and Nervous System Are Out of Balance: Understanding the Hidden Drivers Behind Behaviour, Learning and Development
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
One of the biggest misconceptions in child development is that behaviours exist in isolation. Parents often seek help because their child is experiencing issues like emotional outbursts, anxiety, insomnia, difficulties learning or struggles in social situations.
They may also experience problems like delays to speech, sensory sensitivities and poor balance. In some cases your child might show aggressive behaviour.
But what if these symptoms are not the problem? What if they are clues pointing us towards underlying systems that have not fully developed or are under stress?
At Brain Development UK, we look beyond labels and focus on the foundations of development. Often when we assess a child, we find a combination of retained primitive reflexes, sensory processing difficulties, balance problems, nervous system dysregulation and physiological stress. All of these are identified through laboratory testing. When these systems overlap, they can create a very recognisable pattern.
The Brainstem: The Foundation of Development
The brainstem is one of the most important areas of the nervous system. It controls our:
Survival responses
Regulation
Sleep
Balance
Breathing
Heart rate
Sensory filtering
Primitive reflexes
The brainstem develops first and forms the foundation upon which higher brain functions are built. When the brainstem is immature or under stress, children often remain stuck in lower-level brain networks.
Common signs of this include:
Fight-or-flight responses
Emotional dysregulation
Anxiety
Difficulties sleeping
Sensory sensitivities
Difficulty coping with change
Poor attention
Delayed speech and language
Many parents describe their child as being "constantly on alert" or moving quickly from calm to overwhelmed.
Primitive Reflexes: The Body's Early Survival Programs
Primitive reflexes are automatic movements that help babies survive and develop. These reflexes should integrate during infancy. However, when they remain active, they continue to influence how the brain and body function.
Common retained reflexes include:
The Moro Reflex
Children may show:
Anxiety
Emotional outbursts
Hypervigilance
Difficulty with transitions
Sensitivity to sound
Poor stress tolerance
The Palmar Reflex
Children may show:
Speech delays
Fine motor difficulties
Poor handwriting
Hand fidgeting
Oral motor challenges
The Rooting Reflex
Children may show:
Speech difficulties
Dribbling
Oral sensory seeking
Picky eating
ATNR
Children may show:
Poor coordination
Difficulties crossing the midline
Reading difficulties
Poor eye tracking
Problems using both sides of the body together
STNR
Children may show:
Poor posture
Fidgeting
Weak core strength
Difficulty sitting still
Poor balance
Retained primitive reflexes often indicate that the brainstem and sensory systems have not fully matured.
The Vestibular System: The Hidden Sense Behind Balance and Regulation
The vestibular system sits within the inner ear and acts as the body's movement and balance system.
It helps us understand:
Where our body is in space
Which way is up
How to coordinate movement
How to stabilise our eyes while moving
When the vestibular system is immature, children may struggle with:
Poor balance
Clumsiness
Fear of movement
Constant movement seeking
Difficulty sitting still
Motion sickness
Delayed motor skills
The vestibular system is also closely connected to attention, emotional regulation and learning.
Many children who struggle with focus and sensory processing also show vestibular immaturity.
The Cerebellum: More Than Coordination
Traditionally, the cerebellum has been viewed as the part of the brain which controls movement. However, we now know it is involved in far more than that.
The cerebellum helps to regulate:
Balance and coordination
Eye movements
The timing of speech
Our ability to pay attention
Social engagement
Emotional regulation
Learning
When cerebellar function is weak, children may show:
Poor balance
Delayed motor skills
Speech delays
Eye tracking difficulties
Attention challenges
Emotional dysregulation
Poor body awareness
Many children who struggle with communication and social interaction also have underlying cerebellar weaknesses.
Eye Tracking and Visual Processing
Eye movements are controlled by multiple cranial nerves and brainstem pathways.
When these systems are immature, children may struggle with:
Reading
Paying attention
Tracking moving objects
Hand-eye coordination
Ball skills
Copying from a board
Visual attention
Poor eye tracking is often one of the most overlooked developmental signs.
Yet it can have a significant impact on learning and communication.
What Does an Organic Acids Test (OAT) Tell Us?
An Organic Acids Test can provide valuable information about what is happening inside the body.
In some children, we see patterns such as:
Mold and Fungal Markers
Elevated fungal markers may indicate:
Exposure to mould
Yeast overgrowth
Increased inflammation
Oxidative stress
Children may present with:
Brain fog
Mood swings
Anxiety
Emotional dysregulation
Sleep difficulties
Sensory sensitivities
Parents often report:
"He goes from zero to one hundred in seconds."
High Oxalates
Oxalates are naturally occurring compounds found in certain foods and can also be produced by fungal overgrowth.
When elevated, they may contribute to:
Irritability
Hyperactivity
Sensory sensitivity
Poor sleep
Emotional reactivity
Anxiety
Pain and discomfort
Children can appear far more emotionally reactive than expected because their nervous system is under constant physiological stress.
Mitochondrial Stress and Energy Production
The brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in the body.
When energy production is impaired, children may struggle with:
Emotional regulation
Attention
Learning
Physical endurance
Recovery after stress
Many parents describe these children as having good days and bad days, often depending on how much energy their nervous system has available.
Why Symptoms Often Come in Clusters
A child with:
Retained primitive reflexes
Poor balance
Vestibular immaturity
Weak cerebellar function
Eye tracking difficulties
Mold exposure
Elevated oxalates
may present with:
Speech delays
Emotional outbursts
Anxiety
Poor sleep
Sensory sensitivities
Attention difficulties
Learning challenges
Aggression
Social difficulties
These symptoms are not separate problems. They are often different expressions of the same underlying developmental and physiological stress.
Building the Brain From the Foundation Up
At Brain Development UK, our approach is to strengthen the systems that support development.
This may include:
Primitive reflex integration
Vestibular development
Balance training
Eye tracking exercises
Brainstem stimulation
Cranial nerve activation
Trigeminal nerve stimulation
Vagus nerve regulation
Nutritional support
Addressing gut health
Investigating environmental factors such as mold exposure
When we strengthen the foundations, we often see improvements in:
Speech
Attention
Learning
Emotional regulation
Coordination
Confidence
Social engagement
Because children do not learn, communicate and regulate from the top down: they develop from the bottom up. When the foundation becomes stronger, everything built on top of it has the opportunity to grow.
Our courses, webinars and podcasts are here to help parents whose children struggle to regulate their emotions, learn, make friends and a range of other issues. We’re particularly ideal for parents seeking support for children with autism or ADHD.
Building Better Brains... One Foundation at a Time
At Brain Development UK, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to reach their potential.
By understanding the connections between the brain, body, nervous system and environment, we can help children move beyond symptoms and build stronger foundations for learning, communication and life.
