The signals, which Michael’s brain was sending to the leg, were having the effect of making the leg rigid. As far as the brain, in its injured, malfunctioning state was concerned; this was the desired state of affairs. When the orthopaedic consultant placed a splint on Michael’s leg, in order to try to relax it, this sent feedback to the brain that the leg was not in the state, which the brain desired (the brain was trying to keep the leg rigid). Therefore, the brain reinforced the signals, which were making Michael’s leg stiff, so that when the splint was eventually taken off, the stiffness was worse than before! I instituted a programme of vestibular stimulation in order to correct the chemical imbalance in Michael’s lower brainstem, which I thought was causing this problem and within a few weeks, Michael was a more relaxed, more comfortable little boy.

So a primary principle of treatment is, whilst we take note of the symptoms and where they are an imminent threat to the child, we need to see that they are treated, we also concentrate on the cause of those symptoms, the injured brain! The reason those symptoms exist is because brain–injury has prevented the normal developmental processes from taking place, in the brain and consequently in the body. Consequently, to achieve success, we must provide assistance to those normal developmental processes! That is precisely what neuro-cognitive therapy does.

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