Blog

Usha Patel, Neurocognitive Therapist and Director of Raviv Practice London shares her first-hand experience of working with children /adults and the latest research and upcoming events in her series of blog posts.

ADHD, MNRI, Primitive Reflexes, Reflex Integration, PTSD Usha Patel BA (Hons) ADHD, MNRI, Primitive Reflexes, Reflex Integration, PTSD Usha Patel BA (Hons)

Why does my nine-year-old still wet his bed?

If your bright and active nine-year-old still wets the bed, you're not alone, and it's not their fault. This blog explores the connection between unintegrated reflexes and nighttime accidents, and how therapies like MNRI can help resolve bedwetting quickly and effectively.

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How can we address post-pandemic education gaps in our children?

Many children missed key developmental milestones during the pandemic. This blog explores how working memory impacts learning and what parents can do to support children struggling to keep up, especially those affected by disrupted early education.

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Reflex Integration, MNRI Therapy, Primitive Reflexes Usha Patel BA (Hons) Reflex Integration, MNRI Therapy, Primitive Reflexes Usha Patel BA (Hons)

My child is now four but still doesn’t speak

When Miriam, a mother of four, called me, she was at the end of her tether: her 4-year-old could not speak. She had already waited a year for her doctor to refer her to a speech and language therapist and, despite pinning all her hopes on this, she was deeply disappointed when no tangible progress seemed to come from it.

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Dyslexia, Neurodivergence Usha Patel BA (Hons) Dyslexia, Neurodivergence Usha Patel BA (Hons)

Having a flashback to a memory long forgotten…

A rainy day in London last December 2022 reminded me of the journey I took to get where I am now in a very unexpected way. My worries just kept on snowballing out of control. I was terrible at spelling. I knew it, my assistant knew it, and the whole architecture studio I worked in knew 'spelling' was not my thing. I was a designer, not a wordsmith.

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Executive Function, Working Memory, Reflex Integration Usha Patel BA (Hons) Executive Function, Working Memory, Reflex Integration Usha Patel BA (Hons)

Why is my child always getting so angry and frustrated by everyday tasks?

Poor emotional regulation can obstruct progress, stopping us from achieving our goals. Most adults will find a way to regulate their emotions for the majority of the time, but children need to learn how to navigate their emotional states as they grow. Most of the time, this is all perfectly normal and you will find a way to address it naturally as your child develops.

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Handwriting, Coordination, Reading Usha Patel BA (Hons) Handwriting, Coordination, Reading Usha Patel BA (Hons)

A rough guide for parents – eye tracking issues and what to look for

When someone has poor vision, an optician help corrects their focusing ability so they can compensate for this particular deficiency. When spelling, you need to pay particular attention to the letter configuration, especially when the word being spelt is not phonetically obvious and you need to memorise the order of letters. All of these skills require correct eye-tracking.

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Neurodivergence, PTSD Usha Patel BA (Hons) Neurodivergence, PTSD Usha Patel BA (Hons)

The boy who was raised as a dog

On one of my re-reads of this book, I was on holiday in a small Indian village.  As I was reading, I was also watching the children of the village play in their extended family setting environments. Sadly, this story is not one that had a happy ending, but it is one that teaches us an important lesson. Fortunately, laws have changed since then and children can no longer be left alone like this.

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Dyslexia, Working Memory, Executive Function Usha Patel BA (Hons) Dyslexia, Working Memory, Executive Function Usha Patel BA (Hons)

When Dyslexia doesn’t feel like much of a “gift”

For a long time, dyslexia/neurodivergence was poorly understood in education, and only seen in terms of the challenges it created for both those in more old-fashioned schools and those trying to teach them with outdated methods. It can be called many things: being easily distracted, having poor executive function skills or having poor working memory.

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Handwriting Usha Patel BA (Hons) Handwriting Usha Patel BA (Hons)

Why does my child mix up 12 & 21?

This is quite a common error children make when writing numbers. They understand the difference between 12 and 21 as number, and can usually count correctly without jumping numbers, but struggle when it comes to writing these numbers down properly.

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Reading, Working Memory Usha Patel BA (Hons) Reading, Working Memory Usha Patel BA (Hons)

Does your child hate reading?

Many children resist reading, not because they can’t learn, but because they don’t see the point or feel anxious about it. Instead of forcing reading, it helps to understand their perspective and find alternative ways to engage them. Using tools like audiobooks, kindle unlimited, and tailored learning strategies can make all the difference.

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