In order to count out loud, you must have sequencing abilities. If not, you might skip numbers or have numbers in the wrong order. If you can't sequence, you cannot count objects correctly - one-to-one correspondence is needed. When doing complex math beyond simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, you need to do the steps in correct sequential order. Finally, in order understand time, you need sequencing skills, since time is sequencing of moment to moment.

 

 

It's when a person mixes up words like yesterday and tomorrow or day/week/month/year. They are just words. You tell them to hurry or they will be late, but they don't quite know what hurrying looks like. They are usually late, since they cannot estimate how long it will take to get out the door and travel. Assignments are late because the due date crept up on them. They can "tell time" using a digital clock but not on an analog clock, because telling time using a digital clock is actually doing simple math with numbers that don't have a whole lot of meaning.

 

When writing numbers, they are frequently out of order, so math homework is frequently incorrect. With the more complex math, they cannot remember when to carry or borrow; the steps to complete the math problem are mixed up.

 

 

Someone who cannot sequence well probably never developed the ability to sequence to begin with. So, it's a developmental issue. The ability to sequence is set up in the brain during infancy, during a stage of development called the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR). This reflex is when a baby is in fetal position and is present prenatally until about 3 months. If a child does not go through this reflex well enough, some of the following symptoms may be present:

 

To overcome the sequencing issue, as well as other symptoms related to it, a simple exercise that replicates this stage of development, called Fly to the Moon, should be completed 5 to 7 days a week for at least 30 days. I've seen children suddenly be able to describe swim strokes in great sequential detail and be able to tell time after just 4 weeks. This exercise can be found on Primitive Reflexes: Foundation for Learning DVD which is on sale this month and includes a copy of Maintaining Brains Everyday DVD. The Foundation DVD goes through 7 hours worth of instruction about this and 5 other primitive reflexes; history, background, testing, integrating and more. The Maintaining Brains DVD is like an exercise DVD and has a beginning and advance level. Just follow along with me!

 

Next week I will be writing about math and memory - don't forget to read it!