What Is Neuro-Developmental Stimulation (NDS)?
A simple, movement-based approach that supports the brain through short, play-like activities — designed for everyday family life.
What is Neuro‑Developmental Stimulation (NDS)?
NDS is a structured, movement‑ and sensory‑based approach that helps children build strong foundations for attention, learning, communication, and self‑regulation. Through short, targeted activities, NDS supports the maturation of the nervous system, integrates sensory input with body awareness, and gradually replaces lingering primary reflexes with mature, voluntary skills. NDS was developed by Marja Voleman.
In a nutshell: NDS connects movement, the senses, and the brain so a child can focus, feel calm, and learn more easily.
Who is NDS for?
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Preschool and early school‑age children who show challenges with attention, restlessness, coordination, speech, or self‑regulation.
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School‑age children with specific learning difficulties (reading, writing, left‑right orientation), low task persistence, or sensory over‑responsivity.
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Classrooms and preschools that want a preventive, daily routine that builds “ready‑to‑learn” foundations.
NDS works as prevention in groups and as a targeted plan for individual children.
What are primary reflexes?
Primary reflexes are automatic movement responses governed by the brainstem. In the first months they are essential (e.g., Moro, ATNR, STNR, TLR, Palmar, Plantar). As the central nervous system matures, they should quiet down to make room for postural and voluntary control.
When reflexes persist, you may notice:
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startle and light/sound sensitivity (Moro),
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challenges with eye‑hand coordination, handwriting, or ball skills (ATNR),
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poor balance, fidgeting in the chair (TLR, STNR),
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articulation or listening‑processing difficulties.
How NDS works (4 pillars)
Psychomotor therapy
Purposeful movement shapes not only the body but also emotions, thinking, speech, and social behavior. NDS follows the developmental sequence of early movement patterns and “re‑teaches” them in a safe, age‑appropriate way.
Sensory- afferent integration
The brain fuses information from the senses (vision, hearing, touch) with internal body signals (balance/vestibular, proprioception) and turns them into coordinated action. In NDS we often begin with vestibular and proprioceptive input and then link it to gross and fine motor tasks.
Inhibition of primary reflexes
Primary (early) reflexes organize infant survival and the first phases of motor development. If they persist beyond infancy, they can interfere with posture, eye‑hand coordination, speech/language, and the ability to filter sensory input. NDS uses simple developmental movement patterns that give the brain a “second chance” to integrate these reflexes.
A holistic model of child development
Think of a tree: roots are early reflexes and sensory experiences; the trunk/branches are psychomotor skills and coordination; the canopy is academics, emotions, and inter‑hemispheric cooperation. NDS strengthens the roots so the “fruit” — reading, writing, attention — can thrive.
Programs based on NDS
NDS Active Learning® (CZ: NVS Pohybem se učíme®)
Delivered by trained professionals - such as special educators, speech-language pathologists (logopedists), occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and related specialists - who have completed the NDS Active Learning training at Cortex Academy. After a comprehensive assessment, the professional prescribes a tailored set of exercises and reviews effectiveness regularly, adjusting the plan as the child (or adult) progresses.
Age range: suitable for ages 7 to 99.
Settings: clinics, schools, and home programs under professional guidance.
Materials: clear instructions in the CortexApp clients portal, short daily sequences, and progress checklists; may be complemented with playful add-ons from NDS Active Development when appropriate.
NDS Active Development (CZ: NVS Pohybem se rozvíjíme®)
A 14-week, playful program designed for younger children (3–7 years). Each weekly block is accompanied by a short story/fairy tale that invites imaginative, child-led practice. The program builds body awareness, balance, bilateral coordination, sensory filtering, and early fine-motor control while gently supporting reflex integration.
Age range: suitable for ages 3 to 7.
Settings: Preschools, or as additional modules within an NDS Active Learning plan
Who delivers it: professionals who have completed the NDS Active Learning and NDS Active Development training at Cortex Academy. They can implement NDS Active Development preventively in preschools, or use its activities as additional modules within an NDS Active Learning plan.
What is the online course Cortex Kids®?
Online course Cortex Kids is a practical, step‑by‑step program derived from NDS for families.
It focuses on school readiness and integrates short daily sequences that:follow the natural developmental movement sequence (from tummy time patterns to stable posture and coordinated eyes),
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combine vestibular/proprioceptive work with fine‑motor and ocular motor skills,
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include quick screening tests and simple progress checklists,
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require minimal equipment and fit into home routines.
Ideal for ages: roughly 4–7.
Format: short videos, clear instructions, printable checklists.
How the CortexKids® online course builds on NDS
CortexKids is built on NDS, and adds targeted modules that strengthen executive functions and pre‑academic skills so the approach is as comprehensive as possible for preschoolers preparing for school:
Executive functions
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Working memory games (remember‑and‑do sequences, movement + verbal recall)
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Inhibitory control (stop‑go games, graded startle calm‑downs, posture holds)
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Cognitive flexibility (switching movement rules, multi‑step routines)
Pre‑math skills
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Classification and sorting (by size/shape/texture),
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seriation, patterning
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One‑to‑one correspondence, subitizing, number sense within play‑based tasks
Speech & language
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Listening discrimination and selective attention
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Phonological awareness (rhythm, syllable clapping, sound games)
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Articulation readiness and breath/posture support for speech motor control
Plus:
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visual tracking,
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eye teaming,
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pencil‑readiness,
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core and shoulder stability.
What to expect
Better attention and self‑regulation; a calmer body and clearer listening
Stronger gross and fine motor foundations (balance, bilateral use, pencil grip)
Easier reading/writing readiness through stable eyes, trunk, and left‑right orientation
More joy in learning and play
We go “from roots to canopy” — from senses and reflexes to school‑ready skills.
FAQs
Is NDS the same as Sensory Integration?
Not exactly. NDS uses principles of sensory‑motor integration but also works explicitly with primary reflexes, posture, and the developmental sequence.
How often should we practice?
Short and regular. In class, 5–10‑minute blocks; at home, 10–15 minutes daily, following the plan.
When will we see changes?
It varies by age and needs, but most children show early shifts within weeks; deeper changes build over months with consistency.
Why CortexKids?
Created by the author and developer of NDS, Marja Voleman
Short videos, clear tests, playful step‑by‑step guidance for home and school
Minimal equipment, high transfer to daily routines
Want to learn even more about primary reflexes?
Order my e-book Persistent Primary Reflexes. In the Czech environment, it is a unique publication about persistent primary reflexes and is intended for a wide range of readers and especially for those who are trying to solve the cause of the exponentially increasing problems with learning and behavior of today's children.
