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What is it, and how does it affect children?
Primitive Reflexes develop in the brain stem before birth and are necessary for our ability to navigate the birth process, the first breath, feeding, urination, survival, and development. Most of these Primitive Reflexes integrate or go away throughout the first year of life as higher functions of the brain and muscle control develop. If primitive reflexes are still present long after they should have been integrated, the child will display certain characteristics specific to the retained reflex, many of which limit their development and academic skills.
When reflexes are retained, they will interfere with the neurological organization of the brain, which causes learning, behavioral, social, sensory, physical, and emotional challenges. These remaining reflexes are unnoticed muscle movements in older children and adults that would not normally be noticed if one did not know what to look for. They cause ongoing issues until they are solved through specific exercises. Many of these reflexes will re-emerge when a child is feeling more stressed, experiencing trauma or physical health challenges. We have seen COVID be a reason for the re-emergence of some of these:
Here is a look at the issues that can be created.
Retained reflexes are broken down as follows:
Retained Moro Reflexes:
Easily Distracted
Hypervigilant: Fight/Flight
Hypersensitive to sensory stimuli like light, sound, and touch.
Oversensitivity to motion causing car sickness
Or under sensitivity to sensory stimuli
Overreacts
Impulsive and aggressive
Emotional immaturity
Withdrawn or timid and shy
ADD
ADHD
Autism Spectrum
Asperger’s
Sensory Disorders
Difficulty making friends
Depression
Dyslexia
Health Problems
Allergies and Asthma
Anger or Emotional Outbursts
Poor Balance and Coordination
Poor Digestion and Food Sensitivities
Retained TLR (Tonic Labyrinth)
Poor balance and spatial awareness
Tense muscles and toe walking
Difficulty holding still and concentrating
Muscle tone issues
Poor posture
Difficulty paying attention when the head is looking down (at a desk or reading)
Dyspraxia
Poor sense of rhythm
Gets motion sickness easily
Prefers to walk on their toes
Speech and Auditory difficulty
Spatial issues
Bumps into things and people more than normal
Retained ATNR Reflexes:
Reading Difficulties
Dyslexia
Hand-eye coordination problems
Awkward walk or gait
Difficulty in school
Immature handwriting
Difficulty in sports
Math and reading issues
Poor balance
Eye, ear, foot, and hand dominance will not be on the same side
Difficulty in things that require crossing over the midline of the body
Poor depth perception
Difficulty skipping and riding a bike
Retained Spinal Galant Reflexes:
Poor concentration
Attention problems
Bedwetting long after potty training
Short-term memory issues
Fidgeting and wiggly “ants in the pants”
Posture problems
Hip rotation on one side/possibly scoliosis
Low endurance
Chronic digestion problems
Fidgety when sitting, especially when their backs are touching a chair
Retained STNR Reflexes:
Poor posture standing
Sits with a slumpy posture
Low muscle tone
Ape-like walk
Problems with attention, especially in stressful situations
Vision accommodation and tracking problems
Difficulty learning to swim
Difficulty reading
Dyslexia
Usually skips crawling
Sits with legs in a W position
ADHD/ADD
Hyperactivity or fidgety
Poor hand-eye coordination
Problems looking between near and far-sighted objects, like copying from a chalkboard.
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