What are Primitive Reflexes?

Written by Kenny Schultz on August 8, 2024. Posted in Uncategorized.

What are Primitive Reflexes? How can they affect my child?

Each child is born with a set of critical reflexes that are integral to survival. A primitive reflex is an action that is performed as a response to a stimulus without conscious thought. For example: when you brush the side of your newborn’s cheek the baby will turn his head to root for food. This is the rooting reflex. Typically the reflex integrates or fades away as the neurological system matures. When a reflex does not integrate the child may demonstrate behavior and personality traits that correlate with that reflex. Through specific exercises the child gains more control of their body and no longer relies on primitive movement patterns. This ultimately improves the child’s physical and emotional control.

Symptoms of Retained Reflexes:

Anxiety
Toe walking
Speech Issues
Poor gross motor coordination
Sensory concerns
Clumsy
Poor fine motor coordination
Bed wetting
Poor eye hand coordination
Motion sickness
Unable to sit still
Picky eating

What are the causes or retained reflexes?

Developmental delay
C-section birth
Premature birth
Stroke in utero
Exposure to toxins
Trauma during and/or after birth
Autism
Neurodivergent
These are just a few of the potential causes that may prevent reflexes from fading away

What can we do about it?

Specific exercises can be done to help those primitive reflexes fade away. Contact an Occupational Therapist or Physical Therapist who can help assess which primitive reflexes are present and give you some ideas to help your child. With professional guidance, you can implement strategies and exercises tailored to your child’s needs, aiding in their physical and emotional development.

Understanding and addressing retained reflexes can significantly impact your child’s growth and well-being. If you notice any of the symptoms listed, consider consulting a specialist to provide the support your child needs to thrive. Please contact BDI playhouse for a free screen at (708)478-1820 or info@bdiplayhouse.com.

Written By: Jessica Frederick, COTA/L

Primitive Reflexes

Written by J Keenan on September 1, 2022. Posted in Infants, school, School Aged Children.

Primative Reflexes- The Good, The Bad, The Better!

Have you ever tripped and simultaneously reached out your hands to stop the fall? That is your primitive reflexes at work! They are essential as the first line of defense to protect ourselves but they can also be detrimental to our development.

What are primitive reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are involuntary motor responses present at infancy that facilitate survival. Pediatricians check these reflexes at wellness visits to ensure the nervous system is working properly. It is important that these reflexes are present but it is just as important that these reflexes mature or integrate in early childhood.

The Good:

REFLEX	GOOD
Moro Reflex The startle reflex	A fear response to sudden movements or noise
Hands Pulling	Head control reflex and the ability to contract our muscles to sit up
Hands Supporting	Our falling reflex. Ability to reach out and catch yourself.
Tonic Labyrinthine (TLR)	Develops balance and spatial awareness
STNR	Head, limbs and balance system connection
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR):	Differentiates our left and right side.
Spinal Galant	Connects the trunk and lower body
Amphibian	Activates nerves between both hemispheres of the brain
Babinski:	Supports mature walking and balance
Babkin	Tongue and mouth coordination for eating and speaking
Plantar	Protective response to provide stability
Palmar	Advances fine motor movements of fingers.
Landau	Promotes ability to control head in tummy time

Why do reflexes need to integrate?

We unconsciously use these reflexes everyday, but what happens when we are unable to consciously control them? That’s what happens when reflexes don’t integrate. It’s like being in a self driving car and not being able to take control of the wheel, which can be very scary. Sometimes our reflexes do not mature because of abnormal movement patterns in utero or infancy, neurological deficits, or just unknown reasons. These primitive neuro connections are powerful and can inhibit our ability to voluntarily control our body and mind if they are retained.

How do reflexes affect development?

A retained reflex can present in strange ways causing possible behavioral, emotional, sensory and physical deficts. Not all reflexes present the same way in every person but they do have common patterns. The infant’s movements work together in sequence during development. If one reflex does not integrate it can cause others to also be retained. It is not uncommon to see two, three, or almost all the reflexes present during a primitive reflex evaluation. The following are common traits you might see if reflexes are retained.

The Bad- Unintegrated Primative Reflexes

REFLEX	GOOD	BAD
Moro Reflex The startle reflex	A fear response to sudden movements or noise	Anxiety Difficulty sleeping Insecure Sensitive to light Sound and/or touch Emotional Common in toe walkers
Hands Pulling	Head control reflex and the ability to contract our muscles to sit up	Poor muscle tone Poor hand, eye, and mouth coordination Delayed gross and fine motor movements
Hands Supporting	Our falling reflex. Ability to reach out and catch yourself.	Clumsy Poor personal boundaries Aggressive Avoids interactions Difficulty processing information
Tonic Labyrinthine (TLR)	Develops balance and spatial awareness	Motion sickness Poor sense of time and organizational skills Coordination difficulty Spatial and balance problem
STNR	Head, limbs and balance system connection	Crawling difficulty Low muscle tone Slumps while seated Difficulty copying tasks Poor attention W sits
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR):	Differentiates our left and right side.	Challenged with crossing midline Difficulty catching Focus and memory difficulty Auditory challenges Dyslexia
Spinal Galant	Connects the trunk and lower body	Postural deficits Hip rotation effecting gait Hyperactive Fatigues with cognitive functions Bed wetting
Amphibian	Activates nerves between both hemispheres of the brain	Rigid movements Limited stride length Poor coordination No rotational movement No hand dominance
Babinski:	Supports mature walking and balance	Tripping Stabilizes with tongue Oral motor and articulation deficits Flat feet Walks on toes or sides of feet
Babkin	Tongue and mouth coordination for eating and speaking	Open mouth posture Poor mouth coordination Lacks facial expression Speech delay Sensory chewer
Plantar	Protective response to provide stability	Grasping hands Poor running/jumping One sided crawl Standing delay Fight/flight response to loss of balance.
Palmar	Advances fine motor movements of fingers.
Landau	Promotes ability to control head in tummy time	Poor posture Clumsy High tone in legs Visual challenges Depression and fears Poor focus and balance

The Better:

It is extremely common to have one or more reflexes present and you might even identify some of these traits in yourself. That does not mean it needs to be treated unless the reflex is so dominant that it interferes with the ability to learn, be safe and thrive. Reflex therapy helps to identify and create an individualized reflex exercise program to promote integration. The brain responds by taking the wheel and improves control over it’s own mind and body. Now that’s better!

If you think your child may have primitive reflexes present we can help! Free primitive reflex screenings are available via Zoom or in person at our Orland Park or Naperville/Aurora locations.

Reflex Integration

Written by J Keenan on June 8, 2022. Posted in Pediatrics.

Reflex Integration

What are reflexes?

Reflexes are automatic responses that occur out of someone’s control in response to an external stimulus or facilitated movement. Reflexes are necessary automatic movements that are essential for survival as a baby and are what helps a baby develop movement.

Each reflex is present and integrated at different parts of development. An example is the rooting reflex, when the baby’s cheek is stroked the baby will turn their head in the direction of the stimulus and open their mouth automatically. This reflex allows the baby to find their mother’s breast and is essential for feeding. This reflex will usually integrate around 4 months of age once the infant starts to develop volitional control and has learned how to respond IND when they smell, feel and see mother’s breast.

Unintegrated Reflexes

Reflexes can become problematic when they are delayed or unintegrated. In the case of the rooting reflex, if it is not present at birth it can impact IND feeding response or if present after feeding can impact speech, eating, and response to facial touching. Common things you might see in your child if this reflex is not integrated include trouble pronouncing words, difficult breaking thumb sucking, messy eatering, or has poor tolerance to kissing or touching their face.

Unintegrated Reflex Red Flags

There are many reflexes and each has a vital role and can have a huge impact on development if delayed or not integrated at the right time. Some of the red flags to look for include

difficulty or delayed gross motor skills
difficulty or delayed fine motor skills
emotional lability
poor tolerance to new situations
difficulty with learning/writing
poor vision
poor attention
bed wetting
difficulty with potty training
abnormal muscle tone
poor tolerance to certain movements.

Next Steps

If you have any of these concerns you should try physical and/or occupational therapy to perform movements that are designed to help with reflex integration. In addition, your therapist will be able to work on the functional or emotional skills your child is having difficulty with to improve their IND and participation.

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Tag: Primitive Reflexes

What are Primitive Reflexes?

What are Primitive Reflexes? How can they affect my child?

Symptoms of Retained Reflexes:

What are the causes or retained reflexes?

What can we do about it?

Primitive Reflexes

Primative Reflexes- The Good, The Bad, The Better!

What are primitive reflexes?

The Good:

REFLEX

GOOD

Why do reflexes need to integrate?

How do reflexes affect development?

The Bad- Unintegrated Primative Reflexes

REFLEX

GOOD

BAD

The Better:

Reflex Integration

Reflex Integration

What are reflexes?

Unintegrated Reflexes

Unintegrated Reflex Red Flags

Next Steps

Learn More

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Orland Park

Naperville - Aurora

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