10/07/2026
Does your child have some behaviors that just seem off? Do they struggle keeping up with peers at school or on the playground? Did they struggle to meet milestones in the first few years? They may have retained primitive reflexes!
Primitive reflexes are involuntary movements and reactions that God gives babies to help with birth and the first little bit of life. They’re supposed to go away or “integrate” with motor milestone achievement over the first year of development. Retained primitive reflexes impact a child’s brain activity, growth, and maturation and presents as a kiddo that cannot regulate their physical and/or emotional behaviors.
Here’s a list of the most common implications of the most common reflexes we treat.
Moro reflex: this kiddo is the one that hates going in to crowded places, doesn’t like change or new environments, covers their ears when it’s loud, and is “set off” by seemingly small things. Leaning their head back in the bathtub might be difficult and they might be either extremely sensitive to movement such as swings and heights OR extremely seeking of those things.
ATNR, asymmetric tonic neck reflex: this kiddo is typically uncoordinated, riding a bike or scooter may be tough, trouble crossing midline, reading, questionable dyslexia diagnosis, messy handwriting for age, ADHD-like distractibility.
STNR, symmetric tonic neck reflex: this kiddo usually has weak core control, leans forward or backwards on desk/chair, difficulty swimming, difficulty copying from board (looking up and down repetitively), difficulty moving on the floor or standing up from lying down, probably a “W sitter”
TLR, tonic labyrinthine reflex: this kiddo is usually tripping over things, has poor balance and body awareness, hesitant or insecure in movement, difficulty climbing, frequently leaning and displacing weight whenever and wherever they can.
Gallant reflex: the “ants in my pants” kiddo. Fidgety, can’t sit still, has an aversion to fabric, elastic, or tags in clothing, bed wetting history, asymmetric posture.
Want to know more? Shoot me a PM or click the link to book an evaluation! ❤️🧡💚💙🤸♀️
