Everything You Need to Know About Retained Reflexes
How Retained Reflexes Affect Learning and Development
Primitive reflexes are controlled by the central nervous system and start developing in the womb. Reflexes play a key role in survival for infants, but they begin to disappear as your child begins mastering more complex motor skills. When these reflexes fail to integrate hang around for too long, children may experience difficulty with learning, motor development, and attention in general. Children with retained reflexes can struggle at home and in the classroom more than typically developing peers.
Red flags for retained reflexes
Three of the most common retained reflexes we see in our population at Kids Place are the: asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR), the symmetric tonic neck reflex (STNR), and the Moro or “startle” reflex.
- A child with a retained ATNR may present with difficulty with hand-eye coordination, crossing the midline, fine motor skills (handwriting), and visual tracking (reading).
- A child with a retained STNR may present with difficulty sustaining a functional seated posture (W-sitting), muscle tone, hand-eye coordination, and concentration.
- A child with a retained Moro reflex may present with sensory overload, hypersensitivity, anxiety, poor impulse control, poor attention, and mood swings.
Keep in mind that each child is unique, they may present with some of these red flags and this does not necessarily mean that reflexes are retained. Consult with your child’s therapists and pediatrician when in doubt.
Exercises to help in integrating reflexes:
Exercises for ATNR integration
Crawling and turning head
Have your child crawl forward on hands and knees while rotating their head to the right and left. If you notice they bend their elbows, assist in maintaining elbows extended or straight. If your child struggles to sustain hands and knees position (bends the elbows) when turning their head, this may indicate retention of the ATNR reflex. See video here.
Lizard Crawling Exercise:
Start on the stomach. Look to your left, and bend your left elbow and left knee. Look to your right, and bend your right elbow and right knee.
Exercises for STNR
Cat cow
Have your child complete the “cat cow” yoga exercise. Your child should be able to lift head up and “look to the sky” and look down to their knees. If the STNR is retained or hasn’t gone away, when they are looking up their weight is going to shift back and if they look down at their knees, their weight is going to shift forward or their elbows may collapse.
Wheelbarrow walks
Hold your child’s feet (or start by assisting at the hips if they lack core strength) and have them use their hands to walk forward using their upper body.
Exercises for Moro
Therapy ball inversion
Have your sit on a therapy ball or couch, then have child lay upside down. If this reflex is retained, they will be uncomfortable laying upside down.
Duck and Pigeon walk
Stand in the duck position (feet outward), holding a stick with both thumbs pointed in toward the middle of the stick. Walk 15 feet forward maintaining this position, then walk 15 feet backward.
Stand in pigeon position (Feet inward), holding a stick with thumbs pointed outward. Walk forward and backward in this position.
If you are concerned about your child’s development and retained reflexes, Kids Place in Arizona is here to help! Contact us today to set up an evaluation.
References
Brain Sync: A reflex integration program. Website: Brain Sync | A Reflex Integration Program (brain-sync.net)
The OT toolbox. Website: Retained Primitive Reflexes & Child Development – The OT Toolbox
See How Primitive Reflex Integration Can Help! – Solve Learning Disabilities
All things Sensory, Special needs, and Child development: The Harkla Special Needs Blog – Actionable Advice by Experts
