Why Your Child’s ‘Quirks’ Might Actually Be Clues From Their Nervous System - Let's chat Primitive Reflexes

The Secret of Your Child’s Development: Primitive Reflexes 

Ever noticed how a newborn instinctively grasps your finger? Or how they turn their head toward a touch on the cheek? These are primitive reflexes in action - automatic movements we’re all born with that provide the foundation for future movement and learning. 

What Are Primitive Reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are early, automatic responses that develop in the womb and are present at birth. They help newborns survive and interact with the world before they have full control of their bodies, such as:

✔ Sucking for feeding – Ensuring they get the nourishment they need.

✔ Gripping a finger placed in their palm – Strengthening early hand coordination.

✔ Turning their head toward touch or sound – Developing awareness of their surroundings.

These reflexes are meant to be temporary. As the brain matures, these early automatic reflexes should naturally integrate (fade away), making space for more intentional skills like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and eventually walking.

But sometimes, that integration doesn’t happen fully. When primitive reflexes remain active past infancy, they can quietly influence how a child moves, behaves, and copes. Often, these signs are misunderstood, overlooked, or labeled as “behavioural issues.” In fact, even adults can carry retained reflexes that affect everyday functioning.

Think of primitive reflexes as training wheels for the brain - they offer crucial support early on, but they’re not meant to stick around. When they do, it can keep the brain and body stuck in survival mode.

Why Do Reflexes Need to Integrate?

When primitive reflexes remain active beyond infancy, it means the brainstem—the most primitive part of the brain—is still in charge, rather than higher brain areas stepping in to take over. This is known as neuromotor immaturity, and it can affect your child in ways that may not always seem obvious at first. 

If the brainstem is still running the show, the nervous system stays in a high-alert, reactive state, making it harder for the brain to process information smoothly. This can show up in day-to-day life as:

• An overactive fight-or-flight response – easily startled, anxious, or reactive

• Poor posture or coordination – slouching at the table, struggling with pencil grip, or having trouble on playground equipment

• Focus and learning challenges – zoning out, fidgeting, or difficulty with reading, writing, and following instructions

• Emotional dysregulation – small frustrations that build into big meltdowns

  
  

In other words, if your child is struggling to sit still, manage big feelings, or handle certain sensory input, they might be stuck in patterns they haven’t outgrown yet.

When we understand reflex integration, we can meet kids with more compassion—and support their nervous system from the ground up.

Common Primitive Reflexes and Their Impact

 Here are the 7 reflexes that, if unintegrated, can show up in a range of ways:

The “Startle” Reflex:  Moro Reflex

This reflex is a baby’s natural reaction to sudden movement, loud noise, or a change in position. You’ve probably seen a newborn suddenly throw their arms out, then pull them back in - this is the Moro reflex in action! It’s an automatic survival response to help a baby react to potential danger. It should fade by 4–6 months. 

🧠 If retained:

🔹 Overreacting to noises, lights, big movements or touch (e.g., covering ears in loud places or jumping to unexpected noises, motion sickness).

🔹 Anxiety and difficulty self-soothing—small frustrations lead to big emotional meltdowns.

🔹 Constant fight-or-flight response, ready to react, making it harder to focus and stay calm.

The “Posture” Reflex Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

When a baby tilts their head back, their arms and legs straighten. When they tuck their head forward, their body bends. This reflex helps with balance, coordination, and spatial awareness.  Should fade by 3.5 years. 

🧠 If retained:

🔹 Poor posture, coordination and spatial awareness.

🔹 Motion sickness and dizziness, especially with spinning or fast movement.

🔹 Difficulty with reading and writing, as the eyes struggle to track smoothly

“The Crawling Reflex”  Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

This reflex is important for transitioning from lying down to crawling. When a baby lifts their head, their arms straighten, and their legs bend. When they tuck their head, their arms bend, and their legs straighten. This helps them learn to move in a coordinated way.

 🧠 If retained:

🔹 Poor sitting posture—slumping over desks, needing to prop their head up, w-sitting

🔹 Difficulty with coordination—especially crawling, running, or swimming.

🔹 Challenges with focus and attention, often looking similar to ADHD symptoms.

The “Grasp” Reflex: Palmar Grasp Reflex

When you place your finger in a newborn’s palm, they instinctively grasp it. This reflex helps develop early hand strength and coordination. Should integrate by 4–6 months. 

🧠 If retained:

🔹 Poor fine motor skills—difficulty holding a pencil, cutting with scissors, or tying shoelaces.

🔹 Messy handwriting and poor pencil grip.

🔹 Trouble with dexterity, making tasks like buttoning a shirt or using utensils challenging.

The “Wiggle” Reflex: Spinal Galant Reflex 

This reflex involves movement in response to touch along the spine. Should integrate by 3–9 months. 

🧠 If retained: 

🔹 Constant fidgeting, squirming, or struggling to sit still.

🔹 Sensitivity to clothing tags or waistbands.

🔹 Bedwetting beyond the typical age, as this reflex can affect bladder control.

The “Feeding” Reflex:  Rooting Reflex 

This reflex helps newborns find food - when you touch their cheek, they turn their head and open their mouth, ready to nurse.

 🧠 If retained: 

🔹 Excessive drooling or messy eating.

🔹 Speech and articulation difficulties.

🔹 Hypersensitivity around the mouth, causing picky eating or trouble with textures.

Helping Your Child Thrive

If you’ve felt something is “off” but haven’t had answers, trust your instincts. You’re not imagining it. Many parents come to us after seeing their child struggle in ways that don’t fit into tidy diagnostic boxes.

Sometimes, retained reflexes are the missing piece.

The good news? These reflexes can be integrated.

Through targeted movement, therapeutic exercises, and rich sensory experiences, we can help the nervous system mature - giving your child the tools to move, learn, and feel with more ease.

An Occupational Therapist or Chiropractor trained in reflex integration can assess your child’s reflexes and provide individualised exercises to help them catch up developmentally. However, we all know that therapy takes time, and access isn’t always immediate - so here are three simple but powerful ways you can help integrate primitive reflexes at home:

3 Powerful Ways to Support Reflex Integration at Home

✅Move Through Play Movement is medicine - especially movements that mimic early developmental stages. This helps the brain "revisit" and process these reflexes. So here’s your invitation to get down on the floor and have fun!	✔ Crawling races around the house. ✔ Rolling back and forth across the floor. ✔ Rocking on hands and knees like a baby OR like an egg trying not to crack!
✅ Build Balance & Coordination Reflexes live in the body - so the more we support core strength, coordination, and spatial awareness, the more the nervous system can regulate.	Encourage: ✔ Swinging, climbing, and spinning at the park. ✔ Swimming or yoga for full-body coordination. ✔ Balloon or ball games to practice catching, throwing, and kicking.
✅ Stimulate the Senses The brain needs rich sensory input to grow and integrate. Gentle exposure to different textures, sounds, and movements helps strengthen neural connections.	✔ Dance, play music, or explore instruments together ✔ Get messy — think mud, finger painting, water play, sand ✔ Walk barefoot on grass, gravel, or different textured paths

Not Sure What’s Going On? You’re Not Meant to Know It All

You’re not expected to know exactly which reflexes are or aren’t integrated. That’s our job.

A primitive reflex assessment can help identify exactly which reflexes are still active and how they might be showing up in your child’s day-to-day life - whether that’s in their posture, movement, focus, or emotional regulation.

From there, we can build a gentle, supportive plan to help your child move forward in a way that feels empowering, not overwhelming - for your whole family.

If you’re curious, concerned, or just want to understand your child better - we’re here to walk beside you, whenever you’re ready.

Contact our team about Primitive Reflexes here.