What Are Primitive Reflexes?
The Missing Developmental Piece Behind Attention, Behavior, and Learning Challenges
If your child struggles with focus, anxiety, coordination, emotional regulation, handwriting, or sensory sensitivities, you’ve probably asked yourself:
Why is this happening?
And what are we missing?
Many parents are surprised to learn that some of these challenges can trace back to the earliest stages of brain development — specifically, something called primitive (developmental) reflexes.
Understanding primitive reflexes helps explain why some children seem to “work harder” than their peers just to keep up — and why addressing development at its foundation can create meaningful change.
What Are Primitive Reflexes?
Primitive reflexes are automatic, involuntary movements that originate in the brainstem and are present at birth. They are essential for survival and early development. These reflexes help infants:
- Feed
- Bond
- Respond to sensory input
- Build early muscle tone
- Develop foundational motor patterns
They are meant to be temporary.
As a baby grows, the brain matures from the bottom up. With appropriate sensory exposure, motor movement, and environmental interaction, these early reflexes are gradually integrated (or inhibited) — typically within the first year of life.
When integration happens appropriately, higher brain regions are free to take over. Voluntary control improves. Coordination strengthens. Attention expands. Emotional regulation develops.
What Happens When Reflexes Are Retained?
If a primitive reflex remains active beyond the expected developmental window, it can interfere with communication between lower and higher brain regions.
In simple terms:
The brain may stay in “early survival mode” instead of progressing into higher-level thinking and regulation.
When a reflex is not fully integrated, it can:
- Disrupt sensory processing
- Interfere with motor coordination
- Increase stress responses
- Impact focus and executive functioning
- Affect emotional regulation
- Reduce stamina and resilience
A retained reflex doesn’t mean something is “wrong.” It means a step in the developmental ladder may have been missed or incomplete.
And because development builds on itself, that early gap can ripple forward into academic, behavioral, and social challenges.
Why Primitive Reflexes Matter for Development
Primitive reflexes form the foundation for:
- Gross motor development
- Fine motor skills
- Sensory processing
- Emotional regulation
- Executive functioning
- Academic readiness
When early reflexes integrate properly, children develop:
- Better body awareness
- Stronger coordination
- Improved posture and balance
- Increased ability to sit still and focus
- Greater emotional flexibility
When they remain active, children may appear inattentive, anxious, uncoordinated, sensitive, or behaviorally reactive — even though the root cause is neurological immaturity, not motivation or effort.
Common Primitive Reflexes and Their Impact
Moro (Startle) Reflex
Purpose in infancy:
Helps the baby respond to sudden sensory input.
If retained beyond infancy:
The nervous system may stay in a heightened fight-flight-freeze state.
Common symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Emotional overreactions
- Sensory sensitivities
- Inflexibility with change
- Chronic fatigue
- Difficulty with transitions
This reflex is closely tied to emotional regulation and stress resilience.
Landau Reflex
Purpose in infancy:
Supports posture and extension of the body.
If retained or weak:
Gross motor development may be immature.
Common symptoms:
- Low muscle tone
- Poor coordination
- Toe walking
- Poor balance
- Difficulty sitting upright
- Challenges with focus and sustained attention
Gross motor stability supports attention more than many people realize.
Spinal Galant Reflex
Purpose in infancy:
Assists with hip movement and early mobility.
If retained:
Can affect vestibular and proprioceptive development.
Common symptoms:
- Fidgeting while seated
- Poor posture
- Sensitivity to clothing tags or waistbands
- Bedwetting beyond the typical age
- Difficulty concentrating
Rooting Reflex
Purpose in infancy:
Helps babies locate food.
If retained:
May impact oral motor development.
Common symptoms:
- Articulation challenges
- Delayed speech
- Picky eating
- Texture sensitivities
- Chewing on objects
Palmar Reflex
Purpose in infancy:
Encourages grasping.
If retained:
May interfere with fine motor control.
Common symptoms:
- Messy handwriting
- Difficulty using utensils
- Challenges with buttons and zippers
- Fatigue with writing tasks
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
Purpose in infancy:
Helps develop muscle tone and head control.
If retained:
May affect posture, balance, and coordination.
Common symptoms:
- Poor balance
- Slouching posture
- Motion sensitivity
- Difficulty with sports
- Multi-sensory processing challenges
The Bigger Picture: How Brain Balance Addresses Primitive Reflexes
Primitive reflexes are not isolated issues. They are part of a broader developmental system.
Research continues to show that sensory-motor development plays a powerful role in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes.
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology by Dr. Rebecca Jackson and Josh Jordan, Ph.D., examined outcomes following three months in the Brain Balance program. Parents reported significant improvements across six developmental domains, including emotional regulation, academic engagement, behavior, motor skills, and social communication.
Importantly, improvements in the maturity of developmental reflexes and sensory-motor development were key drivers of these outcomes.
This reinforces what we see every day: when you strengthen the foundation, higher-level skills improve.
You can read more about that research here:
https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/multimodal-approach-research
How Brain Balance Addresses Primitive Reflexes
At Brain Balance, we don’t isolate one symptom or one skill.
We begin with a comprehensive assessment that evaluates:
- Primitive reflex maturity
- Sensory processing
- Motor development
- Cognitive performance
- Academic skills
- Emotional and behavioral functioning
From there, we design a personalized plan using a multi-modal approach that includes:
- Targeted reflex integration exercises
- Sensory stimulation
- Motor training
- Cognitive engagement
- Nutritional support
By engaging multiple systems simultaneously, we promote stronger brain connectivity and more efficient integration of retained reflexes.
This whole-brain approach helps children progress developmentally rather than compensating for weaknesses.
The Encouraging Truth
If your child is struggling, it may not be about willpower, discipline, or effort. It may be about development.
Primitive reflexes represent one of the earliest building blocks of brain growth. When those early pieces are strengthened and integrated, children often experience improvements not just in one area, but across many areas of life.
This is the first post in our Primitive Reflex Series. In the coming posts, we will explore each reflex in more depth — what it does, how to recognize signs of retention, and how targeted developmental work can support integration. Because when you understand the foundation, everything else makes more sense.
If you’re wondering whether retained primitive reflexes may be contributing to your child’s challenges, the first step is understanding their unique developmental profile. Schedule a comprehensive Brain Balance assessment to learn where your child stands and what targeted support may help.
Sources and Research
- Jackson, R., & Jordan, J. (Year). Multimodal intervention improves developmental outcomes in children. Frontiers in Psychology.
(Include full citation details from the published study page for SEO credibility.)
- Brain Balance Centers. Multimodal Approach Research.
https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/multimodal-approach-research
- Goddard Blythe, S. (2005). Reflexes, Learning and Behavior: A Window into the Child’s Mind. Fern Ridge Press.
- McPhillips, M., & Sheehy, N. (2004). Prevalence of persistent primary reflexes and motor problems in children with reading difficulties. Dyslexia.
- Konicarova, J., & Bob, P. (2013). Retained primitive reflexes and ADHD in children. Activitas Nervosa Superior.
- Berninger, V. W., & Richards, T. L. (2010). Interrelationships among behavioral markers, genes, brain and treatment in dyslexia and dysgraphia. Future Neurology.
- Diamond, A. (2000). Close interrelation of motor development and cognitive development. Child Development.
