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Primitive Reflexes

Happy baby

What are Primitive Reflexes?

Neurodevelopmental Therapies to make change

What is the purpose of Primitive Reflexes?

We are all born with primitive reflexes that are meant to 'do their job' then go away (integrate). If this is not the case they can act as a barrier to emotional maturity and emotional regulation, learning at school or in special education, sensory processing, physical development / coordination.


We have many Primitive Reflexes which affec

We are all born with primitive reflexes that are meant to 'do their job' then go away (integrate). If this is not the case they can act as a barrier to emotional maturity and emotional regulation, learning at school or in special education, sensory processing, physical development / coordination.


We have many Primitive Reflexes which affect the way we stand and walk, the way we talk, the way we think and learn and the way we manage our emotions and relationships.  They are SO VERY important in our emotional regulation but also our ability to learn and affect our daily lives.....for some people more than others

What is the purpose of Primitive Reflexes?

Neurodevelopmental Therapies to make change

What is the purpose of Primitive Reflexes?

Our Primitive Reflexes generate specific movements as we are developing through our first months of life.  The movements generate and then strengthen pathways in the brain so that we can process sensory input. So, if we haven't made enough of these specific movements, then the reflexes remain and the pathways in the brain are not develope

Our Primitive Reflexes generate specific movements as we are developing through our first months of life.  The movements generate and then strengthen pathways in the brain so that we can process sensory input. So, if we haven't made enough of these specific movements, then the reflexes remain and the pathways in the brain are not developed sufficiently in order to process sensory input successfully

Neurodevelopmental Therapies to make change

Neurodevelopmental Therapies to make change

Neurodevelopmental Therapies to make change

The good news is that targeted neurodevelopmental therapy can help integrate these primitive reflexes, leading to improvements in emotional regulation, speech, cognitive processing, and overall physical coordination. 


By supporting your child’s nervous system in a safe and gradual way, you can help them feel more comfortable in their own b

The good news is that targeted neurodevelopmental therapy can help integrate these primitive reflexes, leading to improvements in emotional regulation, speech, cognitive processing, and overall physical coordination. 


By supporting your child’s nervous system in a safe and gradual way, you can help them feel more comfortable in their own body and set them up for greater success in everyday life. 


What are Primitive Reflexes?

Check out this short video about Primitive Reflexes and how they affect us and how Primitive Reflex Therapy can help

Purpose & Impact of Primitive Reflexes How RMTI works

Check out this short video about Primitive Reflex Integration to learn more

Does this sound familiar?

Happy boy at school

Children

Your child cannot concentrate / focus / maintain attention and struggles with learning, managing their emotions with school work often resulting in emotional outbursts?  


Extra tuition or support at school is not having the intended result – it may even be making the situation worse?  You just want your child to be happy, enjoy school and keep up with peers?  


Primitive Reflexes could be playing a part....Primitive Reflex Integration through RMTi (Primitive Reflex Therapy) could be the solution.

Adults arguing

Adults

You struggle with anxiety, insecurity, shyness, lack of self confidence and you suffer with imposter syndrome? 


You constantly talk yourself out of social events, going for a promotion at work and/or you have fits of emotions and then beat yourself up afterwards? You just want to feel on top of life and live your best life and achieve your dreams? 


Primitive Reflexes could be playing a part.... Primitive Reflex Integration through 

RMTi (Primitive Reflex Therapy) could be the solution.

Signs of retained reflexes

General signs of retained Primitive Reflexes

Hands up if these signs sound familiar?

  • Low tolerance to stress or constant state of inner stress / shy / withdrawn / insecure / anxious
  • Difficulty interacting with peers at school / teachers / boss
  • Poor sleep routine
  • Difficulties sitting still
  • Poor handwriting / spelling / excessive writing pressure
  • Difficulties with maths
  • Tense muscles especially in the legs: toe walking
  • Bed-wetting post age of 5
  • Problems learning to hop
  • Problems with physical coordination
  • Problems learning to do breast stroke / ride a bike
  • Difficulties with ball games / poor hand eye coordination
  • Difficulty holding head up / tense shoulder muscles
  • W sitting



Defensive Reflexes

Fear Paralysis & Moro are our defensive reflexes and are important for our emotional regulation.  


Fear Paralysis emerges at only 5 weeks in utero as is already doing it's job.  Fear Paralysis transforms into Moro (the baby startle reflex).  If Fear Paralysis does not integrate, Moro will often struggle to integrate, so they both often go hand in hand.


If these primitive reflexes stick around longer than intended, then we can find emotional regulation difficult - anxiety, low self esteem, insecurity, shyness and anger can be a problem, and we can be oversensitive to sound, light, taste, touch and smell. 


However, if Fear Paralysis and Moro Reflex do not integrate, then often the rest of our reflexes can struggle to integrate too.

Function & Impact of Key Primitive Reflexes

1. Moro Reflex (Startle Reflex)

3. Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

1. Moro Reflex (Startle Reflex)

 

  • Function: Activated in response to sudden stimuli
  • Impact if Retained: Heightened anxiety, emotional sensitivity, difficulty with transitions, poor impulse control, and hypersensitivity to sensory input.

2. Fear Paralysis Reflex

3. Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

1. Moro Reflex (Startle Reflex)

 

  • Function: Assists in early stress responses, helping infants withdraw from perceived threats.
  • Impact if Retained: Extreme shyness, difficulty with social interactions, emotional shutdown, and struggles with adaptability.

3. Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

3. Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

3. Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

 

  • Function: Helps with early movement and hand-eye coordination in infancy.
  • Impact if Retained: Difficulty with handwriting, reading, poor coordination, trouble crossing midline (affecting body movement and learning).

4. Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

4. Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

3. Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

 

  • Function: Supports crawling development, helping infants learn to coordinate upper and lower body movement.
  • Impact if Retained: Poor posture, struggles with sitting still, difficulty in physical activities, and challenges with attention or concentration.

5. Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

4. Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

5. Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

 

  • Function: Assists with balance and head control during infancy.
  • Impact if Retained: Poor posture, trouble judging space and distance, balance issues, and discomfort with movement.

6. Spinal Galant Reflex

4. Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

5. Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

 

  • Function: Helps babies prepare for crawling by responding to stimulation along the spine.
  • Impact if Retained: Fidgeting, difficulty sitting still, bedwetting, and hypersensitivity in the lower back area.

7. Rooting Reflex

7. Rooting Reflex

7. Rooting Reflex

 

  • Function: Supports feeding by helping infants instinctively turn their head toward touch stimuli.
  • Impact if Retained: Sensitivity around the mouth, challenges with speech or articulation, and difficulty with facial awareness.

8. Palmar Reflex

7. Rooting Reflex

7. Rooting Reflex

 

  • Function: Helps infants develop hand grip and early fine motor skills.
  • Impact if Retained: Weak fine motor control, trouble with handwriting, and difficulty releasing objects smoothly.

9. Babkin Reflex

7. Rooting Reflex

9. Babkin Reflex

 

  • Function: Links hand movements with mouth responses, aiding early oral and motor development.
  • Impact if Retained: Speech delays, difficulty chewing/swallowing, and challenges with verbal expression.

Postural Reflexes

We also have postural reflexes - unlike primitive reflexes, we want these reflexes to develop successfully - they don't integrate as they are lifelong reflexes that help keep us upright. 


Our postural reflexes play a key role in postural control, coordination, and movement, and when they don't develop successfully, they can contribute to difficulties in motor skills, balance & learning. 


Function & impact of key postural reflexes:

 

1. Head Righting Reflex

  • Function: Helps infants adjust their head position relative to body movement, allowing them to maintain balance and stable vision.
  • Impact if not developed: Difficulty with head control, poor posture, struggles with balance, visual tracking issues affecting reading, and discomfort in movement-based activities.


2. Amphibian Reflex

  • Function: Supports crawling and later movement patterns by coordinating limb movement and weight shifts.
  • Impact if not developed: Weak core stability, poor coordination, difficulty with crawling or walking smoothly, and challenges in sports or physical activities requiring fluid motion.

Causes of retained primitive reflexes

Pregnant lady worrying

Before Birth

Before Birth

Before Birth

The movements baby makes during pregnancy are important for the emotional reflexes to integrate.  Mother's nutrition, drug / alcohol use, and emotional stress can impact the movements baby makes during pregnancy - fewer movements can lead to a retained Fear Paralysis and subsequently Moro reflexes which are important for sensory processing and emotional maturity.

Newborn baby

During Birth

Before Birth

Before Birth

Our primitive reflexes are involved in our birthing process.  Birth interventions are obviously needed in order to keep Mum and baby safe, however interventions such as C Sections and Forceps can lead to retained primitive reflexes because the reflex has not had the opportunity to fulfil it's role in the birthing process and therefore can remain active.

2 week old baby

After Birth

Before Birth

After Birth

After birth, the movement of babies is often restricted by equipment used on a day to day basis.  These days we often use supportive seats, walkers, jumpers and capsule car seats to contain whilst out in public.  The equipment can often be putting baby in a position it is not yet physically ready for but also stopping baby from making the natural movements which integrate the primitive reflexes.

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Primitive Reflexes & Primitive Reflex Therapy

Articles about Primitive Reflexes, RMTi, the Safe & Sound Protocol and more....

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