Primitive Reflex Integration
What are Primitive Reflexes?
Primitive reflexes are automatic, involuntary movements or responses that are present at birth and are designed to protect an infant's survival. These reflexes originate from the most primitive part of the brain: the brainstem. They are part of the infant's neurological development and normally become integrated as the child develops.
Primitive reflexes play an important role in the development of motor skills, coordination, and overall neurological development. They serve the purpose in helping us to learn and process sensory information, and how to interact with the world around us through movement. This develops nerve connections and provides the foundation for developing higher cortical centers of the brain.
Why Do Active Primitive Reflexes Matter?
As children grow and develop, these reflexes are usually integrated, allowing for more complex movements and behavior. While necessary for early neurodevelopment, primitive reflexes must be integrated or immature patterns will continue to be used by the toddler, child and adult. They learn to compensate, but still have difficulties with:
- Regulation
- Speaking or non verbal communication
- Coordination and movement
- Focus
- Thinking
- Stress & anxiety
- Reading
- Writing
Addressing primitive reflexes can be an important part of treatment and rehabilitation for individuals who struggle with these conditions.
How Do Primitive Reflexes Affect Us?
When primitive reflexes are retained and the brain stem is the primary area that is being utilized or stimulated, the brain remains in survival mode. This may result in chronic stress for the child as they are primarily in “fight, flight, or freeze” mode.
Children with retained reflexes, drawing from an immature brain, can often have difficulty completing singular body movements. This can lead to motor and sensory confusion which directly causes difficulty with coordination, writing, speaking, and thinking. At Motion360 Therapy, we recreate movements that allow the brain to develop a stronger foundation.
Overcoming These Challenges
Integrating primitive reflexes can be life-changing. The ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization is remarkable. Motion360 will develop an individualized plan that will facilitate growth and development as well as improve all aspects of an individual's life.
What are some reasons and diagnoses why primitive reflexes are retained?
Often we do not have a definitive reason why primitive reflexes are retained by an individual. There are an infinite number of potential reasons why an infant or child may not have developed or integrated their primitive reflexes, which may include:
- Premature birth
- Caesarean section
- Complications at or after birth
- Cerebral Palsy
- Traumatic brain injury
- ADHD/ADD
- Spending too much time in walkers, cars seats, strollers instead of moving around on floor
- Autism
- Down Syndrome
- Environmental trauma
- Lack of environmental stimulation during first years of life
- Abuse, neglect, or unidentified trauma
- Hereditary or genetic factors
- Disease such as infections during pregnancy or early childhood
As we don’t treat the diagnosis, we focus on the challenges the individual is experiencing and develop their plan of care from there.
How would I know if my family member may have retained reflexes?
Some common presentations of retained or undeveloped primitive reflexes are:
- Toe walking
- Bed wetting or challenges with potty training
- Skipped or was delayed in achieving developmental milestones
- Motor coordination challenges
- Balance challenges
- Impaired school skills
- Unable to focus and attend
- Poor posture
- Behaviors
- Phobias
- Visual difficulties
- Plays really “hard”
- Easy to tantrum
- Difficulty being still
- Picky eater
- Performs great at school, but explodes and demonstrates behaviors at home
- Much, much more...