primitive reflexes

8 Primitive Reflexes That Every Parent Should Know About

Landau Reflex Exercises

Retained Primitive Reflexes have been found to cause neurological underdevelopment in some areas affecting learning, behavior, development, vision and sensory processing. Find out what they are and how to Integrate Primitive Reflexes.

What are They?

Primitive Reflexes are the special reflexes that develop in the brain stem before birth. This set of involuntary Primitive Reflexes help the baby with positioning in the womb, birthing, the first breath of life, feeding, urination etc. Most of these Primitive Reflexes go away  through the first year of life as higher functions of the brain and muscle control develop.

 

If the reflexes remain, they interfere with the neurological organization of the brain which causes learning, behavioral, social, sensory and health problems. These remaining reflexes are unnoticed muscle movements in older children and adults that would not normally be noticed if one did not know what to look for. They cause ongoing issues until they are solved through  exercises.

Primitive Reflex Testing

Primitive Reflexes

What Can Be Done?

If any of them remain past 12 months, they are called Retained Primitive Reflexes and they are a problem. There are simple exercises that can solve each one. This process is called Integrating Primitive Reflexes. Once they are integrated through these little exercises, many Learning Disabilities, Behavioral, Sensory Disorders, and health issues disappear or are greatly improved. You need to check for each of them, even if your child is not displaying the usual symptoms. If one remains unnoticed, it slows improvement in cognitive function. We will soon be adding information on Retained Babinski Reflex.

Symptoms when Primitive Reflexes Remain:

Because Primitive Reflexes start at the base of the brain. Functions that try to develop above them don’t wire properly. It can cause or contribute to:

Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Asperger’s

Hemispheric Imbalance

Sensory Disorders

Hyper Activity

ADHD

Speech Disorders

Social Disorders

Asthma

Dyslexia

Dysgraphia

Dyscalculia

Immune Problems

Other Health Issues

Other Learning Disabilities

This is the first thing to check for. They can solve a multitude of problems. Other therapies or Brain Stimulation such as Hemispheric Integration Therapy, work best if Retained Primitive Reflexes are integrated or are being exercised first or at the same time.

 

How did this happen?

There are many children and adults that for one reason or another still have one or more Primitive Reflexes remaining. Some causes may include a traumatic birth, lack of “tummy time”, too much time laying in seaters or swings, induced labor, and traumatic C-Section birth. Most of the time, there is not a known reason.

Fear not. These are simple assessments and exercises that can be done 10 minutes per day for a few months. Then stimulate the other brain functions with these cognitive exercises and the Disabilities often go away or symptoms improve amazingly. Click on the individual pictures above to see the tests and exercises.

 

 

Moro Reflex Test For Children Of All Abilities

Posted onAuthorBarbara B.1 Comment

Testing for a retained Moro Reflex can be difficult with a very young or disabled person. This is an alternative test you can use to test for the Moro Reflex or Startle Reflex.

Start by having the child lay on the ground with their palms down. Lift their head off the ground and quickly lower it to ilicit a Startle Reflex. If they have a retained Moro Reflex, they may do one or all of the following:

  • Jump
  • Flip their palms over.
  • Heave their chest for a few seconds.

Warning: Consult their physician before doing this test if there is a chance it may be unsafe for them. For example, if they have a seizure disorder, neck problems, etc.

Be sure to check out our other Moro Reflex test . Also, our other Primitive Reflex tests and exercises.

Moro Reflex Test
Moro Reflex Test for Disabled

If a Moro Reflex is present, it can contribute to:

  • Easily Distracted
  • Hypersensitive to sensory stimuli like light and sound and touch.
  • Over sensitivity to motion causing car sickness
  • Or under sensitivity to sensory stimuli
  • Overreacts
  • Impulsive and aggressive
  • Emotional immaturity
  • Withdrawn or timid and shy
  • ADD
  • ADHD
  • Autism Spectrum
  • Asperger’s
  • Sensory Disorders
  • Difficulty making friends
  • Depression
  • Dyslexia
  • Health Problems
  • Allergies and Asthma
  • Anger or Emotional Outbursts
  • Poor Balance and Coordination
  • Poor Digestion and Food Sensitivities

Make a difference now. See our products for Integrating the Moro Reflex.

How Primitive Reflexes Helped My Child’s ADHD

“Lyla is just really energetic.” This is what I though when Lyla was one year old. A year later, I just thought it was her young age. As she got older I noticed something was definitely different with her.  Her ‘energy’ had turned into ‘wild energy’ and was interfering with her being able to sit long enough to color a picture or do things typical children at her age could do. She was having a hard time keeping friends, because she was so impulsive, bouncy and twitchy. Even her own sisters were trying to avoid letting her play with them because she couldn’t play appropriately for her age. “Don’t let Lyla in”, ‘Can you keep Lyla Out?”, “Lyla breaks everything”.

My heart broke for my sweet girl. I noticed she was getting a lot of rejection not only in the family, but also with other kids her own age, and I couldn’t really blame them. Other kids her age were mature enough now to set up little castles or villages and have story lines develop with their toys. Lyla was still making her dino eat and destroy all of their village. She couldn’t sit and have lunch with kids her age. Her food was always converted into lions or something that was destructive and annoying to the other kids. She also had a super sensitive pallet. She could taste something gross in anything I served. She seemed to have Hyper-sensitivity with her sense of taste.

However, she seemed to have an underactive sense of touch. She could run across the rocky weedy ground without a problem. She would get sores on her feet from the pokey ground but didn’t bat an eye at it. She acted like she didn’t even have feeling in her body.

She also couldn’t finish anything. She couldn’t hold eye contact. She couldn’t sit long enough for a bed-time-story. She couldn’t speak well, just a line of fast gibberish, instead of composed sentences. It seemed that everyone knew Lyla was ADHD before I could admit it. I finally realized something must be done. She wasn’t growing out of it. She couldn’t live a successful life with this.

At this time, I started to study neuroplasticity (the brains ability to rewire) and the cognitive exercises that help strengthen weak connections in the brain. I was also studying Primitive Reflexes and how they can interfere with normal neurological growth. You see, I had a Dyslexic son in high school, so I was very interested in learning everything I could about it. As I studied, I learned that the exercises were super easy and could be done at home. I also learned that they applied to other developmental disorders like ADHD, ADD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism etc.

 

I jumped right on it with Lyla. Doing the exercises we have here on our website with her. I also found that she had retained the Moro Reflex that is typical for kids with ADHD and causes too much cortisol and adrenaline to be produced, which keeps them in fight-or-flight mode. So yes, there are ways to treat ADHD without medication.

I was astonished to see how fast it made a difference. Within three weeks, Lyla finished her dinner one night and said “Thank You for dinner. It was delicious” My jaw dropper. Two full well composed sentences and a finished meal. Wow!

Later that month, at bed time, Lyla got her little blanky and said “I want to snuggle”. Again, I couldn’t believe my ears. She really sat there for 20 minutes that night, just snuggling and listening to a book. She started respecting peoples space more. Summer came and Lyla hurt her foot going outside with bare feet. She felt it, cried and had me get her a band-aid. Probably the first time a parent was glad to have a child cry over a hurty and need a band-aid.

Lyla is doing awesome now. She is so fun and outgoing. She has long term friends now. They are always the more energetic fun ones, of course. She can hold eye contact. She still struggles with impulse, but much less. She can feel her own body now and is very expressive with her ideas. She speaks fast, but has no problem composing her sentences. At the time I write this post, she is 9 years old. She does great in school and never gets bad behavior reports. She still has a lot of beautiful energy, but can keep it in check when she needs to.

 

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    8 Primitive Reflexes That Every Parent Should Know About

    Landau Reflex Exercises

    Retained Primitive Reflexes have been found to cause neurological underdevelopment in some areas affecting learning, behavior, development, vision and sensory processing. Find out what they are and how to Integrate Primitive Reflexes.

    What are They?

    Primitive Reflexes are the special reflexes that develop in the brain stem before birth. This set of involuntary Primitive Reflexes help the baby with positioning in the womb, birthing, the first breath of life, feeding, urination etc. Most of these Primitive Reflexes go away  through the first year of life as higher functions of the brain and muscle control develop.

     

    If the reflexes remain, they interfere with the neurological organization of the brain which causes learning, behavioral, social, sensory and health problems. These remaining reflexes are unnoticed muscle movements in older children and adults that would not normally be noticed if one did not know what to look for. They cause ongoing issues until they are solved through  exercises.

     

     

    Primitive Reflex Testing

    Primitive Reflexes

    What Can Be Done?

    If any of them remain past 12 months, they are called Retained Primitive Reflexes and they are a problem. There are simple exercises that can solve each one. This process is called Integrating Primitive Reflexes. Once they are integrated through these little exercises, many Learning Disabilities, Behavioral, Sensory Disorders, and health issues disappear or are greatly improved. You need to check for each of them, even if your child is not displaying the usual symptoms. If one remains unnoticed, it slows improvement in cognitive function. We will soon be adding information on Retained Babinski Reflex.

    Symptoms when Primitive Reflexes Remain:

    Because Primitive Reflexes start at the base of the brain. Functions that try to develop above them don’t wire properly. It can cause or contribute to:

    Autism

    Autism Spectrum Disorders

    Asperger’s

    Hemispheric Imbalance

    Sensory Disorders

    Hyper Activity

    ADHD

    Speech Disorders

    Social Disorders

    Asthma

    Dyslexia

    Dysgraphia

    Dyscalculia

    Immune Problems

    Other Health Issues

    Other Learning Disabilities

    This is the first thing to check for. They can solve a multitude of problems. Other therapies or Brain Stimulation such as Hemispheric Integration Therapy, work best if Retained Primitive Reflexes are integrated or are being exercised first or at the same time.

     

    How did this happen?

    There are many children and adults that for one reason or another still have one or more Primitive Reflexes remaining. Some causes may include a traumatic birth, lack of “tummy time”, too much time laying in seaters or swings, induced labor, and traumatic C-Section birth. Most of the time, there is not a known reason.

    Fear not. These are simple assessments and exercises that can be done 10 minutes per day for a few months. Then stimulate the other brain functions with these cognitive exercises and the Disabilities often go away or symptoms improve amazingly. Click on the individual pictures above to see the tests and exercises.