Moro reflex Archives - Move2Connect Primitive Reflex Integration

The vital role of parents in Primitive Reflex Integration programmes

In the years I’ve been working with neuroplasticity and primitive reflex integration programmes, I’ve lost count of the number of parents who want to know the % their child’s reflexes are retained, as well as exactly which reflexes are retained.

Primitive reflex integration

It is really important to know that we are not JUST looking at an exact percentage! We’re looking at the full picture. In fact, I do not even NEED to test a child’s (or their parent’s) reflexes in order to start working with them – I can see what I need to do by the time they’ve sat down in the room. The reflex tests are really only for the benefit of watching progress – but we also do that by watching behaviour, emotions and cognition from the time a child heads off with a new set of movements to work with.

Additionally, it’s important to understand that if we do not see a reflex reaction when we test, it doesn’t mean it’s not there: we also look at whether a body is compensating and trying to hide the presence of a reflex (very common in children with a strong fear paralysis reflex). It’s also possible that a reflex has not even emerged yet, which is why I rarely test for a huge range of reflexes initially.

Primitive Reflex Integration Programmes

Also, while a programme of movements is important, it is useful for parents to know that by co-regulating with and working WITH your child, you’ll almost certainly see the best results. If you push your child through a programme of movements that are impossible for them to grasp, all you’ll do is stress yourself and your child.

A few years back, I was contacted by someone who was concerned their child wasn’t making progress with another practitioner. After doing some delving, I discovered that this parent was putting their child through around half an hour of movements every single day. Rather than progressing, this child had “regressed” significantly – massive meltdowns and zoning out at school – due to the parent working ON rather than WITH.

Regression, by the way, does not mean that a brain has gone backwards or shrunk, or anything sinister like that. It means that a person is stuck in fight/flight/freeze, and is simply more sensitive to their environment. For example, things that upset or trigger them are even more upsetting/triggering than usual. People tend to call behaviours “regressions” when they uncomfortable to be around.

Obviously, we all want quick fixes, but neuroplasticity is NEVER a quick fix, and it really isn’t something you can force on someone without attuning to their nervous system.

I love it when parents are fascinated by my work and want to give it a go too. By jumping onto my mat and experiencing passive movements for themselves, they are learning how it feels, which in turn helps them to deliver those movements more effectively for their child – asking for feedback while working with.

There are some children who simply cannot go through a primitive reflex assessment. That is fine! As I mentioned above, I do not need to test reflexes to know what we need to do. Very often, I have my gym ball with me. This is a great piece of equipment because children instinctively know how to use it to integrate their own reflexes. Sometimes they’ll sit on it and bounce, and other times they’ll use it to propell themselves around. This gives me a lot more information than merely getting a child to go through reflex tests: it gives me important information on how to calm their nervous systems.

My 55cm gym ball – the most popular activity in my clinic!

The point of me writing this post is that in order to make the very best progress, the following factors need to be in place:

Parents need to invest in the process
This is about working WITH your child, not ON them – co-regulation is at the heart of safety
Do not fixate on reflexes – this is a whole brain/body approach, and your connection with your child is fundamental for their progress
Allow your child to lead you – watch for signs of them trying to integrate their own reflexes.
Consistency is key. You cannot stop/start or only contact your therapist when it suits you – you need to make a commitment to do movements 5-7 times a week with your child and visit your therapist every 4-6 weeks on average

To find your nearest neurodevelopmental therapist, you can use this directory

Book your initial appointment here!

ATNR:Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Babkin reflex FPR: Fear Paralysis Reflex Moro reflex retained reflexes retained reflexes Spinal Galant Reflex STNR: Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex TLR

The Hidden Key: Ways Retained Primitive Reflexes May Impact Your Daily Life

Trying to explain what retained primitive reflexes are in an elevator pitch- style presentation is very difficult. This requires more than a 30 second summary.

The elevator pitch version of what I do is that I work to help primitive reflexes to integrate. These are the reflexes we are all born with, which should have disappeared in the first two years of our lives, as we progress through the “typical” milestones, such as rolling, sitting, crawling, etc, within the “typical” window of development. If we do not integrate these primitive reflexes, they remain “retained” in our systems, and cause emotional, behavioural and learning challenges throughout life.

When people ask what I do, some think it’s some sort of wacky alternative therapy. Some think it’s massage. Some think I’m somehow conveying energy or something like that to “recipients”. I don’t do ANY of these things, and to me, neuro-developmental therapy is anything but alternative! In fact, it’s something that could save squillions – if our health service would only adopt it.

So, what do I actually do, then?

Neuro-developmental therapy is a very gentle, movement-based, non-talking therapy, which gradually (sometimes suddenly) reduces social, emotional, behavioural and sensory challenges.

I work with central nervous systems and brains! I give the central nervous system and brain a second chance to develop typically if there has been a glitch in development.

Integrating retained primitive reflexes

Our development is like a very complex chain reaction: If a foetus’ development is interrupted in utero or during childbirth by some kind of stress/trauma, or a new-born’s development is interrupted by restricting movement or by some trauma, the next link in the chain cannot be completed, so neural connections are not as efficient as they would be without the interruption.

What this means going forward is that a person will have challenges – some noticeable and some that they are able to compensate for. As a matter of fact, most people have several glitches in their development that are not obvious to the untrained eye, but it is worth mentioning that our behaviour and personalities are very much shaped by our reflex profiles.

Neuroplasticity

Equally, I would like to emphasise that reflexes are just what we see on the surface. It is also extremely important to work with the gut and autonomic nervous system – otherwise you can do all the work you want with reflexes, but they’ll never fully integrate.

I work towards integration using foetal and newborn movement patterns, which mimic primitive reflex patterns, giving us a second chance to create the brain connections we should have created first time around.

How to integrate retained primitive reflexes

Every client who comes to me is a unique individual. Of course, part of the appointment involves testing for retained primitive reflexes, but I also carefully observe a client, taking in their use of language, movement, postural control and how they interact with me, a caregiver and their environment.

I may get children to draw a picture for me, and notice whether they are left or right handed, how they hold a pencil, what colours they use, how their pencil control and colouring is… after observing, I will home in on a few reflexes that I want to assess. I’ll then get my client to do some work with me, which involves a series of rhythmic and pre-birth movements and pressures that I get the client to resist.

For this reason, every client will receive a unique programme of movements. With any kind of neuroplasticity work, it’s a case of little and often, so I require my clients to stick to their programme daily, come rain or shine. However, a programme will often be as little as 5 minutes per day or sometimes even less.

I use a combination of Rhythmic Movement Training and somatic movement to integrate reflexes.

Signs of retained primitive reflexes

What happens if primitive reflexes are retained?

Poor emotional regulation
Inability to focus
Sensory processing difficulties
Mixing up left and right
Difficulty with motor planning and coordination
Anxiety
Shyness
Being a hyperchondriac
Self harm
Poor core strength – especially when children (and adults) w-sit

How do you get rid of retained primitive reflexes?

Sometimes I can get a person to notice differences almost immediately. Sometimes it takes months of peeling back layers to get to the root of a problem.

In the future, it is my dream to get the NHS to recognise neuro-developmental therapy as a way to help children (and adults), but in the meantime, you can visit me at my clinic in Sussex.

They say that if you find a job you love, you’ll never work another day. For me and my colleagues specialising in neuro-developmental therapy, this cannot be more true. I feel that I’ve found my vocation: seeing people transform through movement is the most rewarding experience I could ever wish for.

FPR: Fear Paralysis Reflex Moro reflex Spinal Galant Reflex

Sensory Processing Difficulties and Primitive Reflexes 101

Sensory processing difficulties.

For many parents of neurodivergent children, sensory processing difficulties might be the first thing that they noticed as “different” from peers.

I have used the term Sensory Processing Difficulties in this blog title as opposed to “disorder” because a disorder is a permanent condition – and a diagnosis that doesn’t exist universally. In my work, I look at the expression of the brain and nervous system – I do not diagnose because by working with neuriplasticity, a set of symptoms/presentations change.

This article explains how movement and the integration of primitive reflexes can really help reduce or even eliminate the sensory challenges of someone with SPD.

What causes sensory processing disorder (SPD)?

In brief, sensory processing disorder (SPD) or sensory processing challenges are down to a differently wired brain. The part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS) – within the brainstem – has not formed strong enough neural connections with the thalamus and higher sensory processing levels of the neocortex. This means that the brain cannot process sensory input efficiently, so we see sensory overwhelm, distractedness or even fear.

The involuntary movements we make as foetuses and newborns are doing a vital job: They are forming neural connections. These involuntary movements – reflexes – should disappear within the first year of life, giving way to adult postural reflexes and conscious movement, controlled by the cerebellum. However, if these primitive reflexes remain active in the system, it will mean that the brain has not formed the optimal neural connections from the brainstem, and consequently we may see sensory processing, motor coordination, emotional or behavioural challenges.

In my clinic, I assess for primitive reflexes and then work with the child and their parents to help integrate reflexes that might be causing challenges. This is done by repeating precisely the movement patterns that foetuses and newborns make, which helps the reflexes gradually integrate and helps the brain and central nervous system move to the next stage of development. It is important to remember that reflex integration is not a quick fix – in fact, it can take months for people to move on from their old patterns of posture and behaviour. However, you will see significant change.

What does Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) look like?

You might notice some of the following (not an exhaustive list):

Doesn’t respond to name
Zones out
Stims (hand flapping, making noises)
Difficulties with focus and concentration
Chews or spits on things
Restrictive food intake
Difficulties with motion / balance /coordination

Can a child overcome sensory processing disorder?

Using a bottom-up approach by addressing the nervous system, in a nutshell, yes. We can work to dramatically reduce these difficulties by calming the nervous system.

I had one little boy in clinic whose parents had marked around fifty of his frequent sensory behaviours in Angie Voss’s excellent book Understanding Your Child’s Sensory Signals. Following just three months of a reflex integration programme using RMTi (Rhythmic Movement Training International) methodology, this reduced to just fourteen sensory signals, and two years further on, just four. The sensory signals included behaviours such as flapping, spinning, humming, chewing, dribbling, making eye contact, etc. He is now a calmer, more present child, able to express his feelings verbally – as opposed to his nervous system being on constant alert.

You can also try to include various movements into your child’s day, every day, although when working with emotional or behavioural challenges, it is preferable to see a trained professional.

FPR Moro Reflex — A retained Moro Reflex is at the root of sensory processing difficulties

Try the following:

Cat arches, snow angels, star jumps, lying on back and pretending to be an anemone and slowly opening to become a starfish, and then back to anemone.

I hold a clinic in a home environment. in the Sussex countryside, and have after school and weekend appointments. Please contact me if you would like to discuss or find out more.

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In brief, sensory processing disorder (SPD) is down to a differently wired brain. The part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS) – within the brainstem – has not formed strong enough neural connections with the thalamus and higher sensory processing levels of the neocortex. This means that the brain cannot process sensory input efficiently, so we see sensory overwhelm, distractedness or even fear.

This article explains how movement and the integration of primitive reflexes can really help reduce or even eliminate the sensory challenges of someone with SPD.

ATNR:Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex FPR: Fear Paralysis Reflex Moro reflex Spinal Galant Reflex SSP: Safe and Sound Protocol STNR: Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex

Retained Reflexes in Adults: Could you be compensating for primitive reflexes?

I often use my own experiences as a private pilot to explain compensation to new clients who want to know about retained reflexes in adults – the concept of working extra hard as a result of retained primitive reflexes due to a not quite “typically”-wired brain:

I was an average child who grew up in the 1970s. I played outdoors in all weathers, possibly a lot more than the children of today – skipping, French elastic, climbing frames, gymnastics, tree-climbing, getting muddy etc.

I was talking in full sentences when I was a year old, could read my name at 15 months and was reading when I was tiny (not sure how old). I remember being shocked that children had to read out loud when I started in Reception, though – I’d been reading in my head for ages before that. I didn’t really crawl – I went straight to walking at about 15 months. I can remember trying and failing to crawl – because I have a ridiculously early memory. I was also EXCESSIVELY shy. I found nursery school just too noisy and scary and remember hiding until I was picked up the ONE time that my mother left me at a big nursery school. I ended up going to a small playgroup at someone’s house, and have very fond memories of it, even now – even though I was only about three years old when I started going there.

Oh… also, nobody ever believes quite how early my memories go back. You won’t either, so I’m not going to tell you. But it’s not normal to remember anything from the first few months of life, and yet I do.

At school, I learnt to write easily. I wasn’t brilliant at maths, but not everyone is, right? My forte was always language and music. Well, I now think I may well be dyscalculaic, and I know that I have slower than average processing speed. I found times tables horrific to learn, and would always be last to finish in maths tests. I also found swimming front crawl particularly difficult, and found sitting comfortably still all day at school a challenge!

Retained reflexes in adults

So, when I started training in primitive reflex integration, seven years ago, I was slightly shocked to discover that I am not “neurotypical”. Walking at 15 months, skipping crawling, being excessively shy, not being able to master that cross-lateral front crawl movement and being as atrocious at maths as me is not “normal” development. But who cares? I have been successful in life! I did really well in my previous career. I can also fly light aircraft, so surely my brain must be functioning reasonably well? And yes, it is…

But… when I went on a course on the effect of retained primitive reflexes on reading and writing a few years back, I discovered to my great surprise that I had not developed a head-righting reflex! This is an adult postural reflex, which should start to emerge at around 3 months of age, and its absence causes vestibular issues, and makes reading – in particular copying from a board – and maintaining attention particularly difficult.

To test, you get a person to sit look at an object a few metres away. You then move their shoulders from side to side, and watch what the head does. If the reflex is present (as it should be), the eyes will remain level with the horizon. If it has not emerged, the head will follow the rest of the body.

The trainer showed us some isometric pressures that can be applied to help develop the head-righting reflex, and, as if by magic, within minutes mine started to emerge! I remember hearing gasps from the other course participants.

Out of interest, I went flying in a two-seater plane a couple of weeks later and did a few steep turns to see whether anything had changed. Well… normally, steep turns had the effect of making me feel disoriented and I would always lose hundreds of feet, no matter how many times I practiced and no matter how much I concentrated. However, with a head-righting reflex in place, my eyes stayed on the horizon and I maintained height for the first time since I started flying in 2003! I no longer felt disoriented either.

I often see private pilots in the early stages of training saying that they feel sick, and receiving advice on motion sickness bands, ginger etc – I often wonder whether they have a head-righting reflex or whether I could help them with it.

I’ve also brought this adult postural reflex online in several children and adults that I’ve worked with – it’s always a thrill. If it doesn’t happen immediately, something else is blocking it, however.

I digress….

The point of this post is to show that almost all of us are walking around compensating for difficulties that we are unaware of. To us, these difficulties are the norm, but they need not be! If a child is struggling with confidence, attention or the three Rs, it is well worth taking a look to see whether their reflex profile might be causing them to compensate.

So what can we do about it?

Primitive Reflexes

As a neuro-developmental therapist, I test for active baby reflexes, and help people to gradually mature these reflexes, using a combination of gentle foetal/newborn baby movements and pressures. Until you have experienced this for yourself, it is very hard to explain how it feels to suddenly have a challenge you have been used to for your entire life suddenly removed.

In my case, while my brain has indeed always allowed me to cope very well in the world and achieve things like learning to speak multiple foreign languages with ease, play the violin and fly light aircraft, things still could have been easier for me if I’d had integrated reflexes earlier.

Integrating primitive reflexes simply means that connections from the brainstem to higher levels of the brain will work more efficiently and not take the long way around all the time.

I now find that I can do things that I used to struggle with far more effortlessly – for example,

Getting butterflies before a stressful meeting: gone
Ability to listen and concentrate: vastly improved
Processing speed: vastly improved
Auditory processing: vastly improved
Ability to express myself clearly under stress: vastly improved
Procrastination: greatly reduced – especially when it comes to writing a blog post or completing a daunting form

If you would like to find out how reflex integration might help you, please do get in touch or book an appointment

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