retained reflexes 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!

Neuroplasticity retained reflexes STNR: Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex TLR

Figure Skating (and primitive reflexes at any age)

This blog post delves into the transformative journey of taking up figure skating at this age. I look at how continued work with primitive reflexes at any age, using rhythmic movement training, can play a part in improving sports performance.

In 1980, I remember watching Robin Cousins win Gold at Lake Placid, and thinking how much I’d love to try skating. I remember being entranced and obsessed with Torvill and Dean. However, our ice rink was always rammed, so having lessons was not an option. The UK has the lowest number of ice rinks per capita in Europe, so skating for me was over the shoe roller skates – which by the way, we were allowed to take to school to skate in the playground in.

Age should never be a barrier to embracing new challenges and discovering the untapped potential of one’s body and mind. The world of figure skating re-opened up to me earlier this year as an arena for self-discovery, physical rejuvenation, and social connection. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Skating has become my sport. It’s become my obsession. It’s become a little chunk of social life.

hanged pair of white leather figure skates

Figure skating is a dynamic full-body workout that defies stereotypes associated with age. The constant movement and balance challenges contribute to improved cardiovascular health, flexibility, and overall fitness. Additionally, the weight-bearing nature of skating enhances bone density, a crucial aspect of maintaining skeletal health as we age.

At the rink, I am friends with skaters between the age of 4 and I don’t know what – late 60s/70s? Who knows. They’re all fabulous.

Core Strength and Stability

As a comprehensive workout for the body, figure skating places a strong emphasis on core strength.

I also notice something very funny: when skaters are first learning a new movement, I see hands mirroring what feet are doing. There are very few new skaters who don’t do this! And then, one day, the new movement becomes automatic, having been repeated enough, and the hands stop mirroring the feet. For some, this can take months, and for others, minutes.

Why do is this? It’s because some of us have to work extra hard to compensate for retained primitive reflexes!

Primitive reflexes at any age

I recently asked my coach to video me, and realised that what holds me back immensely is my persistent STNR reflex, which pops in and out as life happens around me. This reflex causes a weak core, which is pretty disastrous for figure skating. Equipping oneself with knowledge of rhythmic movement training movements is knowledge for life. For this reason, I’ve already been doing some targeted movements, which has helped my core stability, and helped my body to work out what my brain is asking it to do.

I shall be following a skating friend, Jade, for a case study. Jade also has a pronounced STNR reflex. We videoed her today, and we’ll be starting a movement programme imminently and tracking her progress as we go. Watch this space if you’d like to follow her progress! She’s totally up for being my first ever figure skating case study!

Here is Jade about to step onto the ice for the first time in around 4 months:

Overcoming Physical Challenges:

The journey of re-starting figure skating at my age (I’m old enough to remember Andy Pandy and Mary, Mungo and Midge) is undeniably a physical challenge, especially for someone as out of condition as I was when I started, but it’s one that holds immense rewards. Each new movement has become a testament to perseverance, courage, and personal growth.

For children, skating involves balance, motor planning and coordination and physical stamina (especially in hire skates). As primitive reflex enthusiasts will already know, balance and coordination are essential for learning!

A Sociable Symphony of Diversity

Figure skating transcends age and attracts a diverse community. I meet the same people every week and we either talk about skating or completely unrelated things. Last week, we were even snorting with laughter about fish pedicures and what would happen if the fish got a bit carried away.

The shared passion for the sport creates a welcoming environment where connections are formed on the ice and friendships blossom off it.

As the blades carve patterns on the ice, the journey of figure skating at any age becomes a dance of liberation. The synergy between social engagement and the physical challenges of figure skating creates a transformative experience that enriches the mind, strengthens the body, and fosters a sense of community.

It’s a reminder that, with the right support and mindset, age becomes a mere number, and the ice becomes a canvas for a vibrant and fulfilling chapter of life.

So, let the music play, the blades glide, and the spirit soar as figure skating becomes a testament to the courage to embrace life’s adventures, unbound by societal expectations.

As a final thought, I found this absolutely beautiful short film about a 90 year-old skater – enjoy!

ATNR:Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex retained reflexes Special Needs Education STNR: Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex TLR

Retained Reflexes And Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia

Retained Reflexes And Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia

Everyone has heard of dyslexia, but perhaps most people are less familiar with the terms dyspraxia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia, which are also specific learning difficulties…

So, what do all these terms mean?

Dyspraxia is a neurological spectrum that involves difficulties in motor planning, coordination as well as organisation of thought, sequencing and working memory and often extreme difficulties in setting thoughts down on paper. Dyspraxia can also come with sensory processing difficulties, anxiety and difficulties socialising, and can often be misdiagnosed as autism.

Dyslexia can be defined as a specific learning difficulty that is neurological in origin, which results in difficulties learning to read and spell.

Dyscalculia is a numeracy equivalent of dyslexia, involving extreme difficulties with numbers, calculations and numerical reasoning.

Dysgraphia is characterised by extreme difficulty or avoidance in getting thoughts down on paper, with poor or often illegible handwriting.

What causes specific learning difficulties?

All these dys- diagnoses are caused by under-developed connections in the corpus callosum and irregularities in the parietal lobe. This causes a disconnect between left and right hemisphere and means that information between the two hemispheres cannot be processed as efficiently as someone with a fully functional corpus callosum. Added to this, problems with balance and coordination.

Underlying all these specific learning difficulties is a cascade of retained reflexes. Most with these SPLDs will have the following reflexes active: Fear Paralysis, Moro, Landau, Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex, Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex and Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex. It may be that these children/adults did not learn to roll effectively, get up on hands and knees and start to rock before reaching a hand out and starting to crawl, or to cross crawl during the appropriate developmental window, or that they skipped crawling altogether, perhaps they were late to meet milestones…

Does this sound familiar? If so, never fear! It is possible to repattern the brain to a certain extent, which will reduce or even eliminate these challenges.

You see, these developmental milestones aren’t simply there for fun – as they happen, our primitive reflexes gradually integrate. If we hit developmental milestones early or late or skip them altogether, we can expect to see reflexes hanging around in our systems. In fact, every one of us has a few, but it’s the extent to which they are retained that may or may not cause problems or learning difficulties.

I worked with a little boy of seven with extreme difficulties with the three Rs. He also had problems learning to ride a bike and had an extremely uncoordinated gait. So we got to work, and within a week of starting Rhythmic Movement Training, we saw improved eye tracking and he was suddenly able to ride his bike without stabilisers after two years of trying really hard to do so!

Difficulties learning to ride a bicycle can be related to the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex

His difficulties were all related to the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex, and his inability to separate head movements from arm movements. This stems from the time that this little boy was a baby, preparing to roll over, and turned his head to look at an outstretched arm, bending the opposite arm – something he never managed to get out of his system, because all his milestones were delayed – crawling at only 13 months and walking at 19 months.

We are now well into an Rhythmic Movement Training programme, and the differences are staggering. Many of his sensory processing signals – spinning, flapping, problems with sudden loud noises etc, have completely disappeared. His coordination has improved, his hypermobility has reduced noticeably, and his balance is much better – in fact, the latest is that he is learning to snowboard!

Rhythmic Movement Training is so called because we are training our brains to make the connections we should have made as babies, and training our bodies to notice small differences that can help us move forward – behaviourally, emotionally and academically.

Programmes involve an assessment taking around an hour, followed by shorter follow-up sessions every four weeks, and a bespoke programme of special movements for around 5 minutes per day, every single day.

Check https://rhythmicmovement.org/consultants for your nearest Rhythmic Movement Training consultant.

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.