Primitive Reflexes: The Hidden Link Between Balance, Behaviour, and Body Control
Based on the study:
Primitive Reflex Activity in Relation to Motor Skills in Healthy Preschool Children
Authors: A. Pecuch, E. Gieysztor, E. Wolańska, M. Telenga, M. Paprocka-Borowicz (2021)
Published in: Brain Sciences, Volume 11, Issue 8, Article 967
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11080967
Why This Study Matters
If your child seems clumsy, struggles to sit still, or finds tasks like balancing, jumping, or handwriting more difficult than their peers, you’re not alone—and you’re not imagining it.
This study shines a light on a quiet but powerful influence on a child’s development: retained primitive reflexes (also known as Active Primitive Reflexes or APRs). These early-life reflexes are meant to integrate within the first year—but if they linger, they may disrupt your child’s ability to move smoothly, sit still, and concentrate.
The researchers explored how common these reflexes are in otherwise healthy preschoolers, and how they relate to motor development, balance, and coordination.
The findings offer both clarity and hope—helping parents make sense of what they may have instinctively noticed in their child.
What the Researchers Did
This study assessed 112 healthy preschoolers aged 4–6 in Poland for three specific reflexes:
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
Motor skills were evaluated using the MOT 4–6, a standardized tool that measures balance, coordination, and fine motor abilities.
Researchers then explored how the degree of reflex activity correlated with motor performance.
What They Found
92.9% of children had at least one retained primitive reflex.
Only 7.1% showed complete integration.
58% had a low level of reflex activity, and nearly 35% had moderate to high levels.
The most commonly retained reflexes were:
ATNR (left side) – 80.4%
TLR (extension) – 74.1%
ATNR (right side) – 73.2%
The more active the reflexes, the lower the child’s motor efficiency, particularly in tasks that required total body control, balance, and postural stability.
“Active tonic reflexes mean that head movement may cause uncontrolled tension and/or movement of the lower and upper limbs and the trunk, thus preventing the child from effectively carrying out a motor task requiring total balance and body control.”
This helps explain why many children with retained reflexes appeared clumsy or had trouble sitting still—despite being otherwise “typical” in development.
Reflexes and Their Associated Symptoms
The study reviewed specific functional challenges associated with each reflex:
ATNR (Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex):
Poor eye–hand coordination
Difficulty crossing the visual midline
Reading delays and orientation problems
Postural imbalances during walking
Link to scoliosis and visual tracking issues
STNR (Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex):
Awkward or skipped crawling
Poor sitting posture
Trouble moving eyes vertically (e.g. blackboard to book)
Difficulty sitting still or maintaining upright posture
TLR (Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex):
Poor balance and coordination
Clumsiness and “careless” motor mistakes
Toe walking and posture problems
Emotional dysregulation, rapid fatigue
The study also noted links between retained reflexes and attention difficulties, sensory issues, reading and writing delays, and even speech development challenges.
Why It’s Relevant for Families
You may have been told your child will “grow out of” clumsiness, poor posture, or classroom restlessness. But this research shows that lingering primitive reflexes are not uncommon—and they can quietly affect everything from movement to learning.
Most importantly, they are addressable.
This study reinforces the value of early screening for reflexes and targeted interventions that help the brain and body integrate these early-life patterns. Doing so may support smoother movement, more stable emotions, and better learning outcomes.
How We Apply This Insight at Flourishing Brains
At Flourishing Brains, we don’t wait until learning or behaviour struggles become chronic. We look for the neurological root causes—and retained reflexes are one of the first things we check for.
If a child is still working around these reflexes, their brain must use extra effort just to sit, attend, or move without disruption. That can feel exhausting—and it often shows up as:
Fidgeting or “zoning out”
Difficulty with transitions or sequencing
Avoidance of physical tasks
Emotional outbursts or withdrawal
Using brain-based strategies, we support reflex integration through movement therapy, sensory input, low-level laser therapy, and neuroplasticity-driven tools that honour each child’s stage of development.
Our goal is to help kids move freely, learn confidently, and feel at home in their own bodies.
Want to Learn More?
If you’re curious whether retained reflexes might be part of your child’s story, we’d love to support you.
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