Understanding Primitive Reflexes
Primitive Reflexes are essential survival reflexes that develop in the brain stem before birth.
These involuntary reflexes help the baby position itself in the womb, assist with the birthing process, and support feeding, urination, and the development of motor skills and posture. Normally, these reflexes should integrate (disappear) within the first year of life as the brain and muscle control mature.
What Happens If They Remain?
If these reflexes persist, they can disrupt the brain's neurological organisation, leading to learning, behavioural, social, sensory, and health issues.
In older children and adults, these retained reflexes manifest as involuntary muscle movements that are often unnoticed but continue to cause problems until addressed with specific exercise patterns.
What Can Be Done?
When Primitive Reflexes remain active past 12 months, they are known as Retained Primitive Reflexes.
These can cause lifelong problems. Fortunately, simple exercises can help integrate these reflexes, a process known as Integrating Primitive Reflexes. Once integrated, many learning disabilities, behavioural disorders, sensory disorders, and related health issues can significantly improve.
Potential Issues from Retained Reflexes
If Primitive Reflexes remain active, they hinder cognitive development.
Integrating Retained Primitive Reflexes is the crucial first step. It can resolve many problems, making other therapies, such as play therapy, speech therapy, cognitive therapy, and Brain Stimulation like Hemispheric Integration Therapy, more effective.
Why Does This Happen?
Many children and adults retain one or more Primitive Reflexes for various reasons, such as traumatic birth, induced labour, C-section birth, excessive time in seats or swings, lack of movement, insufficient tummy or back playtime, and even too much screen time. Often, there's no single cause.
Issues that can arise include:
- Autism
- Asperger's Syndrome
- Hemispheric Imbalance
- Sensory Disorders
- Hyperactivity
- ADHD
- Speech Disorders
- Social Disorders
- Asthma and other immune problems
- Dyslexia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyscalculia
- Mental health conditions
Pillars of Optimal Brain Development
- Movement Milestones and Primitive Reflex Integration
- Functional Breathing
- Nutrition
- Tech/Screen Time
- Parenting and Environment
Poor input will produce poor outcomes
Seb Kane
BrainX Co-Founder.
