How to Assess Retained Primitive Reflexes - 6 Most Common Ones

Want to become a Primitive Reflex expert & learn integration exercises?
In our Primitive Reflex Digital Course, you'll learn:
✅ More about individual Primitive Reflexes
✅ Testing for Retained Primitive Reflexes
✅ Exercises for Integrating Primitive Reflexes
✅ Primitive Reflexes in the Classroom
Check out our in-depth Primitive Reflex Digital Course!
👉 harkla.co/products/primitive-...
Jump to Specific Primitive Reflexes:
00:00 Introduction
0:24 Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
1:31 Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)
2:49 Moro Reflex
3:47 Spinal Galant Reflex
5:02 Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
6:21 Palmar Grasp Reflex
----------------------------------
Dive Deeper on Individual Primitive Reflexes!
1) Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Article & Podcast:
harkla.co/blogs/special-needs...
2) Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex Article & Podcast:
harkla.co/blogs/special-needs...
3) Moro Reflex Article & Podcast:
harkla.co/blogs/special-needs...
4) Spinal Galant Reflex Article & Podcast:
harkla.co/blogs/special-needs...
5) Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex Article & Podcast:
harkla.co/blogs/special-needs...
6) Palmar Grasp Reflex Article & Podcast:
harkla.co/blogs/special-needs...

[@HarklaFamily]

Want to become a Primitive Reflex Expert? harkla.co/products/primitive-reflexes-course In our Primitive Reflex Digital Course, you'll learn: ✅ More about individual Primitive Reflexes ✅ Testing for Retained Primitive Reflexes ✅ Exercises for Integrating Primitive Reflexes ✅ Primitive Reflexes in the Classroom Check out our in-depth Primitive Reflex Digital Course! 👉 harkla.co/products/primitive-reflexes-course

[@seemaganjoo3455]

Most of these exercises are part of yoga routines and helped my child with autism. I had no idea then about their connection with primitive reflexes. We just did yoga as a family together and my son got so good at it. Thank you so much for these videos, we'll made, to the point and so helpful. God bless you both. Highly recommend other parents to watch and I do share with all that come to me for help. Fantastic work! ❤

[@MadeehaSyed1]

Hey...would you be able to share the yoga routine that helped your child

[@HarklaFamily]

So glad it's helpful! And yes, yoga is SO great for primitive reflexes! We have another video that is yoga inspired! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4bXp5-hqt2grtksi=T6noDrQlt50xf5MA

[@HarklaFamily]

Not sure which one the person above is talking about, but we do have a yoga inspired primitive reflex video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4bXp5-hqt2grtksi=T6noDrQlt50xf5MA

[@ashleymeador7278]

So appreciated that you put these side by side to show the difference!

[@HarklaFamily]

Yess!!!! So glad it was helpful!

[@novicetofit5962]

I'm a student and we are currently studying these reflexes in class. I found your video to be very helpful in explaining both what they look like and what it should look like once they are integrated! Nice work!

[@HarklaFamily]

That's great to hear! We're glad we can be helpful!

[@Claire77ism]

Wonderful! I am a registered play therapist and often make referrals to peds OT. Thank you for this resource.

[@mariettevanjaarsveld4006]

Super helpful to an occupational therapy student! Thank you 😊

[@HarklaFamily]

so glad to hear!

[@JenniferAnnMcCaffrey]

Sooooo helpful!! Thank you ladies! And I really enjoyed your primitive reflex course!! xox

[@kimberlybutler2003]

Wow, thank you so much! This is far and away the clearest, most helpful video I've seen. Keep them coming!!

[@HarklaFamily]

Awesome, thank you! So happy that you found it helpful =)

[@rosamariarobertson9641]

I have been trying to learn about primitive reflexes, guys, your presentation is amazing.

[@HarklaFamily]

So glad it's helpful! We have more primitive reflex info on our website, harkla.co

[@watercolorPatCP]

These are super - thank you so much.

[@Marcela-qq2ti]

You guys are amazing!

[@zanetamonikasekulski814]

loved your video for my OTA class!!! Thank you so much

[@HarklaFamily]

Oh that's awesome!!!!!!!

[@nova-fc9ch]

Thankyou for all ur information, i found what i looking for

[@callumsinclair3502]

OT student doing my final placement in Paeds - this video was so helpful thank you!!!

[@HarklaFamily]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bhavikahotwani2661]

Thank you so much for such wonderful video

[@HarklaFamily]

you're welcome!!

[@fitformatAR]

Love it💕

[@fitformatAR]

Superb💕

[@FernitoAM]

What age are these rxercises appropriate for? Youngs toddlers might not be able to do these anyway? Very good video, clear and concise.

[@HarklaFamily]

This is great for children ages 5+!

[@MKFajem]

Hi, the superman test you showed is a test for the Landau reflex. If you want to test for the TLR there are several tests by slowly moving the head up (for TLR backwards) or down (for TLR forward) and notice any compentsory movements in the limbs and/or trunk

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey there! You're right that the superman test is a way to test the Landau reflex, but it also works to test for the TLR! We wanted to keep things shorter and easier to digest in the KZbin video, but our full course covers a lot more about testing. Also, since this is KZbin and not a controlled clinical setting, nothing is a formal diagnosis in the video! harkla.co/products/primitive-reflexes-course

[@fatimabeltran1640]

great

[@BeastModeMusic.Guitar]

this was helpful. thank you.

[@minima_lina]

Thank you so much for this. Very easy to understand and see since by side. Would you recommend this assessment for 2-3yr olds?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hi Lina, We would have to say no. We typically look at children ages 5+. At 2-3 years we would look more at developmental milestones.

[@kenbrandy]

If you notice a speech delay for instance how would you look to see what primitive reflexes might need to be worked on for a two-year-old

[@annbaillieul6501]

What you say is testing for the TLR, is in fact the testing of the Landau Reflex

[@Is_la-mic]

Can i do all these activities with my 4. 6 years old on daily bases?

[@alicehatzoglou5683]

Great video, very helpful! May I ask you if you also work with the Fear Paralysis Reflex? Is it part of your course?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey Alice, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Our course doesn't cover the Fear Paralysis Reflex, unfortunately. It's a very extensive reflex to integrate.

[@kevinsadri9280]

Is there any resources out there on how to integrate the fear paralysis reflex as an adult? I recently found out about it and can’t seem to find much info on dealing with it as an adult.

[@swatishardalath9012]

Is it possible to totally integrate the primitive reflex. My 5yr old seems to have the ATNR reflex. He has trouble with pumping a swing, bad handwriting, catching a ball, riding a bicycle. Don't know about reading as yet, because we've only just began. He was diagnosed with a lazy eye in October, we thought all this was due to the lazy eye.

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey Swati - Yes, it totally is! We run through exercises on integrating primitive reflexes in our online training that you can find here: harkla.co/products/primitive-reflexes-course

[@eleciadelapena9226]

I work with 0-3 year olds. I see what appears to be retained reflexes frequently. Would your course help with my age group? I use to work with older children and so many were not able to get the superman position without a lot of work. I want to catch some of these things early, but I would like more testing and treatment ideas. For example, I have a lot of 2 year olds that don't want to go backwards on the ball, but eventually tolerate it. Did I work on the Moro by playing on the therapy ball ----- or is that just a two year old, with low tone fear.

[@HarklaFamily]

Hi Elecia, that is a great question! I would say that our Primitive Reflexes Digital Course (harkla.co/products/primitive-reflexes-course) would be your best bet, and the most helpful to understand the basics of reflex integration for your younger clients. For the two year olds- could be both! Fearful because they have low tone, and are uncomfortable because of a retained Moro. Also for that age group, working on developmental milestones and getting a variety of different sensory experiences is key!!

[@arpitaroy2323]

Hi, is anything called rooting and sucking reflex? Thanks

[@absolumentpas2]

Where can I find the research on retained primitive reflexes?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hi Rebecca, the description above has a ton of links to information on Primitive Reflexes.

[@2005aryam]

Hi! This video is very helpful :) I am wondering if I can learn from the course? I’m a mother, and although I consider myself smart haha, I don’t know if I need a background or some knowledge in OT?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey! You would totally be able to learn from the course! We try to keep our content as accessible as possible, and the video demonstrations make it easy to follow along. If you find the course isn't a good fit, we are always willing to refund you your full purchase amount!

[@rolconude6123]

Is there a schedule we can follow daily to practice?

[@HarklaFamily]

@@rolconude6123 Hey! The digital training doesn't give you a specific schedule, but it certainly gives you enough demo videos to work it into your only daily schedule. Every few months we do a "30 day challenge" where we walk through this together. If you sign up for the course, you'll be notified of our next group challenge!

[@caseypierce3602]

Is there one for fear paralysis reflux?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hi! We are still learning more about the fear paralysis reflex and once we feel confident in our knowledge, we will be able to share more about it!

[@karahans1783]

Can you use these tests on adults too?

[@HarklaFamily]

Absolutely!

[@SitalakshmiNatarajan]

Hello therapist friends. I am an Extra Lesson therapist based in Andhra Pradesh, India. I do this intervention program with a few children in the school that I work as a teacher at. Can you please throw some light on how to help children with bed wetting or urinal inconsistency issues? What kind of lower body strengthening exercises can I bring into my practice? Thanks.

[@HarklaFamily]

Hi! We'd recommend diving deeper into the Spinal Galant Reflex! You can also work with a professional who is trained in pelvic floor exercises - often a PT!

[@lifebeautiful8112]

Can we do all the exercises at once or one by one?

[@HarklaFamily]

If you're wanting to try the activities in this video to do a quick assessment if a child might have retained primitive reflexes, you can do them one after the other =)

[@watching-zc1yj]

Do you work with teens or adults? Would you use the same tests, or would the older students/clients resist them? I'm specifically thinking about teenagers with dyslexia and dysgraphia, as well as adults who are still messy eaters.

[@HarklaFamily]

Anyone can struggle with retained primitive reflexes! The testing and the integration process can be very much the same / similar! We have more info here harkla.co/pages/primitive-reflexes

[@rolconude6123]

Hi! I am a mom trying to help my child. Please advise me on how to go about using your program. Is this something I can do?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey! If you did the assessments in the video and believe your child may have a retained primitive reflex, then our course could be helpful to start integrating them: harkla.co/products/primitive-reflexes-course If you have access to a local occupational therapist, they would also be extremely helpful. Our online course is self-pace and has easy-to-follow demo videos to make it useful to anyone! You can also ask us questions inside our learning platform and we can get back to you on them. Hope that helps!

[@snehagogula]

❤

[@grandmap3389]

My granddaughter is turning 3 this month she has problems with putting 3 fingers up ( she can do 2 ) is this part of this problem or is this normal 3yr old?

[@HarklaFamily]

This could be related to challenges with motor planning and hand strength! Keep practicing! If you're noticing other challenges with fine motor tasks, seek out in-person occupational therapy!

[@minalrokade2904]

Hi.. ma'am could you plz tell me which primitive reflex responsible for speech delay. Plz reply its kind request, and why my kid unable to answer the wh type of questions. Plz reply ...

[@HarklaFamily]

There are a variety of factors for this! We have a free webinar that might be helpful! harkla.co/pages/register-primitive-reflex-webinar-2023 We'd also recommend getting a speech and language evaluation if your child has a speech delay!

[@stephaniebull3618]

Does it work foradults?

[@HarklaFamily]

Absolutely! It's never too late to integrate primitive reflexes!

[@kevinsadri9280]

What do I do if I retained many of these reflex’s and I’m an adult.

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey Kevin - We'd recommend seeing an occupational therapist! They can help adults work through retained reflexes as well!

[@meenakshis4633]

Hi, does it integrate for a 8 years old?

[@HarklaFamily]

Primitive reflexes can integrate at any age! It takes work and consistency! Here's a free webinar with more info! harkla.co/pages/register-primitive-reflex-webinar-2023

[@ashleyhudson2581]

Both of my kids have been diagnosed with dyslexia. Could this be because of retained primitive reflexes?

[@HarklaFamily]

It could be a potential factor!

[@travestyoflife]

I'm 44 and struggle with most of these. I thought the retained looked completely normal! What sort of specialist should I be seeking and is it worth it at my age?

[@HarklaFamily]

Anyone can integrated their primitive reflexes! Neuroplasticity! Check out our website for more info on primitive reflexes! harkla.co

[@vasiliosniphoratos2351]

Try some of these exercises with a mirror so you can see your body. Helped me improve my STNR reflex some years ago at age 30. I had no idea I couldn't to Cat-Cows!

[@deenaomar4730]

If I notice some of these obstacles , does this by default means he is restrained.

[@HarklaFamily]

This is just a quick way to assess (or screen) to see if primitive reflexes might be retained. If you notice the challenges, it's a sign that you want to dive deeper and look into getting the child tested! Here's our free webinar with more info! harkla.co/pages/register-primitive-reflex-webinar-2023

[@monicsala6639]

How common is it to have a retained reflex?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey Monica - data.mendeley.com/datasets/893yxwfcr8/1 This one study looked at 21 children in the same pre-school classroom and found that only one child had no signs of retained primitive reflexes. 29% of the students scored a 1 or 2 on the scale, while 50% of the students scored a 3 or 4. Here are the most prevalent retained primitive reflexes they found: TLR - 95% of subjects ATNR - 86% of subjects Left ATNR - 81% of subjects STNR - 67% of subjects www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5778413/ Another study of similar size involving 35 healthy students of ages 4 to 6 found that 89% of students had at least one retained primitive reflex. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19411243.2021.1959482 This study was slightly larger, involving 53 students of ages 5 to 7 "found that 100% of the participants had at least one active reflex, with the most common retained reflexes being STNR, ATNR R, and ATNR L." --------------- Also, it's important to note that retained primitive reflexes work more on a spectrum. You can have partially integrated primitive reflexes. When testing for retained primitive reflexes, we use a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the most integrated, but still present and 4 being the most retained.

[@monicsala6639]

Thank you for such a well detailed response. This is such an interesting subject.

[@HarklaFamily]

@@monicsala6639 Of course! We're here to help!

[@squatchinya]

Is it possible for adults to have not integrated primitive reflexes? Also, would you say that working on reflexes could still be beneficial to a person with integrated reflexes?

[@HarklaFamily]

Yes, adults definitely can have retained primitive reflexes! Primitive reflex integration exercises can have benefits in other areas as well, yes!

[@squatchinya]

@@HarklaFamily Ok so doing integration exercises for say the MORO reflex can still be beneficial to someone with it integrated. Is there any reason to avoid using integration techniques? I personally believe that as a skateboarder who falls backwards frequently it might be beneficial to use moro integration techniques in order to better control my fall response. For example star fish exercise, the extension of limbs followed by pulling in. The most dangerous thing when falling is to extend arms out during fall. Further integration beyond primitive reflexes would be fall practice(martial arts falling) and tuck and roll for the benefit of safer falling.

[@Glee4evaarr]

At what age a child should be tested for these reflexes?

[@HarklaFamily]

Hello there, we would say not until 6 years old, though sometimes they are done as early as 5 if you see a lot of challenges.

[@becmills9193]

Hi girls, thanks for this video. Loved it. 1. is the course available to Aussies? 2. In your course, do you make references to peer reviewed, good strong studies with reference to techniques? 3. Does your course provide information on what ages each reflex is expected to be integrated by? Thanks 3.

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey there! Here's the link to our Primitive Reflex Digital Course! harkla.co/products/primitive-reflexes-course It's a digital course, so it's available anywhere with internet! We have lots of studies inside the course. It's approved for continuing education through AOTA, which required us to utilize a specific amount of level-1 research! We provide all of the details around 8 different primitive reflexes, including when they appear in or out of utero, when they should be integrated, signs that they are retained, specific testing and exercises, and more!

[@QuantumKayos]

uhh nothing but my head moves with the STNR like barely my back or shoulders. I can just move my head up or down lol

[@caseygray5471]

What if the child has a difficult time or refuses to do any of the tests? My 4 year old laughs anytime we try exercises or won't sit still. He was diagnosed with autism at age 2 1/2 and completely non verbal. I personally think he also will be diagnosed with ADHD soon seeing as hes always been very hyper and never can sit still.

[@HarklaFamily]

Hey Casey! As much as we love putting out helpful content, nothing can beat seeing a therapist in person, particularly with what you're describing. We'd recommend getting in-person OT and finding a therapist who is trained in primitive reflex integration! For a kiddo who is diagnosed with autism and non-verbal, there will be better ways to address primitive reflexes, which a trained therapist can do in person!

[@kimdenig4084]

At what age are you testing children for these reflexes?

[@HarklaFamily]

We don't typically complete formal primitive reflex testing until a child is 5 or 6 years old. However you can screen them (this video shows some simple screening tools / activities) earlier!

[@JoseSorianoPhotography]

really want to buy your course but it seems the exercises are not made for kids with disabilities where you can easily direct them. I want to know if you show alternatives to progress. A kid with difficulties can barely do a superman neither throw a ball while doing it, for example

[@HarklaFamily]

We do provide modification ideas, strategies, and other activities that target primitive reflexes!

[@fionaewart7265]

I am an adult and have some ofvthese still

[@HarklaFamily]

Many adults do! Our resources can be helpful for adults as well!

[@jessicagullett2514]

Same

[@user-sw1is7hk2j]

should a 3 yr old be able to do these exercises yet?

[@HarklaFamily]

Not likely! We don't formally test for retained primitive reflexes in an OT clinic setting until after 5 years old because the child likely does not have the coordination or attention to complete specific exercises yet! We have some videos for toddlers that might be more helpful!

[@kwg5044]

I've known at least a few adults who are unintegrated on these

[@HarklaFamily]

Yes! Adults can also have retained primitive reflexes!

[@JessicaWells1]

Why do these reflexes need to be integrated? I don't see this addressed in the video at all.

[@HarklaFamily]

You're right, we don't address that in this video! We have several other videos on primitive reflexes and many podcast episodes on this topic (All Things Sensory Podcast). Primitive reflexes are designed to integrate in order to provide the infant (they should integrate within the first 2-3 years of life, most within the first year!) with the ability to produce higher level motor movements as well as to allow the brain to develop higher level cognitive abilities. If the reflexes do not integrate, they get "stuck" and the child is left in a more "primitive" state. Hope that helps!

[@ravenID429]

They addressed the movement problems

[@kristinestortroen7253]

Can an adult struggle with this?

[@HarklaFamily]

Absolutely!

[@dr.jannahansen4018]

The music is distracting.

[@dr.jannahansen4018]

I do like it otherwise. Good job!

[@matamorosa]

i didn't even notice it