How to Identify if Retained Reflexes Could Be Why Your Child Is Struggling

As parents, it’s heartbreaking to watch your child struggle — whether it’s with focus, coordination, reading, or simply feeling comfortable in their own body. You’ve likely tried tutoring, therapies, or changes in diet… but something still feels “off.”

What if the root cause isn’t behavioral or academic, but neurological — something left over from early development?

What Are Primitive Reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns babies are born with. They help with survival and early development — things like rooting for food, grasping, and rolling. These reflexes are meant to integrate (or disappear) as the brain matures during the first year of life.

When these reflexes don’t integrate properly, they can interfere with higher-level brain function, making everyday tasks harder for your child. This is called retained (or unintegrated) reflexes.

Signs Your Child Might Have Retained Reflexes

Every child is different, but here are some common signs parents notice when reflexes remain active:

🧠 Focus & Learning

• Trouble sitting still or paying attention

• Difficulty with reading, writing, or spelling

• Poor memory or slow processing speed

• Easily distracted or overwhelmed in class

🏃‍♂️ Movement & Coordination

• Clumsiness or poor balance

• Struggles with sports or riding a bike

• Awkward posture or “W-sitting”

• Tires easily or seems floppy

✋ Behavior & Emotions

• Impulsivity or emotional outbursts

• Anxiety in new situations

• Difficulty with transitions or following directions

• Low confidence despite effort

💤 Everyday Life

• Sensitive to noise, clothing, or touch

• Bedwetting or difficulty with toilet training

• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

If several of these sound familiar, retained reflexes might be part of the picture.

Why Reflexes Don’t Integrate

Reflexes may remain active due to factors like birth trauma, delayed crawling or walking, limited tummy time, chronic stress, or developmental conditions such as ADHD, autism, or sensory processing disorder. But sometimes, even kids without a diagnosis have retained reflexes that subtly affect learning and behavior.

What Reflex Integration Looks Like

Parents are often relieved to learn that reflex integration is not complicated, forceful, or time-consuming. It’s a gentle, movement-based approach designed to mimic the natural developmental patterns that help the brain mature.

A typical reflex integration session or at-home program might include:

• Simple, motor movements that help calm the nervous system and strengthen neural connections.

• Core stability and balance exercises that build the foundation for posture, coordination, and attention.

• Sensory activities that improve body awareness and regulation.

• Short, consistent practice — often 15-30 minutes a day — that creates lasting change through repetition.

Children often enjoy the process because it feels like play — crawling, rocking, rolling, stretching, or balancing on different surfaces. Over time, these patterns “re-teach” the brain and body to work together more efficiently.

Reflex integration doesn’t just target one area; it helps everything work in harmony — movement, emotions, focus, and learning all improve as the brain becomes more organized.

Real-Life Changes Parents Have Seen

When the brain and body start working together, small shifts can add up to big transformations. Here’s what parents have noticed after completing reflex integration programs with Brain Connex Therapy:

“My son finally sits through homework without melting down.”
Before starting reflex work, 8-year-old Liam could barely focus for five minutes. His mom describes daily homework battles and constant fidgeting. Within two months, his frustration dropped dramatically. He began finishing assignments with confidence — and even said, “Mom, my brain feels calmer.”

“Our mornings used to be chaos — now they’re peaceful.”
For years, transitions were hard for 6-year-old Ava. Getting dressed, brushing teeth, or leaving for school often ended in tears. As her retained reflexes integrated, those stress responses quieted. Her mom says, “It’s like her body finally learned how to stay calm. She can handle change now.”

“He’s reading — really reading — for the first time.”
10-year-old Noah struggled to track words on a page and was falling behind in reading. After working on his visual-motor and vestibular reflexes, his eye movements became smoother and his reading level jumped by two grades. His teacher called it a “night and day” difference.

“We got our happy child back.”
Parents often share that their child seems more relaxed, more confident, and more connected after reflex work. Sleep improves, tantrums fade, and kids start to enjoy things that once felt hard.

The Good News: Reflexes Can Be Integrated at Any Age

Through gentle, targeted movements and brain-based exercises, reflexes can be re-patterned — helping the nervous system mature and function more efficiently. Many parents see improvements in focus, coordination, confidence, and calmness within weeks of starting a structured program.

How to Get Started

If you suspect retained reflexes might be holding your child back, start by having an assessment with a trained reflex integration or brain training specialist. At Brain Connex Therapy, we guide families through simple, effective at-home programs designed to retrain the brain and support lasting progress.

It’s never too late to build the foundation your child needs to thrive. Sometimes, the missing piece isn’t more effort — it’s unlocking the brain’s natural ability to connect and grow.