Retained STNR Primitive Reflex and the Learning Breakdowns that Persist

This article provides helpful information about the retained STNR Primitive Reflex and how it impacts a child’s behavior and learning ability. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

No matter if you are new to retained Primitive Reflexes or a well-seasoned professional, it’s important to understand how the Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) primitive reflex can impact a child’s life.

Every child is born with certain reflexes that help the body and the brain function every day. However, if those primitive reflexes are retained at birth or as the child grows into a toddler, you may discover the child struggling with foundational and learning delays.

When does the STNR Primitive Reflex Appear?

Take the STNR reflex for example. The STNR reflex appears at 6 to 9 months when the child is a baby. While short-lived, the reflex typically integrates when the child is 9 to 11 months of age. The STNR reflex is a transitionary reflex and assists the development of the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR).

Even if the STNR reflex is only present for a short time, it plays an important role. The STNR reflex contributes to a child’s development of the following:

• Bilateral Movement
• Eye-hand Coordination
• Processing information in both hemispheres of the brain
• Postural control for sitting at a desk

The STNR reflex also supports the baby as they learn to get on all fours and rock back and forth for eventual crawling.

What happens with the STNR Reflex is Retained?

If the STNR reflex fails to integrate within 9 to 11 months of the child being born, it becomes retained and may start to cause problems for the child.

STNR and Crawling

An older child, for example, may have trouble coordinating their upper and lower body as they begin learning to crawl. Because crawling on all fours is difficult for the child, they may try to bear walk on their hands and feet instead. As a result, a retained STNR reflex makes development of eye-hand coordination harder and can prevent the child from crawling on all fours.

Crawling is an important milestone because it supports a child’s depth-perception needed for reading and writing development later in life.

As the child grows older, you may discover they lack coordination skills. The child may have difficulty doing the following:

• Coordinating the upper and lower body when playing sports
• Unsynchronized movements when swimming
• Holding the head upright for certain tasks
• Can’t control head movement back and forth for reading and writing

STNR and Postural Control

A child who has retained the STNR reflex may also have floppy or weak muscle tone. This can lead to poor postural control as the child learns to stand or sit on their own. The child may prefer to lie on the floor while doing homework or watching TV because the cross-legged position is uncomfortable.

Other challenges that may come from a retained STNR reflex include the following:

• Falling out of their desk
• Has to sit on their knees to support their posture
• Lies on their desk
• Can’t lift their head off their desk to copy notes from the chalkboard to their paper
• Prefers to sit in the W-position when sitting on the floor if they cannot lie down on their stomach

Because posture is also a way for children to gain energy in the body, the child may experience fatigue and stress.

STNR Reflex and Classroom Behavior

If retained, the STNR reflex will continue to cause trouble for the child as they grow older and enter the classroom. Many frustrating or even puzzling behaviors become noticeable to parents, teachers and the child’s peers. In addition, many learning areas can be impacted and may impact the child’s ability to learn at a higher level.

Is the STNR reflex is retained, you may begin to see a few of these signs in the classroom.

STNR and Attention and Focus

Poor concentration is one of the biggest problems parents and teachers notice if their child has a retained STNR reflex. The child may have trouble pressing their back against the chair because it will activate the reflex and could be painful. As a result, the child may do the following:

• Fidget or squirm in their chair
• Can’t find a comfortable sitting position so they lean forward over their desk or they will lie directly on top of the desk.
• Display ADHD-like symptoms

Even if the child has a specific diagnosis of ADHD or attention issue, they can still have a retained STNR reflex adding to their attention and focus trouble in the classroom.

STNR and Reading

If the child has a retained STNR reflex, they often struggle with reading skills. This may especially be a challenge if the child did not crawl on all fours as a baby or if they had difficulty coordinating their upper and lower body.

A retained STNR reflex can prevent the child from developing their visual perception and coordination. Reading across the page and tracking words is often difficult. Or, the child may have trouble adjusting their focus from near to far. This causes the child to experience difficulty with the following:

• Reading from left to right
• Tracking words across the page
• Reading books and what’s written on the chalkboard
• Copying notes from the chalkboard and getting them down on paper

STNR and Writing Development

As children enter school, they begin working on the mechanics of handwriting development. It’s not only important for kids to learn how to hold their pencil and write their letters, but to also use handwriting skills to establish the following:

• Impulse Control
• Short-term memory
• Muscle memory

All of these skills support and aid the child as they learn to write letters and words on the page.

If the STNR reflex is retained, the child will often have poor or sloppy handwriting. The reflex may cause the child to do the following when it comes to handwriting development:

• Write their letters and numbers backward
• Has poor pencil grip
• Can’t hold their paper and write at the same time
• Makes several errors when trying to copy notes
• Can’t get their thoughts down on paper

STNR and Mathematics

If a child has a retained STNR reflex, their math skills may be delayed. As math becomes more advanced, children are required to do math in columns and stack numbers. Columns and numbers are typically listed vertically on the page rather than horizontally. If retained, the reflex causes trouble with the following:

• Vertical tracking numbers in columns and reading graphs
• Judging heights and measurements
• Computing distances and speed of objects

STNR and Impulse Control

Research shows children with ADHD who were also tested for retained Primitive Reflexes are more likely to have a retained STNR reflex. Because the STNR reflex often causes trouble with postural control, the child finds it difficult to stay focused in the classroom.

When the STNR reflex is activated, the child will have trouble with the following:

• Fidgeting
• Forgets or doesn’t hear the tasks they need to be working on
• Is often out of their desk wandering around
• Has poor short-term memory and doesn’t know how to start their homework
• Bounces on their chair or sits on their knees while the teacher is talking

Kids who integrate the STNR reflex show improvements in attention and focus problems in the classroom.

Simple Test for a retained STNR Reflex

You don’t always have to test a child for a retained STNR reflex because you can see the signs and symptoms that help you know whether or not reflexes are retained. However, formal testing by an Occupational Therapist (OT), Pediatric Therapist or another professional should be administered to know exactly what reflexes are retained.

In the meantime, you can try one simple test to see if the child may have a retained Primitive Reflex. Before administering this test, remember to do the following:

• A mat or soft surface to move on
• Remove distractions from the room
• Sit in front of the child so you can help or assess what is happening

Step 1: Ask the child to get on the mat on all fours (tabletop position).

Ensure the child’s back is flat like a table before beginning the test. Sit in front of the child so you can assess their movement.

Step 2: Tell the child to lean their head backward and look at the ceiling while holding the position for 10 seconds.

If the child’s back dips at any time they are completing the exercise, this is a sign the STNR reflex is retained. For more concrete results, repeat the test 3 times.

Retained Primitive Reflexes Roadmap

To learn more about all the tests and exercises to integrate retained Primitive reflexes, including the STNR reflex, download our Retained Primitive Reflexes Roadmap below. Our roadmap can provide you with additional signs and symptoms you may find if one or more reflexes are retained. In addition, the roadmap will get you on the path toward integration with all the remaining testings and exercises for each reflex.

When completing the form, check your email inbox for the download file, including your junk or spam folder. If you have trouble with the download link, please email us at info@ilslearning.com.

References

Taylor, M., Houghton, S., & Chapman, E. (2004). Primitive reflexes and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Developmental origins of classroom dysfunction. International Journal of Special Education, 19(1), 23–37. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ852040

Bob, P., Konicarova, J., & Raboch, J. (2021). Disinhibition of primitive reflexes in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Gender-specific mechanisms. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, Article 741335. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355986731_Disinhibition_of_Primitive_Reflexes_in_Attention_Deficit_and_Hyperactivity_Disorder_Insight_Into_Specific_Mechanisms_in_Girls_and_Boys

Wang, M., Yu, J., Kim, H. D., & Cruz, A. B. (2023). Association between ADHD and primitive reflexes in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, Article 1163545. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1175974/full

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