How Working Memory and Task Completion Can be Delayed by Retained Primitive Reflexes

This article provides helpful information about how working memory and task completion can be delayed by retained Primitive Reflexes. 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.

Retained Primitive Reflexes can impact a child in a number of ways. You may not realize it, but when a child has one or more retained reflexes, it can impact their memory and ability to follow-through with tasks.

Some kids with retained reflexes may seem like they understand what they need to do, and then completely forget after being told. While this can be a processing issue, there may also be a correlation to retained reflexes.

How Retained Reflexes Impact Memory

A child who struggles to process information through their auditory or visual system typically has trouble following multi-step directions as they grow older. Retained primitive reflexes may be a contributing factor.

For example, if you give the child simple three-step directions, such as, “Put your shoes away, grab your backpack, and bring your homework to the table,” they may complete one step or become distracted and forget one or all the other steps.

Children with retained reflexes sometimes struggle with long-term and short-term memory, which prevents them from recalling information later. You may see this in children who study for tests and seem ready, but can’t recall the information later when the test is given. They may know how to do something when you sit beside them, but seem unable to remember the steps independently.

When kids have one or more retained primitive reflexes you may notice them doing the following:

• Loses belongings
• Forgets routines
• Leaves tasks unfinished
• Needs constant reminders

When you see many of these signs in a child with retained reflexes, there is a possible connection with their working memory.

Types of Memory

The words short-term memory, working memory, and long-term memory are often used interchangeably, but they describe different aspects of remembering.

Short-term memory

Short-term memory involves temporarily holding information for a relatively brief period.

For example, a child may hear a phone number and hold it in mind long enough to write it down.

Working memory

Working memory goes a step further. The child doesn’t just hold information, they work with it.

An example is when a child can follow a process. If the child is asked to start on page 25, they should also be able to complete the odd-numbered problems, skip number 7, and show their work.

The child must retain the information while applying it. This is why working memory is so important for classroom learning and task completion. It is constantly being used to connect information, instructions, actions, and goals.

When a child is asked to complete a task or a series of tasks, they should be able to do the following:

• Hear and understand the instruction.
• Hold the information in their mind.
• Remember the sequence.
• Stay focused on the task.
• Follow-through with the steps.
• Remember what comes next.
• Monitor whether the task is actually finished.
• Transition to the next activity.

That is a significant amount of information for a developing brain to manage. As the child progresses in their learning and development, their working memory should become better and adapted to their learning environment.

Even though working memory is limited, it does allow us to hold information and process it so we can recall it later.

Working memory helps children with the following everyday tasks:

• Remember multi-step instructions.
• Keep track of what they are doing.
• Remember where they are in a sequence.
• Follow classroom directions.
• Hold a question in mind while listening to an answer.
• Remember what they just read.
• Keep numbers in mind while solving a math problem.
• Remember spelling rules while writing.
• Follow a morning or bedtime routine.
• Remember what they need to bring to school.
• Complete assignments without constant reminders.
• Shift from one step of a task to the next.
• Resist distractions long enough to finish something.

A child who repeatedly forgets instructions isn’t necessarily being careless, lazy, defiant, or unmotivated. Their difficulty may be that the information is not staying accessible long enough for them to successfully act on it.

Long-term memory

Long-term memory is where information can be retained over much longer periods. Learning generally requires information to be successfully retained and retrieved over days or years.

Therefore, when a child appears to have poor long-term memory, the difficulty may not necessarily be with long-term storage itself. The information may never have been effectively processed because the child was distracted, overwhelmed, or unable to hold the information in their working memory.

Retained Reflexes and Working Memory

Primitive reflexes are closely connected to early neurological and motor development. When reflexes are retained, the nervous system works overtime to regulate the body and calm the brain, which leaves little room for it to focus on higher-level tasks. Sometimes it creates a “traffic jam” in the brain and prevents the child from learning things automatically like sustained attention, working memory, planning, and task completion.

Some of the reflexes that may play a role in impacting a child’s working memory if retained are as follows:

Moro Reflex

A child with a persistent Moro reflex may appear unusually reactive to unexpected sounds, movement, touch, or environmental changes.

From a learning perspective, a retained Moro reflex can prevent a child from filtering or regulating background input. This makes it harder to remain focused on information long enough to retain it.

When the Moro reflex is retained, a child may struggle with working memory in the following ways:

• Difficulty settling into a task.
• Sensitivity to unexpected sensory input.
• Difficulty maintaining attention.
• Becoming overwhelmed in busy environments.
• Losing track of instructions after a distraction.
• Difficulty transitioning between activities.

If attention is repeatedly interrupted, information may never be adequately processed in the first place. In that situation, what looks like a “memory problem” may partly be an attention and processing problem.

ATNR Reflex

The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) is associated with early development of reaching, visual-motor coordination, and movement.

When the ATNR reflex is retained, it can impact a child’s working memory and school readiness. Kids with a retained ATNR reflex often have trouble with fine motor skills, impulse control, hyperactivity, and distraction.

Working memory is often delayed because the child is so focused on other foundational tasks and movements, the brain is not free to hold and retain information. In addition, when the right and left sides of the brain aren’t working together due to a retained reflex, information tends to leave the child as soon as it enters their memory.

A retained ATNR reflex causes difficulty for the child to the following:

• Cross the body’s midline.
• Problems with handwriting.
• Difficulty coordinating both sides of the body.
• Visual tracking challenges.
• Difficulty copying from a board.
• Losing one’s place while reading or writing.
• Increased effort during written work.
• Difficulty maintaining attention during visually demanding tasks.

These demands can indirectly affect working memory because the child may have to devote considerable attention to the physical mechanics of the task.

STNR Reflex

The Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) plays an important role in the transition from early movement patterns toward more mature postural control. Like the ATNR reflex, a retained STNR reflex can cause problems for working memory and task completion. The body and the brain are typically so focused on coordinating movements and stabilizing the body, the child is normally distracted and not retaining information given in the classroom.

Children with a retained STNR reflex have a hard time maintaining attention and focus long enough for information to “stick” in their memory and follow through with steps or tasks. This may be one of the reasons a child appears to be listening, but won’t know how to complete assignments when on their own.

A retained STNR reflex can also make it difficult for kids to change their focus from ear to far. As a result, the child makes mistakes when writing down steps, tasks, or copying instructions from the teacher.

When the STNR reflex remains active, some children may experience difficulties with the following:

• Sitting posture.
• Sustaining a seated position.
• Coordinating upper and lower body movements.
• Handwriting endurance.
• Attention during desk work.
• Maintaining an efficient position for reading and writing.

A child who is constantly adjusting their posture or struggling physically to remain at a desk may have less mental energy available for retaining instructions and completing academic work. The child may ask how to complete the task multiple times before they are able to do it on their own.

TLR Reflex

The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) reflex is associated with early development of muscle tone, balance, and postural control. When these areas of development are not fully developed, and the reflex is retained, the child will experience ADHD-like behaviors and be constantly distracted. Like it’s counterparts, the TLR reflex creates barriers for the child to use their memory skills in the classroom or at home.

A child who has difficulty maintaining posture or organizing their body in space may have to devote additional attention to physical regulation while simultaneously trying to listen, remember, read, write, or solve a problem.

Children with a retained TLR reflex also have challenges with judging direction, distance, and spatial orientation. This can become a problem for working memory when kids have to copy instructions or follow talks written on the chalkboard or their paper. A retained TLR can also cause problems with visual alignment, which makes it difficult for them to know how to complete problems with math columns, number combinations, and sequencing.  

In addition, kids with a retained TLR tend to struggle with auditory processing, which makes it hard for them to learn new material and follow multiple instructions. The child may experience auditory “overload” that leads to their brain blocking out important information.

Spinal Galant Reflex

The Spinal Galant Reflex is an early reflex involving movement of the trunk in response to stimulation along the side of the spine.

A child with an active Spinal Galant reflex may do the following:

• Constantly moves in their chair.
• Shifts position.
• Has difficulty sitting still.
• Is distracted by clothing or contact against their back.
• Frequently gets up during work.
• Struggles to maintain attention during seated tasks.

Kids with a retained Spinal Galant reflex experience challenges with focus, concentration, and school performance in general. The child typically has trouble concentrating on classroom lessons and struggles to comprehend verbal instructions and written material. A retained Spinal Galant leads to delayed cognition, poor short-term memory, and mental fatigue.

Bauer Crawling Reflex

Because crawling is a crucial part of development, babies who missed or skipped this milestone may struggle with a retained Bauer Crawling reflex. The act of crawling contributes to the development of both hemispheres of the brain and supports the ability to store and retrieve information as required for working memory.

Landau Reflex

Children with a retained Landau Reflex struggle with inability to concentrate or process new information. As a result, the student displays poor organizational skills and is known for being late to appointments or to break commitments.

Retained Primitive Reflexes Roadmap

For more information on the signs and symptoms of six retained Primitive reflexes, complete the form below to download a free copy of our Retained Primitive Reflexes Roadmap. When you’ve completed the form, check your email inbox for the download link, including your junk and spam folder. If you do not see the download link come to your email inbox, please email us at info@ilslearning.com.

Reference Materials

Feldhacker, D. R., Cosgrove, R., Feiten, B., Schmidt, K., & Stewart, M. (2022). The correlation between retained primitive reflexes and scholastic performance among early elementary students. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 15(3), 288–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2021.1959482

Gieysztor, E. Z., Choińska, A. M., & Paprocka-Borowicz, M. (2018). Persistence of primitive reflexes and associated motor problems in healthy preschool children. Archives of Medical Science, 14(1), 167–173. https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms.2016.60503

Leisman, G., Melillo, R., Machado-Ferrer, Y., Chinchilla-Acosta, M., Machado, C., Melillo, T., & Carmeli, E. (2026). Associations between retained primitive reflexes and cognitive performance in autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism, 129, 202744. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2025.202744

Grigg, T. M., Fox-Turnbull, W., & Culpan, I. (2018). Retained primitive reflexes: Perceptions of parents who have used rhythmic movement training with their children. Journal of Child Health Care, 22(3), 406–418. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367493518760736

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