Movement Activities to Support Integration of Retained Primitive Reflexes

This article provides helpful information about how movement activities can support integration of 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.

Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns that develop in infancy and help babies survive, move, and interact with the world. As the nervous system matures, these reflexes are expected to integrate, allowing more advanced motor skills, emotional regulation, coordination, and learning abilities to emerge.

When reflexes remain active beyond the typical developmental stage, they are often referred to as retained primitive reflexes. Reflexes that become retained can cause certain challenges for children who are developing. Retention can cause kids to focus all their mental energy to stay regulated, preventing them from freeing their mind for automated learning.

As a result, the child may experience delays with the following:

Posture for sitting at a desk
Balance for focused learning
Emotional regulation
Attention and impulse control
Handwriting and coordination
Sensory processing
Academic performance

Parents and therapists can play a powerful role in supporting reflex integration through intentional motor activities and movement experiences. While movement alone does not guarantee complete integration, consistent physical activities can strengthen neurological pathways and support the developing nervous system.

Understanding Reflex Integration

Reflex integration is not about “forcing” a reflex to disappear. Instead, it involves helping the nervous system mature through repetitive, organized movement patterns that mimic early developmental stages.

Many occupational therapists, physical therapists, developmental specialists, and neurodevelopmental practitioners use movement-based strategies to support children with many of the following retained reflexes:

Moro Reflex
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
Spinal Galant Reflex
Palmar Reflex
Babinski Reflex

Each reflex can influence different aspects of development, which is why individualized assessment is important.

Children with retained reflexes often struggle academically and developmentally. Academic challenges are usually the most impacted and create many setbacks for children. However, when motor skills are slow to develop because of retained reflexes, kids may appear:

Clumsy
Fidgety
Anxious
Overly sensitive
Immature in body and spatial awareness

Why Motor Activities are Important

To aid reflex integration, movement is one of the brain’s primary tools for organization and growth.

Repetitive motor activities help with the following:

Build body awareness
Improve bilateral coordination
Strengthen core muscles
Support balance and vestibular processing
Enhance motor planning
Improve sensory integration
Increase emotional regulation
Develop postural control

Many children naturally seek movement because their nervous systems are trying to organize themselves. Structured motor activities can provide the input the brain needs for more efficient functioning.

Motor Activities that Can Support Reflex Integration

While specific and targeted exercises are needed for integration, there are additional motor activities that can aid and assist with integration.

Many of the following activities are recommended by therapists and movement professionals to not only help integration, but to also rebuild neural connections in the brain for “healing” and learning. To support the foundational elements of the nervous system and reflex integration, parents and therapists can use these activities to begin the integration process. However, it is important to seek professional help when using interventions to fully integrate the reflexes or you can check out the Integrate with Success program here.

Activities Aiding in Integration

The activities below can help children who have retained primitive reflexes and may aid in integration.

Crawling

Cross-pattern crawling even in older children helps develop bilateral coordination and supports integration of the ATNR and STNR reflexes.

Bear Walks

Weight-bearing through the arms and legs strengthens shoulder stability and core control. In addition, it provides the body with more proprioceptive input needed for sensory stimuli that supports the Motor, Spinal Galant, STNR, and TLR reflexes.

Crab Walks

Encourages coordination, postural strength, and vestibular input.

Log Rolls

Rolling activities stimulate vestibular processing and body awareness.

Superman Holds

Prone extension exercises help strengthen extensor muscles and support postural development that is especially important for the TLR reflex.

Wheelbarrow Walks

Heavy work through the upper body improves shoulder stability and coordination.

Animal Walks

Frog jumps, inchworms, bunny hops, and duck walks provide varied sensory-motor experiences great for multiple retained reflexes.

Cross-Crawl Marches

Alternating opposite arm and leg movements support hemispheric integration. Any and all movements that create opportunities for a child to cross the midline of the body are critical for integration of the ATNR reflex.

Swinging

Linear and rotary swinging stimulate the vestibular system.

Trampoline Jumping

Rhythmic jumping provides proprioceptive and vestibular input.

Balance Beam Activities

Improves equilibrium, postural control, and motor planning. All activities that require the child to develop their balance system are important for the TLR and STNR reflexes.

Yoga for Children

Yoga positions encourage body awareness, strength, and regulation.

Rocking in Prone Position

Gentle rocking can help organize the vestibular system and supports retained reflexes that may create dizziness and vertigo.

Climbing Activities

Monkey bars, climbing walls, and playground climbing strengthen coordination and motor planning. Rock climbing gyms are another great option and support integration of the ATNR reflex.

Skipping

Develops rhythm, timing, and bilateral coordination.

Hopscotch

Encourages sequencing, balance, and motor control.

Obstacle Courses

Combines multiple movement patterns into organized motor planning experiences.

Scooter Board Activities

Promote core strength and upper-body coordination.

Deep Pressure and Heavy Work

Pushing, pulling, carrying weighted objects, and resistance activities support regulation.

Balloon Volleyball

Improves visual tracking, timing, and coordination.

Catching and Throwing Games

Supports hand-eye coordination and visual-motor integration.

Rhythmic Clapping Games

Enhance timing, sequencing, and auditory-motor coordination.

Marching to Music

Combines rhythm with coordinated movement patterns.

Swimming

Provides whole-body resistance and sensory regulation.

Bicycle Riding

Supports balance, coordination, and reciprocal movement patterns.

Importance of Targeted Reflex Exercises

Although general movement activities are extremely beneficial, they may not fully integrate retained reflexes on their own.

Specific reflex integration exercises are often needed because each primitive reflex has distinct movement patterns tied to neurological development. These targeted exercises are designed to replicate the developmental sequence the brain may have missed or not fully completed.

Some examples of why reflex integration exercises are important are as follows:

An integrated Moro Reflex may require carefully graded vestibular and extension-flexion exercises.
ATNR integration often includes slow cross-lateral movements and head-turning patterns.
STNR work may involve crawling patterns and coordinated neck movements.

To ensure successful integration of retained reflexes, parents and therapists need to ensure the following when participating in targeted exercises:

Must be completed consistently over time
Must match the child’s specific retained reflex profile
Must be guided by trained professionals
Must be combined with sensory, emotional, and motor support strategies
Must be integrated in a specific order

Signs a Child May Benefit from Reflex Integration Exercises

If you suspect a child may have one or more retained Primitive Reflexes, a specific series of tests should be administered to determine which reflexes and to what extent they are retained. However, parents can look for certain signs and symptoms to know reflexes are retained without testings.

Multiple reflexes may be retained if the child struggles with the following:

Difficulty sitting still
Poor handwriting
Motion sensitivity
Toe walking
W-sitting
Clumsiness
Emotional dysregulation
Poor balance
Challenges with reading or tracking
Difficulty crossing midline
Weak core strength
Delayed coordination skills

These signs do not automatically indicate retained reflexes, but they may suggest further evaluation could be helpful.

How Parents can Help at Home

Parents do not need to create a rigid therapy environment. Reflex-supportive movement can be naturally incorporated into everyday routines. Remember, even if your child is working with an Occupational Therapist or reflex integration therapist, they still need your help at home to support their therapy sessions.

Ways to help kids at home with integration may include the following:

Encouraging outdoor play
Limiting excessive screen time
Providing opportunities for climbing and crawling
Creating obstacle courses indoors
Using movement breaks during homework
Playing rhythm and coordination games
Incorporating calming sensory activities before bedtime

Consistency is more important than intensity. Small amounts of intentional movement every day can create meaningful changes over time.

Role of Therapists

Occupational therapists, physical therapists, developmental movement specialists, and neurodevelopmental practitioners can assess reflex patterns and create individualized intervention plans.

When looking for a professional that can help with integration, parents can find therapists who focus primarily on the following:

Identifying retained reflexes
Determining how reflexes affect daily function
Teaching specific integration exercises
Monitoring progress
Adjusting activities based on the child’s nervous system needs

A personalized approach is essential because no two children have the exact same developmental profile.

Movement is one of the most powerful tools for supporting neurological development. Through purposeful motor activities, children can improve coordination, regulation, balance, confidence, and functional skills.

At the same time, it is important to recognize that reflex integration is a specialized process. General movement activities provide an important foundation, but targeted reflex integration exercises are often necessary for complete integration and long-term neurological organization.

With patience, consistency, and the right support, parents and therapists can help children build stronger foundations for the following:

Learning
Movement
Emotional regulation
Everyday success

Retained Primitive Reflexes Workshop

If you are looking for help to integrate retained Primitive Reflexes along with testings activities to determine retention, register for our free 90-minute workshop for basic information on the signs and symptoms. In addition, the workshop will provide you with more details on the Integrate with Success program and how you can enroll. To register for a date and time that works best for you, click here.

Reference Materials

Pecuch, A., Gieysztor, E., Wolańska, E., Telenga, M., & Paprocka-Borowicz, M. (2021). Primitive reflex activity in relation to motor skills in healthy preschool children. Brain Sciences, 11(8), 967. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11080967

León-Bravo, G. L., Cabello-Jurado, C., Peña-Toledo, M. Á., & Cantarero-Carmona, I. (2026). Short-term effects of craniosacral therapy and rhythmic movement training on developmental assessment scores and primitive reflex expression in typically developing children: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1771040

Kolar, P. (2014). Developmental kinesiology: Three levels of motor control in the assessment and treatment of the motor system. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 18(1), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.04.002

Melillo, R., Leisman, G., Machado, C., Machado-Ferrer, Y., Chinchilla-Acosta, M., Kamgang, S., Melillo, T., & Carmeli, E. (2022). Retained primitive reflexes and potential for intervention in autistic spectrum disorders. Frontiers in Neurology, 13, 922322. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.922322

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