Retained Primitive Reflexes Creating Attention and Focus Problems

This article provides helpful information about how retained reflexes impact attention and focus issues at home and in the classroom. Affiliate links are included for your convenience. 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.

Helping a child to attend and focus in the classroom is one of the biggest concerns we hear about from parents. More kids are struggling to stay seated at their desk and follow directions.

When a child fidgets or struggles to attend, most people automatically assume it’s an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, some children who display ADHD-like behaviors can be misdiagnosed if they have one or more retained Primitive Reflexes. Multiple retained Primitive Reflexes can be tied to ADHD-like symptoms that impact a child’s learning in the classroom.

If a child experience attention and focus trouble at home or in the classroom, it could be a result of the following:

• Neurological Disorder
• Developmental and foundational delays
• Behavioral immaturity or emotional grounding setbacks
• Retained Primitive Reflexes

What does Attention and Focus look like?

Attention is a child’s ability to direct and maintain mental and physical focus on one task while tuning out unimportant environmental stimuli. It requires a child to stay still for long periods of time and to respond if needed.

As the child grows older, they will fully develop 5 Areas of Attention needed for responding to information within their environment.

Issues with attention and focus could impact several of the following areas of development:

• Visual attention
• Behavioral attention
• Social attention
• Auditory attention
• Executive function

A child who has built mature neural connections in the brain is able to demonstrate sustained attention when working on tasks or following directions.

Signs and Symptoms of Attention and Focus Trouble

Attention Deficit Disorders involve many layers of the brain’s hierarchy. The cortex may not have the ability to focus and maintain attention to tasks that support higher learning. As a result, the supporting systems of the brain may be weakened as they try to control the following:

• Spatial Organization
• Sensory Integration
• Auditory Processing

With this comes many signs and symptoms as a child struggles to maintain focused attention on certain tasks or instructions given at home or in the classroom. Some of the most common include the following:

Signs of Attention Issues

If a child struggles with attention and focus, you may see some of the following signs:

• Fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork
• Has trouble sustaining attention with tasks or play activities
• Does not appear to be listening when spoken to directly
• Doesn’t follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork or chores
• Has underdeveloped Executive Function skills (organizing tasks and activities)
• Avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort
• Loses things necessary for tasks or activities
• Easily distracted by environmental stimuli
• Forgetful in daily activities
• Excessive daydreaming
• Confusion
• Memory problems

Symptoms of Attention Issues

As a result of the signs you may see above if a child experiences attention or focus trouble, the following symptoms may also occur:

• Often fidgets with hands or feet
• Squirms in their seat
• Leaves their seat frequently in class or in other situations when inappropriate
• Runs around when supposed to be seated
• Climbs excessively in situations where it is not socially acceptable
• Has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
• “On the go” behavior or acts as if “driven by a motor”

Areas of Attention and Focus Delays

Attention and focus delays look different in each child. Some may come in the form of hyperactivity, while others come in the form of daydreaming. No matter how your child or students struggle with attention and focus, there are 3 Types of Attention Behaviors that are most common.

As children grow and develop, their attention and focus should continue to mature. However, when breakdowns happen, the following areas may be impacted:

Visual System

If visual perception is disrupted neurologically, the child will struggle to separate foreground from background when looking at a page for reading and writing. They may also struggle to selectively direct their attention from one place to another. For example, a child may not be able to get the notes from the chalkboard to their paper as they become disoriented by the movement of their visual perception. A child with visual system delays is often short on sustained attention and short-term memory.

Balance System

Sitting still and paying attention require postural control, balance and good orientation. Attention, Balance and Coordination are the first ABCs for developmental readiness. If a child has poor balance, you will often find an attention and focus correlation. Many kids who can’t control their body movements or posture, display ADHD-like symptoms.

Auditory System

If a child struggles to receive information through their auditory system, they may not have good attention and focus. When giving instructions, the child may often ask “huh?” or “what?” and can’t follow through with the task. A child’s hearing may be perfect, but if they can’t process the information they hear through their auditory system, the child may frequently miss information and can get distracted when working on specific projects or homework.

Retained Primitive Reflexes and Attention and Focus

Children with retained Primitive Reflexes often display ADHD-like symptoms. Many learning challenges are often misdiagnosed because kids are not checked for retained reflexes. However, retained reflexes are often a likely culprit in kids with attention and focus trouble, which can impact the child’s learning and behavioral development.

Reflexes most commonly retained when it comes to attention and focus issues are as follows:

Spinal Galant Reflex

A child with a retained Spinal Galant reflex my exhibit fidgeting and squirming or “ants in the pants.” This could be caused by hypersensitivity to tactile stimulation. If the child is sensitive to tactile information within their environment, they may struggle with the following:

• Tight clothing
• Textures of clothes or labels
• Belts or elastic bands around the waist

The child may also struggle to sit with their back against the chair because it will “trigger” the reflex response. Hypersensitivities to tactile stimulation may cause a ticklish or squirming reaction.

If a teacher or parent requests the child to “sit still” or “sit quietly,” the child may manage their discomfort in some of the following ways:

• Noise-making
• Grunting
• Humming
• Hooting
• Blowing

A child with a retained Spinal Galant reflex will struggle with performance in the classroom. During classroom lessons, the child has a hard time comprehending both verbal and written instructions. In addition, kids may also experience issues with the following:

• Delayed cognition
• Fidgeting
• Poor short-term memory
• Mental fatigue

STNR Reflex

If a child has a retained Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR), they will have problems with coordination, attention and concentration. In fact, research shows a high percentage of children diagnosed with ADHD sill have an active STNR reflex present.

A retained STNR reflex may cause a child to wander around the classroom. It also impacts their impulse control, which leads to more attention and focus trouble when forced to stay seated.

When reflex integration exercises and motor programs are implemented, many ADHD symptoms begin to calm, which rewires the brain for more focused learning. As the STNR reflex begins to integrate, the child will experience the following:

• Improved focus
• Better impulse control
• Enhanced short-term memory

ATNR Reflex

When a child has a retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), they may experience additional attention and focus issues in the classroom. The ATNR reflex is often triggered by head movements, which can impact the visual system. As mentioned above, a child’s visual perception when reading and writing is often delayed when the ATNR reflex is retained.

Because the ATNR causes problems with crossing the midline, the child has a hard time tracking words across the page from left to right and is often distracted when trying to read or write.

Tasks that require coordination across the body when the ATNR is present often cause the child to experience the following:

• Mental fatigue
• Slumping, leaning or fidgeting in their seat
• Trouble adjusting head and body movements
• Easily distracted
• Immature emotions
• Short attention span

TLR Reflex

Children with a retained Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) are often misdiagnosed because of their behavioral or attention and focus issues.

A child with a retained TLR reflex often struggles with balance and coordination. Because the balance system works closely with the prefrontal cortex where attention and focus is primarily developed, the child’s ability to stay in control of the body can be difficult if the TLR reflex is retained.

Kids with a retained TLR reflex may struggle in the following areas:

• Weak core strength
• Poor balance
• Difficulty sitting upright
• Frequent fidgeting
• Trouble filtering out background noise
• Distracted by visual movement in the classroom
• Lack of patience
• Inattentive of Defiant

Retained Primitive Reflexes Roadmap

To learn more about six retained Primitive Reflexes and the signs and symptoms that come with each, download our retained Primitive Reflexes Roadmap below. Complete the form and confirm your newsletter subscription (it’s free) in your email inbox to receive your packet. If you do not see your download come to your junk or spam folder, please email us at info@ilslearing.com so we can assist.

References

Wang, M., Yu, J., Kim, H.‑D., & Cruz, A. B. (2023). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is associated with (a)symmetric tonic neck primitive reflexes: A systematic review and meta‑analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, Article 1175974. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1175974

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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