Quick Answer: Retained primitive reflexes are involuntary movement patterns from infancy that should integrate by ages 6–12 months but instead persist into childhood, interfering with motor development, sensory processing, attention, learning, and emotional regulation. Common signs include poor balance, W-sitting, bedwetting past age 5, difficulty with reading or writing, sensory sensitivities, ADHD-like behaviors, and emotional dysregulation. Retained reflexes are commonly identified and treated through targeted neurological therapy. In Minnesota, primitive reflex assessment and remediation is offered as part of the pediatric neurointensive program at North Lakes Chiropractic and Functional Neurology in Grand Rapids, led by Dr. Kolby Condos, DC, DACNB.
What Are Primitive Reflexes?
Primitive reflexes are automatic, involuntary movement patterns that babies are born with. They’re controlled by the brainstem and exist to help infants survive and develop during the first months of life — they help a baby turn toward a breast to feed, grasp a finger, startle to loud sounds, and develop the foundational movement patterns that lead to crawling, sitting, and walking.
As the brain matures, these reflexes are supposed to integrate, meaning higher brain centers take over and the reflexes go dormant. This typically happens between 6 and 12 months of age, though some reflexes integrate later. When integration happens on schedule, the child’s nervous system has a solid foundation for posture, coordination, attention, sensory processing, and learning.
When integration doesn’t happen, the reflex is described as “retained.”
What Does It Mean When a Primitive Reflex Is Retained?
A retained primitive reflex means that an involuntary movement pattern that should have switched off in infancy is still active in the child’s nervous system. The child’s brain is still partially being driven by lower brainstem reflexes instead of higher-level voluntary control.
The result is that the nervous system spends energy compensating for a primitive pattern that shouldn’t be there anymore. That energy is no longer available for the things parents and teachers expect from the child — sitting still, holding a pencil correctly, focusing on a task, regulating emotions, or processing sensory input without becoming overwhelmed.
Retained reflexes are an underlying neurological issue that can mimic, contribute to, or coexist with ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, learning disabilities, and developmental delays. This is why a child can go through years of occupational therapy, speech therapy, or behavioral intervention without making the expected progress — the underlying reflex pattern was never identified or addressed.
Common Retained Primitive Reflexes and Their Signs
Several primitive reflexes are commonly retained in children. Each one is associated with a different cluster of symptoms.
Moro Reflex (the startle reflex). Should integrate by 4 months. When retained, it keeps the child’s nervous system in a heightened fight-or-flight state. Signs include sensory sensitivities (sound, light, touch), poor emotional regulation, anxiety, motion sickness, hypersensitivity to criticism, and difficulty adapting to change.
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR). Should integrate by 6 months. When retained, it interferes with crossing the body’s midline — which is foundational for reading, writing, and coordination. Signs include poor handwriting, difficulty tracking words across a page, mixed dominance (no clear left or right hand preference past age 8), and trouble with bilateral activities like skipping or jumping jacks.
Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR). Should integrate by 9–11 months. When retained, it disrupts the ability to coordinate upper and lower body. Signs include W-sitting, slouching at a desk, poor posture, difficulty sitting still, and trouble with activities like swimming or coordinated sports.
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR). Should integrate by 3.5 years. When retained, it affects balance, posture, and spatial awareness. Signs include toe-walking, poor balance, motion sickness, poor sense of direction, and difficulty with sequencing tasks.
Spinal Galant Reflex. Should integrate by 9 months. When retained, it causes hypersensitivity along the lower back. Signs include bedwetting past age 5, difficulty sitting still, fidgeting, hip rotation when walking, and inability to tolerate certain clothing waistbands.
Palmar Reflex. Should integrate by 6 months. When retained, it interferes with fine motor control. Signs include poor pencil grip, messy handwriting, difficulty with fine motor tasks, and sometimes speech issues because the hands and mouth are neurologically linked.
Rooting and Sucking Reflexes. Should integrate by 4 months. When retained, signs include drooling past toddlerhood, picky eating, speech articulation issues, thumb-sucking past typical age, and poor lip closure.
What Symptoms Suggest a Child May Have Retained Primitive Reflexes?
Parents in Minnesota often start looking into retained reflexes when their child shows a pattern of symptoms that doesn’t fully fit any single diagnosis or hasn’t responded to standard therapy. Common patterns include:
- ADHD-like behaviors that don’t respond well to medication or behavioral strategies
- Sensory sensitivities (clothing tags, loud noises, food textures, light)
- Bedwetting past age 5
- Poor handwriting and pencil grip despite occupational therapy
- W-sitting and persistent poor posture
- Toe-walking past age 3
- Difficulty learning to read or reversing letters past typical age
- Frequent meltdowns or emotional dysregulation
- Coordination challenges, clumsiness, or “always tripping”
- Motion sickness
- Anxiety, especially in new environments
- Speech delays or articulation difficulties
- Difficulty sitting still in school
- Picky eating with strong texture aversions
A child doesn’t need to have all of these — even a cluster of three or four warrants assessment.
How Are Retained Primitive Reflexes Tested?
Retained primitive reflexes are identified through a clinical neurological exam, not blood work or imaging. A trained provider — typically a chiropractic neurologist (DACNB), occupational therapist trained in reflex integration, or developmental optometrist — guides the child through specific physical positions and movements that reveal whether the reflex is still active.
For example, the ATNR is tested by having the child get on hands and knees and slowly turn their head side to side. If the arm bends or the back arches in response to head rotation, the reflex is still active.
At North Lakes Chiropractic and Functional Neurology in Grand Rapids, primitive reflex assessment is part of the comprehensive neurological evaluation Dr. Kolby Condos, DC, DACNB, performs on every child entering the neurointensive program. The assessment also covers vestibular function, visual processing, motor skills, and brain function — because retained reflexes rarely exist in isolation.
How Are Retained Primitive Reflexes Treated?
Retained reflexes are integrated through specific, repeated movement patterns that retrain the nervous system. The goal is to give the brain the developmental “input” it missed in infancy so the higher brain centers can take over control.
Effective integration typically requires:
- Targeted reflex integration exercises done consistently
- Vestibular therapy to strengthen balance and spatial processing
- Proprioceptive work to improve body awareness
- Visual therapy when ocular motor patterns are involved
- Consistent repetition — the nervous system needs daily input to rewire
This is exactly why the neurointensive format works well for reflex integration. In a 1–2 week program with 1–2 hours of daily focused work, the nervous system gets concentrated, repeated input — far more than a child typically receives in weekly therapy sessions. Many families notice changes during the program itself, with continued integration in the weeks following.
At North Lakes Chiropractic, reflex integration is combined with laser therapy, vestibular therapy, vision therapy, proprioceptive work, peripheral nerve stimulation, and gentle chiropractic adjustments — all built into one personalized program based on the child’s specific assessment findings.
Why Do Retained Reflexes Get Missed in Standard Care?
Most pediatricians, schools, and even some therapists don’t routinely assess primitive reflexes. The assessment isn’t part of standard well-child visits or most school evaluations. As a result, a child can be diagnosed with ADHD, sensory processing disorder, or a learning disability — and treated for years — without anyone identifying that retained primitive reflexes are part of the underlying picture.
This is one of the most common patterns Dr. Condos sees with families entering the neurointensive program: a child who has been through occupational therapy, speech therapy, behavioral therapy, and sometimes medication, with limited progress. The comprehensive neurological assessment reveals retained reflexes that were never identified, and once those are addressed, other therapies often start producing the progress they should have produced years earlier.
Is It Too Late to Address Retained Reflexes in Older Children?
No. While younger nervous systems are generally more adaptable, retained primitive reflexes can be integrated at any age — including in teenagers and adults. The work may take longer in older children, but the brain retains the capacity to integrate these patterns throughout life.
Dr. Condos works with children of all ages in the neurointensive program, including older children and teenagers whose reflexes were never identified in early childhood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are retained primitive reflexes the same thing as ADHD or autism? No. Retained reflexes are an underlying neurological issue that can mimic or contribute to ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, and learning disabilities. A child can have ADHD without retained reflexes, retained reflexes without ADHD, or both. The assessment is what determines what’s actually present.
Can retained reflexes cause bedwetting? Yes. A retained Spinal Galant reflex is one of the most common neurological contributors to bedwetting past age 5. Integration of the reflex often resolves the issue when other approaches haven’t worked.
Does my child need a diagnosis to be assessed for retained reflexes? No. Many families bring their child in without any formal diagnosis — they just know something is off and want a comprehensive neurological assessment to understand why.
How long does it take to integrate retained reflexes? It varies. Some reflexes integrate within a 1–2 week neurointensive program with continued home exercises. Others take several months of consistent work. The assessment helps set realistic expectations.
Is reflex integration safe? Yes. The exercises are physical movement patterns — non-invasive, non-medication, and gentle. They’re appropriate for children of all ages.
Where can I get my child assessed for retained primitive reflexes in Minnesota? Comprehensive primitive reflex assessment is part of the neurointensive program at North Lakes Chiropractic and Functional Neurology in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, led by Dr. Kolby Condos, DC, DACNB. Call (218) 999-7006 to schedule.
Do families travel for this assessment? Yes. Families travel from the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester, and across Minnesota for the assessment and neurointensive program because dedicated pediatric neurological care of this kind isn’t widely available in the state.
Take the Next Step
If your child is showing signs of retained primitive reflexes — or if you’ve been through other therapies without the progress you expected — a comprehensive neurological assessment is the first step toward understanding what’s actually going on.
Call North Lakes Chiropractic and Functional Neurology at (218) 999-7006 or email info@northlakeschiropractic.com to schedule.
Address: 13 Willow Lane, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
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