Primitive Reflexes and Integration Techniques

Primitive reflexes that persist beyond the typical developmental period.
Normally, these reflexes integrate into more complex voluntary movements as the central nervous system matures.
Integration involves stimulating the nervous system to encourage the development of higher-level motor skills.

Start: Birth to 4-6 months
Stimulation: Sudden change in position or loud noise.
Response: Infant extends arms and legs and then pulls them back toward the body.
Signs of Retention: Impulsive behavior, difficulty focusing, poor coordination, poor vestibular tolerance, anxiety, sleep disturbances.

Frequency: 10x per side, 1-2 times per day
Description:
- Start in a starfish position (open arms and legs).
- Move slowly, counting to 5 between positions.
- Cross the right arm and right leg over the left.
- Return to the starfish position.
- Emphasize neck extension in the starfish position and flexion when crossing over.
- Cross the left arm and left leg over the right.

Start: Birth to 3 months
Stimulation: Stroking the infant's cheek.
Response: Infant turns their head toward the stimulus and opens their mouth.
Signs of Retention: Interferes with oral exploration and head control, thumb sucking, oral hypersensitivity, poor eating, speech and articulation problems.

Start: Birth to 2-5 months
Stimulation: Light touch to the oral cavity or food/liquid in the oral cavity.
Response: Child closes their mouth and begins the suck/swallow pattern.
Lack of Coordination: May lead to aspiration, oxygen desaturation, apnea, or bradycardia.

Start: Birth to 4-6 months
Stimulation: Pressure on the ulnar surface of the palm.
Response: Child flexes their fingers.
Interference: Affects the development of more sophisticated hand movements.
Signs of Retention: Poor manual dexterity, pencil grip issues, poor visual coordination, poor writing skills, dysfunction of the tactile and proprioceptive sensory systems.

Materials: Resistance ball, Play-Doh, or resistive putty.
Sequence:
1. Squeeze with all fingers.
2. Index finger to thumb.
3. Middle finger to thumb.
4. Ring finger to thumb.
5. Pinky to thumb.
6. Repeat in backwards order.
HEP: Repeat the full sequence 10 times, 1-2x per day.

Start: Birth to 4-9 months
Stimulation: Firm pressure on the ball of the foot (stroking the ball of the foot).
Response: Toe flexion.
Signs of Retention: Difficulties with donning shoes/socks, poor balance, motor delay in crawling or walking, poor weight distribution, poor quality of gait, skipping, jumping, climbing.

Start: Birth to 1-2 months
Stimulation: Sole of the infant's foot comes in contact with a firm surface.
Response: Infant extends their legs and bears weight on their feet.
Importance: Crucial for core and gross motor coordination.

Start: Birth to 4-6 months
Stimulation: Turning head from midline to one side.
Response: Arm and leg extend on the side the child is facing, and flex on the opposite side.
Assistance: Aids movement through the birth canal and is important for cross-pattern movements.
Signs of Retention: Difficulty crossing midline and bilateral coordination, decreased hand-eye coordination, poor handwriting, poor visual-motor skills and tracking, problems with math and reading.

Instructions:
- Child stands with arms straight out, palms down.
- Turn head to one side and run in place, bringing knees high for 10 seconds, then head to the left for 10 seconds in a continuous motion.
- Complete 3 times on each side.
- Support at the elbows if necessary to prevent bending.

Start: Birth to 2-4 months
Stimulation: Place child in prone, stroke along one side of the spine.
Response: They will curve their body toward that side.
Testing: Tested in newborns to assist with ruling out brain damage.
Signs of Retention: Postural issues, pain in the lower back, bedwetting after potty training, hyperactivity, attention and concentration issues, decreased lower body coordination, pain and tension in legs.

Child slowly moves arms and legs up and out to a count of 10 going out and then back in.

Start: 6-9 months to 9-12 months (emerges after birth)
“Crawling reflex.”
Stimulation: Head extension (looking up) or flexion (chin towards chest).
Response: Head extension leads to arm extension and leg flexion; head flexion leads to arm flexion and leg extension.
Signs of Retention: Interferes with crawling, walking, visual coordination, and spatial awareness development, poor postural control, hunched, low muscle tone, W sitting common, messy eater, poor handwriting.