Why retained primitive reflexes are the missing piece in your classroom behaviour management

There is often that child in every group who seems to have an engine that simply will not turn off. You have likely tried every seating option, offered fidget toys, and reminded them a dozen times to stay on their mat during story time, yet their body still seems to have a mind of its own. It is exhausting for you as an educator, but for the child, it is often just as frustrating. They are trying their absolute best to follow your instructions, but their physical hardware is overriding their intentions.

When we see these persistent "behaviours" that do not respond to traditional settling techniques, we are often actually looking at primitive reflex development in the classroom. These reflexes are the automatic movements babies are born with to help them survive those first few months of life. They are controlled by the lower brain stem, and as a child grows, these movements are supposed to "integrate" or go to sleep. When they do not, the child is left fighting against involuntary physical urges while trying to learn how to read and write.

What primitive reflexes feel like for a child

If you were explaining this to a teenager, you might tell them to imagine their brain is like a smartphone. When you are a baby, you have a bunch of background apps running that help you breathe, feed, and hold on to your parents. As you get older and your operating system updates, those background apps are supposed to close so you have enough battery and processing power for the big things like games or social media.

Retained reflexes are like those background apps that never closed. They are still running in the back of the child's brain, draining their energy and making the whole system lag. The child wants to focus on the "app" of learning to write, but their body is still busy running the "app" for the startle reflex or the grasping reflex. They are physically exhausted because their brain is constantly fighting its own involuntary movements.

Spotting the signs in your preschool or school

Once you understand primitive reflex development in the classroom, those fidgety kids start to make a lot more sense. You will begin to notice specific patterns that tell you exactly which background app is still running:

• The Constant Wiggler: If the Moro (startle) reflex is still active, the child is in a permanent state of fight or flight. Their nervous system is hypersensitive to loud noises, bright lights, or even a sudden movement in the corner of their eye. They cannot sit still because their body thinks there is a constant threat.

• The Slumped Writer: If the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) has not integrated, every time the child turns their head to look at the board, their arm physically wants to extend. To keep their hand on the paper to write, they have to use an enormous amount of muscular effort. This leads to them leaning over their desk, hooking their feet around their chair, or complaining that their hand hurts after just one sentence.

• The Messy Eater: Sometimes a child still has a rooting or palmar reflex. This can lead to them constantly putting things in their mouth or having an incredibly tight, heavy grip on their pencil that makes fine motor precision almost impossible.

Why we need to act now

The urgency here is that these children are working twice as hard as their peers just to stay in their seats. By the time they hit grade one or two, they are often labelled as disruptive or unfocused. In reality, they are just tired.

If we do not support primitive reflex development in the classroom early on, these children often start to check out of learning. They begin to believe they are "bad at school" because they cannot meet the physical expectations of the room. By identifying these gaps in preschool, we can use simple movements to help those background apps finally close, giving the child their processing power back for learning.

Compassionate strategies you can use today

The most empowering thing for an educator to know is that we can help these reflexes integrate through purposeful play. You do not need a therapy room; you just need a few minutes of intentional movement.

1. Rhythmic Rocking and Rolling Reflexes love rhythm. Simple rocking on all fours or rolling like a log on a soft mat can be incredibly soothing for a child with an active Moro reflex. It tells their nervous system that they are safe and grounded.

2. The Commando Crawl Encouraging children to crawl on their tummies using their opposite arms and legs is one of the best ways to integrate reflexes like the ATNR. It forces the two sides of the brain to talk to each other and helps the body learn how to move independently of the head.

3. Animal Yoga Poses Poses like the Cat and Cow (arching and dipping the back on all fours) or the Downward Dog are fantastic for core stability and reflex integration. Make it a fun game where the children have to hold the pose while making the animal sound.

4. Slow and Mindful Transitions Instead of rushing, try asking the children to move like a slow motion robot or a creeping cat. Slow, controlled movements require much more brain power than fast, impulsive ones, and they help the child's higher brain take control over those lower brain reflexes.

Watch the reflex screening in action

I have put together a video that shows you exactly what a retained reflex looks like during a simple screening. Seeing how a child's arm moves automatically when they turn their head will help you understand why your fidgety students are struggling so much.

Download the screening checklist

I want to give you a tool that helps you move from "I think something is up" to "I know how to help." This checklist will help you identify which reflexes might still be active in your students so you can tailor your movement programs to their specific needs.

Download the Primitive Reflex Screening Checklist Here

Join us in the Membership Lounge

I know you are doing your absolute best to support every child in your care, but you should not have to be a scientist to understand why a child is struggling. That is why I built the Membership Lounge.

Inside, I have provided the evidence based resources you need to support primitive reflex development in the classroom without adding hours to your planning time. You will find exclusive documentation templates for your assessment and rating, professional posters to help explain these concepts to your team and families, and play inspiration handouts that make intervention feel like just another fun game.

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