Retained Primitive Reflexes in Children and Adults: Clumsiness, Reading Difficulties and Chronic Tension Explained

If you’ve ever watched a child struggle with coordination, handwriting, reading, or emotional regulation… you’ve probably heard the usual advice:

“Just practice more.”

“They’ll grow out of it.”

“Strengthen their core.”

“Try more sport.”

“Do more exercises.”

And for adults, it’s often:

“You’re tight.”

“Your posture is bad.”

“Your body is weak.”

“Stretch more.”

“Your pain is just from stress.”

Sometimes those suggestions help a little. But sometimes… they don’t help at all. That’s usually when I start thinking about something most people have never even heard of:

Primitive reflexes.

What are primitive reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns we’re born with. They’re controlled by the brainstem and nervous system and they help babies survive and develop. Things like:

• latching and feeding

• rolling

• crawling

• learning balance

• coordinating the eyes and head

• building a stable sense of body awareness

They’re not “bad” reflexes. They’re essential.

But here’s the important part:

Primitive reflexes are meant to fade as the brain matures.

As we grow, the nervous system is supposed to shift control from reflex-driven movement to more refined, voluntary movement. That’s what allows a child to sit still, read smoothly, coordinate both sides of their body, and move confidently. It’s what allows adults to feel stable, coordinated, and resilient under stress.

So what happens when they don’t integrate?

If a primitive reflex stays active longer than it should, it can quietly interfere with development. Not in a dramatic way like “your child can’t walk.” more like:

• they seem a bit clumsy

• they fall over more than other kids

• they can’t sit still

• they avoid sport

• reading is hard

• writing is messy

• they get overwhelmed easily

• they seem “bright but behind”

• they’re constantly tense

• they’re always fatigued

• they get random aches and pains

The tricky part is that these signs can look like lots of other things. Which is why primitive reflexes are often missed.

The biggest misunderstanding: reflexes aren’t just a “kid thing”

This is important. Primitive reflexes aren’t only relevant for children. I see plenty of adults who still show signs of retained reflex patterns. It often shows up as:

• chronic neck and shoulder tension

• headaches

• clumsiness or poor coordination

• poor balance

• chronic hip or back tightness

• recurring injuries

• poor breathing patterns

• anxiety or feeling easily overwhelmed

• trouble with focus

• visual fatigue (especially screens)

A lot of adults have spent years trying to stretch, strengthen, crack, massage, and “fix” these problems without ever realising their nervous system is still running outdated programs.

Why primitive reflexes affect reading, learning, and coordination

This is where things get really interesting. Primitive reflexes don’t just influence muscles they influence the entire sensory system. That includes:

• vision

• balance (vestibular system)

• body awareness (proprioception)

• hearing and filtering sound

• spatial awareness

• coordination between left and right sides of the body

These systems are foundational for school skills. For example:

Reading isn’t just “seeing letters”

Reading requires:

• stable eye tracking

• head control

• the ability to cross midline

• the ability to focus without the nervous system flipping into stress mode

• balance and postural control so the body isn’t constantly fidgeting

If reflex patterns are still active, a child might:

• lose their place on the page

• skip words

• avoid reading

• get tired quickly

• complain of headaches

• struggle with comprehension because the brain is using energy just to track and stabilise

Why reflexes can affect pain and tightness

This part matters for adults and teens especially. A retained primitive reflex can create constant low-level tension in the body. Not because you’re “weak.” Not because you “need to stretch.” But because the nervous system is still acting like it needs to protect you. Instead of your body moving smoothly and efficiently, you might feel like you’re always:

• bracing

• gripping

• tight through the neck

• tense in the jaw

• locked in the hips

• unstable in the shoulders

• stuck in shallow breathing

Over time, that can lead to pain. What makes it frustrating is that the pain often feels “random” or inconsistent because it’s driven by the nervous system, not just the tissue.

Common signs I look for (kids + adults)

Here are some patterns that often make me think, “We should check reflexes.” In children:

• poor coordination or clumsiness

• difficulty learning to ride a bike

• messy handwriting

• difficulty sitting still

• emotional outbursts

• sensitivity to noise or touch

• toe walking

• poor balance

• motion sickness

• avoids sport or physical play

• struggles with reading, spelling, or tracking

In adults:

• chronic tightness that always comes back

• recurring injuries

• poor balance

• headaches

• jaw tension

• “I feel uncoordinated”

• difficulty relaxing

• nervous system feels stuck in fight/flight

• shoulder/neck issues that don’t resolve

• lingering issues after concussion or stress

Why I focus on primitive reflexes in my work

Because reflexes are one of the fastest ways to understand the real reason someone is struggling. They can explain why:

• a child is trying so hard but still falling behind

• an adult keeps getting injured

• pain won’t resolve even when the scans look “fine”

• coordination doesn’t improve with practice

• emotional regulation feels impossible

• the body stays tight no matter how much stretching is done

Primitive reflexes give us a map. They show us how the nervous system is functioning underneath the surface. Once we understand that, we can stop guessing.

“Will they grow out of it?”

Sometimes. But not always. Many kids do naturally integrate reflexes through normal development crawling, climbing, rough-and-tumble play, balance challenges, and sensory-rich movement. But modern life changes that. We see more and more kids who:

• skipped crawling

• sat earlier than they moved

• spent more time in containers (prams, capsules, bouncers)

• had less outdoor play

• had more screen time

• experienced early stress, illness, or trauma

• had birth complications or feeding issues

None of that is about blame. It’s just reality. It can influence how the nervous system matures.

How I assess primitive reflex patterns

When someone comes in (adult or child), I’m not just looking at posture or mobility. I’m looking at how the nervous system responds to:

• balance and coordination tasks

• head and eye movement

• breathing patterns

• left/right integration

• sensory processing

• stress response

Then we test specific reflex patterns and see what shows up. This gives us a clear starting point not a generic “do these exercises.” It’s personalised, based on what the nervous system is actually doing.

How reflex integration works (without “corrective exercise”)

This is important because reflex work isn’t about smashing someone with a program. The goal isn’t to override a reflex with repetition. The goal is to help the nervous system:

• feel safe

• process sensory input accurately

• build better coordination between brain and body

• reduce protective tension

• improve motor control

In my approach, that often looks like targeted nervous system input, sensory integration, and gentle patterning work based on what the person needs. It’s not about forcing the body. It’s about guiding the nervous system toward more efficient pathways.

The real win: it changes more than movement

When reflexes integrate well, people often notice improvements in areas they didn’t expect, like:

• calmer behaviour

• better sleep

• improved focus

• reduced anxiety

• more confidence

• improved coordination

• less fatigue

• less pain and tension

• better resilience under stress

For kids, one of the biggest shifts is often:

“School feels easier.”

Not because they suddenly became smarter. But because their nervous system stopped fighting them.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone

If you’re reading this thinking:

“This is my child.”

or

“This is me.”

You’re not imagining it. You’re not failing. Primitive reflex patterns are common and they’re often missed because people don’t know to look for them.

Want to find out if primitive reflexes are affecting you or your child?

If you’re in Cessnock, Maitland, Leichhardt, Sydney, Newcastle or the Central Coast, and you want meaningful change (without guessing, generic exercises, or being told to “just stretch”), I can help.

Book an appointment and we’ll assess whether primitive reflex patterns are playing a role in:

• clumsiness and coordination

• reading and learning struggles

• emotional regulation

• chronic pain and tightness

• posture and movement issues

• ongoing concussion symptoms

Click here to book or send me a message and I’ll point you in the right direction.