Common signs linked to retained reflexes

MORO reflex

  • heightened anxiety or constant alertness
  • Fears
  • emotional outbursts/ difficulty regulating emotions
  • sensitivity to noise, light, smell, touch or sudden change
  • difficulty coping with stress or transitions
  • poor concentration or mental fatigue
  • disrupted sleep or difficulty settling
  • attention difficulties
  • lowered immune system


fear paralysis reflex


  • Heightened and constant anxiety 

  • Low tolerance to stress or unpredictability

  • Tendency to freeze, shut down or feel “stuck”

  • Avoidance of new situations, environments or demands

  • Social withdrawal or preference for isolation

  • Extreme shyness or reluctance to engage

  • Difficulty initiating responses (slow to start, hesitant)

  • Sensory hypersensitivity (particularly to sound, light or touch)

  • Overwhelm in busy, noisy or unpredictable environments

  • Reduced eye contact or avoidance of gaze

  • Difficulty expressing needs or internal states

  • Frequent meltdowns or shutdown

  • Passive or “collapsed” presentation under stress

    • TLR - Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex

    • Poor balance

    • Poor spatial awareness

    • Poor visual-perceptual skills

    • Poor organisational skills

    • Difficulty sequencing

    • Attention difficulties

    • Motion sickness

    • Fear of heights

    • Difficulty reading, poor eye control eye movement

      • Skipping words or line of print when reading

      • Letter or number reversals

    • Weak muscle tone

    • Poor posture

    • Toe walking


    atnr- assymetrical tonic neck reflex

    • Difficulty crossing the midline (e.g. switching hands, reaching across the body)

    • Poor handwriting, awkward pencil grip or slow written work

    • Difficulty copying from the board or from a page

    • Difficulty establishing laterality ( dominant hand, ear, eye, foot)

    • Clumsiness, especially during activities that require coordination between both sides

    • Difficulty sitting still or maintaining posture at a desk

    • Avoidance of tasks that require sustained visual attention or coordination

    • Poor auditory processing and issues organising language

    Spinal Galant Reflex

    • Strong preference for loose clothing or certain texture/textile

  • Ongoing restlessness — difficulty sitting still, fidgeting or needing to move frequently

  • Extreme sensitivity to touch, especially around the lower back (often very ticklish)

  • Difficulty concentrating, with poor focus, mental fatigue and reduced short-term memory

  • A tendency to lie on the floor most of the time

  • Bedwetting beyond the expected age

  • Tightness or discomfort in the lower back and hips

  • Changes in posture, including a rotated pelvis or spinal asymmetry (e.g. scoliosis)

  • Digestive difficulties, including bowel sensitivity or irregularity

  • Occasional loss of bladder or bowel control


    • STNR - Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex

    “W” sitting

    • Upper extremity weakness

    • Messy eating

    • Poor posture, difficulty sitting upright in a chair - tendency to slump

    • Attention and focus difficulty – trouble staying on task, squirming or fidgeting

    • Difficulty separating the upper and lower body (can be seen by a difficulty learning to swim)

    • Poor eye-hand coordination

    • Poor coordination

    • Disorganised work: messy handwriting, poor spatial organisation on a page, and difficulty following multi-step instructions

    Oral Reflexes: Rooting, Sucking and Swallowing

  • Persistent chewing of clothing, pens, fingers or other objects
  • Difficulty tolerating certain food textures
  • Gagging easily when eating
  • Tongue thrust when swallowing or speaking
  • Speech and articulation difficulties
  • Mouth breathing
  • Emotional eating or comfort eating
  • Difficulties with concentration and self-regulation
  • Sensitivity to toothbrushing or dental treatment

  • Dribbling or poor awareness around the mouth