Primitive Reflex Integration

Add Primitive Reflex Integration

Techniques for Developmental Success
KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED

www.vyne.com
 Primitive Reflex Integration
Add Primitive Reflex Integration
Techniques for Developmental Success
KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED

Copyright 2018 Kathy Johnson & Vyne Education, LLC. No part of this workbook may be reproduced in any
manner without the expressed written consent of Kathy Johnson & Vyne Education, LLC.

ZNM020910
9/18
55pp
 MATERIALS PROVIDED BY

KATHY JOHNSON, MS ED, is considered a go-to resource on the

topic of primitive reflex integration. She founded a specialized
school in 2000, where she was an instructor and instrumental
in remediating her students’ developmental and behavioral
challenges by using primitive reflex therapy. In 2002, Kathy began
an educational consulting business to screen and remediate
students individually. She has given lectures and workshops
to individuals and schools, been a guest on Internet talk radio
shows, written several books and workbooks, recorded many
DVDs, and developed a brain coach training program. In 2010,
her book, The Roadmap from Learning Disabilities to Success was
published. She continues to teach professional development
workshops and to train brain-trainers around the world.

Disclosure:
Financial – Receives a speaking honorarium from Vyne Education and PESI, Inc. Founder of
Pyramid of Potential, Inc.
Nonfinancial – Speaker for Equipping Minds.

Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the
authorized practice of mental health professionals. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for
reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of
practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession’s standards.
 Primitive Reflexes:
Test and Integrate for Learning
Success

Kathy Johnson, M Ed

Kathy Johnson
• Graduated with M Ed in
Curriculum Development and
Instructional Technology
• Started in 1998 in Reading
• Ran a LD school for 2 years
• Worked privately 1:1 for 14 yrs
• Past owner of Pyramid of
Potential, Inc.
• Currently supporting Pyramid of
Potential; writing; occasional
speaking

Case Study: Susan

Verbal Scale
18

16

14

12

10
2001

8 2003

0
Information Similarities Arithmetic Vocabulary Comprehension Digit Span

1
 Case Study: Susan
Performance Scale
16

14

12

10

8 2001
2003
6

0
Picture completion Coding Picture Block design Object Assembly Symbol Search Mazes
Arrangement

• As promised, I wanted to give you an update on how our

program has progressed at Lakewood Elementary School. Our
team of three trainers began by working for six weeks with a
pilot group of two 3rd graders. We concentrated on the moro
and palmar primitive reflexes and the working memory and
processing speed cognitive skills.
• Here are the results of our neediest student after just six short
weeks:
• Skill: Pretest > Post
• Processing Speed: 5 > 7.9
• Working Memory: 6.3 > 7.5
• Long Term Memory: 5.5 > 6.8
• Visual Processing: 5 > 5.2
• Auditory Processing: 7 > 8.5
• Logic & Reasoning: 5>9
• Word Attack: 7 > 11.8

9 months later
“I have a slight confession to make... these
students didn't hit the 30 day mark. They
only made it to about 25 due to a multitude
of circumstances, but I think the results speak
for themselves.

The activities are great, but it's the reflex

exercises that make the difference!”

2
 Overview of Brain Development

Overview of Primitive Reflexes

• What is normal development?
• Example of a Primitive Reflex

– Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex

• Possible reasons for retained reflex

• Possible reason for re-emerging reflex
• Reading, writing, math, ADHD, Autism

3
 History

• Survival mechanism
• Moro Reflex (and others) checked at birth
• Institutes for The Achievement of Human Potential,
1955, Glenn Doman and Carl Delacato: Brain Injury
• INPP (Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology),
1975, PhD Psychologist Peter Blythe; Sally Goddard
• Masgutova Method, 1989, Svetlana Masgutova
• Behavioral Optometry, Occupational Therapy, Physical
Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology

Research

• http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/research
• This page includes:
– Brain Development Research
– INPP List of Research
– Primitive Reflexes - ADHD and Math
– Primitive Reflexes and Reading
• More in Handouts

Testimonials
 BTW, 1 student I have in 5th grade, who has been doing
Starfish approximately 5 weeks has shown improved social
skills, making increased eye contact, increased verbal
expression, and appears much calmer. One teacher almost
collapsed in the hallway from shock when this boy said
hello, stating that she did not think he even knew who she
was since Kindergarten. He said it in such direct loud clear
voice, sustaining eye contact twice in 1 day. I am so grateful
for you and all you share.

 Ilene Miller (Brain Advancement Coach and OT)
 [email protected]
 Haworth, NJ

4
 Dear Kathy,
I wanted to let you know a little bit about my
experience with your lessons. My daughter is
7 and struggling a lot in school. She cannot do
any math, has difficulty knowing where she is
at when she is reading. She has troubles with
writing and composing anything to write. I did
these exercises with her and after a week, she
was up to reading 65 words a minute (she
was at 30 a minute prior) and she is recalling
more math. I am very excited about this.
Sincerely,
Laura Kenney, MOTR/L, CSRS

 Reflex integration has really made a huge difference in my

son's life. Since beginning to integrate his reflexes, he has
become less anxious, (much) less prone to catch colds,
and seemed to rapidly mature before our eyes (Moro
reflex). He doesn't fall off his chair at dinnertime any
more and can run faster than before (TLR).

 He used to absolutely hate to have to write, crying and

begging me to be his scribe for even the smallest
homework assignment; yet after correcting his ATNR, he
hasn't complained once, and his writing is smaller and
neater. (He even said, "Mom, I can see differently!" It felt
like a miracle in our household.) He can also catch a ball
very competently, instead of fumbling around in
frustration as before. His running gait became less floppy
after we did the Spinal Galant. Right now we're working
on the STNR--I can't wait to see those changes soon!
 -Stephanie

At the beginning of class last year, I hesitantly sacrificed 10

– 12 minutes to do the exercises. I soon found out that I
was not sacrificing one moment of time! Not only were we
exercising, but we were getting through the entire lesson
cycle!

My students were more focused and able to remember

what I was teaching them! I noticed improved reading,
spelling, and handwriting as well as an overall
improvement in their classes. Teachers started
commenting on how much better they were doing in class
and wanted to know what we were doing differently. But
most of all, the student’s themselves were excited to share
with me the changes in themselves. They noticed a huge
difference from the inside out!

 Carol Crawford, Texas Dyslexia Teacher

5
We have been doing the 6 primitive reflexes daily since October. (My group
consists of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders who are in the bottom 25% when looking
at data.) Most are sped kids but we have some others). The amount of
growth is awesome as we look at the January data points. At a meeting with
the superintendent and assistant superintendent where we were looking over
the data of the lowest students in the school, I told him about my group and
invited him to come watch! He was impressed with the growth in my
students. (even the ones who do not participate in my actual group, I have to
do Starfish and Fingers 1-2-3 when they come in my room for their reading
support time)
I had a bunch of teachers who were total nonbelievers and giving me a bit of a
hard time, but an amazing principal and another amazing colleague who
understands the basics, helped me persist. Well, that group of teachers all
looked at their data and when they discussed who has made the most growth
and questioned what is in common, it is this " skills group”!!!!!!!!
I can go on and on about how excited I am about how using what I have
learned and how it is impacting so many kids in my school ( and me!). It is
amazing work!
Carmel, Brain Advancement Coach

Guidelines
• Who can teach
• Who can integrate
• When to integrate
• Exercises: permission from Dr. Sam Berne, OD
• How to do the exercises
– Under 40
– Over 40
– If there are health issues
• Regression
• Beyond Primitive Reflexes

Palmar Reflex
• In an infant
– Normally present prenatally to 3 months
– What it looks like and purpose
– How infants integrate
• Retained in a toddler
• Retained in older child or adult

6
 Symptoms

• Palm may be hypersensitive to touch

• Lack of pincer grip
• Poor manual dexterity
• Poor handwriting
• Makes mouth movements when writing or
drawing
• Speech and articulation issues

Testing
• Symptoms List
• Physical Test
• Strength of reflex
– 0 = integrated
– 1 = moderately present/retained
– 2 = strongly retained

Integrating
• Fingers 1-2-3

7
 “The Best Moro Reflex Exercise”
This exercise is making a huge difference in our lives! Our seven year
old son has been receiving OT for the past year for sensory integration
issues, including the lack of integration of primitive reflexes. His moro
reflex is still rated as severe despite our diligent and consistent use of
OT daily in our home. I found this video during a search for moro reflex
integration and was initially impressed by Kathy's thorough
explanation of what occurs at the neurological level.

My husband and I then both tried the exercise, he could do it, I could
not! That was a huge surprise. The next day we started doing the
exercise with our son and it had an immediate positive effect. He could
not do it on his own for the first two days so we had to help cross over
the correct leg as he crossed his arms, but after two days he could do it
on his own, and what was more exciting was witnessing his ability and
willingness to do the exercise when he started to feel completely
overwhelmed. Thank you so much for the video and the great work
you are doing, Kathy! You are a blessing in our lives.

Adrienne Peterson

I had to come here to share my story. My name is Tamara

Levi I live in Australia. I was lucky enough to actually meet
this amazing lady in real life!
I have had anxiety when it came to flying so bad to the point
my heart would beat in my neck I was having panic attacks
from the moment we would take off till the moment I would
land. This amazing lady taught me this method on board a
flight. The universe some how put me right next to her. I was
so emotional because as she was talking I wasn't even
concerned with turbulence or even that the plane was
turning.
I did this exercise just once on the plane with her and OMG
by the end of the flight I was looking out the window we
came to land she held my hand and I was ok!
You are a breath of fresh air. I will continue to follow your
work watch this video over and over! I'm so excited to tell
my friends and family I can't thank you enough for what you
have done for me!!

Moro Reflex
• In an infant
– Normally present prenatally to 3 months
– What it looks like and purpose
• Retained in a toddler
• Retained in older child or adult

8
 Symptoms
• Motion sickness, poor balance and coordination
• Poor stamina
• Doesn’t maintain eye contact
• Sensitive to light and/or sound
• Allergies
• Adverse reaction to drugs
• Hypoglycemia
• Dislike of change, mood swings
• Anxiety or nervousness
• Poor math sense

Cases
• He’s been showing a more mature side of him since starting
this and I feel like it has to do with doing these exercises as
that’s all that has been different! He doesn’t seem like he
has ASD in most ways now, just the processing stuff
(auditory/language …not sure which this one is, but when
someone is talking quickly too quickly and/or too complex,
he will ask “what?”, if there is too much background noise,
he will ask “what” a lot as well, processing speed….though
it seems like it’s getting a little quicker, and language arts
(reading, spelling, and writing....dyslexia), and memory
possibly somewhat too. Socially, he is doing great and so
much more comfortable, etc.! I’m really proud of him.
– Mom of young boy after integrating Moro

• My wife recently took your seminar in Dyslexia, etc. in

Syracuse. I am an A type personality (and a lawyer to boot)
and suffer from persistent stress. She tested me for
primitive reflexes and found that I have retained reflexes
and started me on "integrating the MORO reflex" by using
your prescribed exercise techniques. While she expected
that this exercise would take time to take effect, I had an
almost immediate (2 hours later) response and I clearly
don't seem to be in a constant stress mode and feel much
more relaxed. I am doing the exercise every day and my
pulse seems to be staying at my normal relaxed pulse of
about 60 and I feel great! It's a miracle!!!!!!!!
– Richard, lawyer, 65 years old

9
• Caitlin, age 22, diagnosed as PDD NOS.
• About 3 weeks after starting the Starfish program,
I noticed her making more eye contact while
having conversations with me. While not totally
avoiding eye contact before, she often just looked
down while conversing. Also, it seems like her
balance has improved some....has more fluidity in
walking and is less likely to falter when going
up/down steps. One day she stepped up on a wide
stone curb and walked along it as if she was
seeking out a challenge! In the past, she has
always hated thunder and would often cover her
ears. A few weeks ago we had an exceptionally
loud storm, and she never even flinched.
– Caitlin’s mom

On Thursday, Susan's teacher called me. Of course, as I saw the caller ID

I braced myself and answered the phone. She called to tell me that
Susan had the best week ever with her. (Susan’s been in this classroom
for most of 4th grade and all of this year). She went to 3 assemblies and
walked right in and sat with her class. She has NEVER sat with her class.
Recently she stood just inside the door but usually she is in the hallway
crying with her hands over her ears, sweaty palms and terrified. They
are doing long division with remainders this week. She is picking it right
up. (She is pretty good at math but it usually takes a bit for her to get
the concepts and then she retains them. More impressive to me is that
she only likes nice even numbers. In the past remainders would not be
tolerated, there would be a tantrum over this gray area!)

To me the best part was she has seen Susan interacting with her peers
and joining in conversations. (Never before).

That night she came home and wanted to decorate for Easter. (Never
really cared about decorating). Today she told me a little bit about kids
at school with no prompting. She is sleeping less and kind of giddy at
night. Physically she seems to be using her hands more without giving
up, removing tape from a package and opening things.
– Mom of autistic 10 year old

Yes, Lia is still doing really well. I'm keeping a journal with
the interesting things she has said and done since we
started doing Starfish. Some things have to do with
numbers that used to be confusing that are clarifying,
such as saying, "At my birthday party 2 months ago....."
(which was exactly right, not 2 weeks ago or something
else she used to say......or just avoid the numbers
altogether).
Expressive language and articulation are a notch better as
well as her desire to be organized. But most of all we see
a jump in self-confidence: 2 things she used to be afraid
of, swimming and birds, she recently told us she "loved"
and has begun swimming the length of the YMCA pool
over and over again without stopping or using any
flotation prop at all.
– Mom of foreign adoption 10 year old

10
• Katelyn story

– Math sense – Reasoning

– Necessary to understand numbers

Testing
• Symptoms List
• Physical Test
• Strength of reflex
– 0 = integrated
– 1 = moderately present/retained
– 2 = strongly retained

Integrating
• Starfish
• Moro Reflex Reflections in handout

11
 Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex
• In an infant
– Normally present prenatally to 4 months
– What it looks like and purpose
– How infants integrate
• Retained in a toddler
• Retained in older child or adult

Symptoms

• Poor posture
• Weak muscle tone
• Poor balance
• Unable to cross eyes easily, or it hurts when crossing -
convergence
• Spatial problems – bumps into furniture, stands too
close, poor writing planning
• Poor sequencing – telling stories, counting, organizing
• Poor sense of time, unable to tell time
• Articulation problems
• Toe walking

Cases
• Mary’s story
• Personal observations

12
 Testing
• Symptoms List
• Physical Test
• Strength of reflex
– 0 = integrated
– 1 = moderately present/retained
– 2 = strongly retained

Integrating
• Fly to the Moon

Spinal Galant
• In an infant
– Normally present prenatally to 9 months
– What it looks like and purpose
– How infants integrate
• Retained in a toddler
• Retained in older child or adult

13
 Symptoms

• Fidgeting
• Bedwetting
• Poor concentration or attention
• Poor memory
• Poor organization
• Sensory Integration Dysfunction
• Auditory Processing Disorder
• Poor Near Point Acuity
• Difficulty reading

Cases
• Nate’s story – Short term memory
• Anthony’s story (12 year old)
– I am continually fascinated (and sometimes frustrated) by
our journey into his brain and how it works. It is so
important to have a coach, someone who keeps us going,
and you will probably get tired of me thanking you! I finally
feel that after nearly four years of struggling to help him, I
am finally understanding his needs and I have a roadmap
to get him to where he needs and wants to be. He used to
wet himself day and night until we did the Snow Angels
exercise with Erin last fall. He has never wet himself since.
• Personal observations – memory, auditory processing

• My 11 year old son chronically wet the bed. He potty trained with difficulty at 3
1/2, but since he was dry during the day, the pediatrician wasn't concerned. Early
on, he accepted that his body just hadn't caught up. But as he got older, he
became increasingly embarrassed by this delay in development and what had once
been acceptance turned to shame. We watched as his self esteem slowly
eroded. I talked to Kathy Johnson, who, without having met him, described
several personality traits based on her research for "Pyramid of
Potential." Imagine my surprise by how accurate she was! Bright and articulate,
he manifested several of the traits described in the "Slow Angel" tier of the
pyramid. We bought the workbook and got to work.

• We actually relished the 10 minutes we spent on this every day. It was one-on-one
time set aside and prioritized in an otherwise busy household. Even though he
continued to wet the bed, we did see occasional dry nights and that was a big
improvement. After 30 days, we started back at the beginning of the
program. More successive dry nights, but still not perfect. We celebrated
nonetheless. And we watched as some of his impulsivity and mood swings
ebbed. But he was ready to take a break. I encouraged him to at least continue
the exercises----especially the slow angels---on his own, before bed time.

14
• And here we are----dry every night. Pullups completely abandoned. And as a
bonus, some of his negative personality traits --- things we thought were just part
of who he is --- have disappeared. He seems better able to focus at school, he has
gained control of most of his impulsive behavior and he makes better decisions
based on what he sees as the likely outcome. His demeanor toward people is less
defensive and he is comfortable and confident within his own skin. I dare to say
the boy has managed to find some peace within himself.

• What I observed as he went through the program was that his mind seemed to
have little control over moderating his body's actions. His movements were very
jerky and quick. Always too much or too little. The slow angels (which should
take 30 seconds) were either 10 seconds or 50. He literally exercised and trained
his brain to make his body move in a more controlled fashion. He seems to
have nurtured a mind/body connection that should've, but didn't, develop on its
own. While I am happy for his success at night, I am certain the program has paid
off in other aspects of his life, development and maturity.

Testing
• Symptoms List
• Physical Test
• Strength of reflex
– 0 = integrated
– 1 = moderately present/retained
– 2 = strongly retained

Integrating

• Slow Angels

15
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
• In an infant
– Normally present prenatally to 6 months
– What it looks like and purpose
– How infants integrate
• Retained in a toddler
• Retained in older child or adult

Symptoms

• Convergence issues
• Troubles tracking horizontally
• Poor balance
• Right-left confusion
• Mixes up “d”s and “b”s or other letters and numbers
• Difficulty skipping or marching
• Difficulty crossing the midline
• Mixed dominance or no dominance
• Poor handwriting
• Poor expression of ideas on paper

Cases
• Nate’s story – Writing
• Personal observations

16
 Testing
• Symptoms List
• Physical Test
• Strength of reflex
– 0 = integrated
– 1 = moderately present/retained
– 2 = strongly retained

Integrating

• Lizard exercise

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

• In an infant
– Normally present 6 months to 11 months
– What it looks like and purpose
– How infants integrate
• Retained in a toddler
• Retained in older child or adult

17
 Symptoms

• Convergence issues
• Tracking problems vertically
• Poor near point acuity
• Poor posture
• Ape-like walk
• “W” leg position when sitting on floor
• Poor eye-hand coordination
• Difficulty learning to swim
• Messy eater
• Poor attention skills – Wandering mind

Testing
• Symptoms List
• Physical Test
• Strength of reflex
– 0 = integrated
– 1 = moderately present/retained
– 2 = strongly retained

Integrating

• Get Pumped Up

18
 Fear Paralysis Reflex
• What it looks like and purpose
• Timing of normal emerging and integration

Symptoms of Retained FPR

• Low tolerance to stress
• Oversensitivity to several senses
• Motion sickness
• Panic attacks, nightmares or phobias
• Withdrawal or extremely shy
• Selective mutism; Autism
• Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
• Oppositional, defiant or aggressive behavior
• Temper tantrums
• Often linked to retained Moro

FPR
• Testing
• Integration
– Movements that Heal, Dr. Harald Blomberg

19
What if a reflex does not integrate?
• Palmar Reflex
• Moro Reflex
• TLR
• Spinal Galant
• ATNR
• STNR
• FPR

Other Resources for Integration

• INPP, Sally Goddard
• Masgutova Method, Svetlana Masgutova
• Rhythmic Movement Training, Harald Blomberg
• Quantum Reflex Integration, Bonnie Brandes
• Brain Balance Centers, Robert Melillo
• Pyramid of Potential, Kathy Johnson
• Vital Links “Building Blocks for Sensory
Integration”
• Ready Bodies, Learning Minds
• Brain Highways
• Move to Learn

What to do next:

Test for auditory processing problems

• If problems, use listening therapy
Test for Visual processing problems
• Colored overlays, eye exercises, vision therapy as
needed
Test for cognitive skills
• Do cognitive skills training as needed
Academic tutoring and study skills as necessary

20
• Summary
• Q&A

21
 Primitive Reflexes:
Test and Integrate for Learning Success
Section 1: Introduction and Overview
Introduction
The primitive reflexes have been around as long as people have been around. They are present primarily
to force the infant to move the body in such ways that it develops and matures to survive. The
additional benefit, as humans, is that along with motor movements, many other things are developing
that help with academics: the visual system, the auditory system, the ability to concentrate, remember,
and understand. Several people have commented that they believe this is the missing link. And indeed,
in my experience since 2000, I have found that the integration of the primitive reflexes to be one of the
least expensive and most effective therapies today.

The purpose of this workshop is to give as much information as I can in the span of 6 hours about
primitive reflexes and their integration from an educator’s standpoint. We will touch on other views,
especially occupational and physical therapy, as these disciplines have been using primitive reflex
integration for many years. Today, we bring this information into the hands of educators and parents as
well. If children can integrate reflexes in pre-school and primary grades, the results could be astounding
for our educational system, including reduced anxiety and stress, as well as improved test scores.

About the Presenter

Kathy Johnson, MS Ed

Although Kathy has her bachelor‘s degree in business, and her Master’s degree in Curriculum
Development and Instructional Technology, her best teachers were her students. While working with
several students on their reading struggles, she found an excellent program that brought their decoding
abilities to grade level in a matter of months. Yet, some could not read the text in grade level books, so
she began her exploration into the trainings and therapies that brought students success. Many
increased their IQ and no longer required extra services.

Kathy received training in order to bring these therapies to others which included Primitive Reflex
Training by Samuel A. Berne, OD; Therapeutic Listening by Sheila Frick; Samonas Listening by Jill Stowell;
PACE by Learning Rx; Phono-Graphix by Read America; Irlen Syndrome; Brain Gym 101; and An
Introduction to Rhythmic Movement. In 2000, Kathy started The Hunter School for struggling students,
in which she and her assistant taught third through eighth graders required academics while
remediating their struggles through therapy during the school hours. In 2002, she started an educational
consulting business, Pyramid of Potential, Inc. to screen and remediate students individually. Since then
she has also given lectures and workshops to individuals and schools, been a guest on internet talk radio
shows, and wrote the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series for families and Growing Brains

22
Everyday Curriculum for Teachers. In 2010, her book, The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success
was published. Mrs. Johnson earned her Master’s degree from the State University of New York at
Albany where she instructed faculty and staff in the use of computers, was an adjunct professor at
Schenectady County Community College, and taught at The Adirondack School of Northeastern New
York. Today, she has retired from Pyramid of Potential, but still supports the business by consulting. She
and her husband live in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Pyramid of Potential

The mission of Pyramid of Potential is to educate the world that we can improve our brains and how to
do it. We accomplish this by helping people to facilitate individual achievement and independence by
alleviating the symptoms of learning disability and the underlying causes of academic struggle. The
Pyramid of Potential path is a comprehensive system of steps for people of all ages that utilize the
components of mind and body health, neurodevelopment, sensory-motor development and cognitive
development, resulting in personal and professional satisfaction and academic success.

23
Case Studies

Susan, verbal scale:

18

16

14

12

10

8
2001
6
2003
4

Performance scale:
16

14

12

10

6
2001
4 2003
2

24
The following email was received from a teacher who had brought a small team from his school to this
same professional development day:

As promised, I wanted to give you an update on how our program has progressed at Lakewood
Elementary School. Our team of three trainers began by working for six weeks with a pilot group of two
3rd graders. We concentrated on the moro and palmar primitive reflexes and the working memory and
processing speed cognitive skills. We followed the following basic outline:

• Starfish
• Patterned Numbers
• Math Facts (to metronome)
• Clap-Counting (to metronome)
• Marching (to metronome)
• Palmar
• Blending (to metronome)
• Segmenting (to metronome)
• Reading Chorally (to metronome)
• Lazy Eights
• Cognitive 1st Exercises

As part of the Cog1 grant, we were also the beneficiary of ten Gibson Cognitive Screeners. These were
invaluable have really allowed us to track the progress of students. Here are the results of our neediest
student after just six short weeks:

Skill: Pretest > Post

• Processing Speed: 5 > 7.9

• Working Memory: 6.3 > 7.5
• Long Term Memory: 5.5 > 6.8
• Visual Processing: 5 > 5.2
• Auditory Processing: 7 > 8.5
• Logic & Reasoning: 5 > 9
• Word Attack: 7 > 11.8

A recent email from the same teacher, about 9 months later:

I have a slight confession to make... these students didn't hit the 30 day mark. They only made it to
about 25 due to a multitude of circumstances, but I think the results speak for themselves. For your
reference, the first two students were in second grade and the final two in fourth grade. The activities
are great, but it's the reflex exercises that make the difference!

25
Overview of brain development

26
Overview of primitive reflexes
a. Example of a primitive reflex – Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex
b. Possible reasons for retained reflex
i. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
ii. Anxiety in mother during gestation
iii. Trauma in utero
iv. Not enough floor time
c. Possible reason for re-emerging reflex
i. Trauma – physical or emotional
d. Reading, writing, math, ADHD, Autism, Developmental Delay

27
History

• Survival mechanism
• Moro Reflex (and others) checked at birth
• Institutes for The Achievement of Human Potential, 1955, Glenn Doman and Carl Delacato: Brain
Injury
• INPP (Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology), 1975, PhD Psychologist Peter Blythe; Sally
Goddard
• Masgutova Method, 1989, Svetlana Masgutova
• Behavioral Optometry, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology

28
Research
Primitive Reflex Bibliography 2014 – 2017

Bilbilaj, Sulltane, et. Al. (2017). “Measuring Primitive Reflexes in Children with Learning Disorders.”
European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies May-Aug 2017 Vol.5, Nr.1 285.

Niklasson, Mats, et. Al. (2015). “Adults with sensorimotor disorders: enhanced physiological and
psychological development following specific sensorimotor training”. Frontiers in Psychology
2015; 6:480.

Gieysztor, Ewa Z., et. Al. (2016). “Persistence of primitive reflexes and associated motor problems
in healthy preschool children”. Arch Med Sci 2018 Jan; 14(1): 167–173.

Masgutova, S., Akhmatova, N., Sadowska, L., Shackleford, P., & Akhmatov, E. (2016). “Progress with
neurosensorimotor refex Integration for children with autism spectrum disorder”. Journal of Neurology
and Psychology, 4(2), 14. doi:10.13188/2332-3469.

Sripada, C. S., Kessler, D., & Angstadt, M. (2014). “Lag in maturation of the brain’s intrinsic functional
architecture in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder”. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 111(39), 14259-14264. doi:10.1073/pnas.1407787111.

Konicarova, J., Bob, P., & Raboch, J. (2014). Balance defcits and ADHD symptoms in medication-naïve
school-aged boys. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 85. doi:10.2147/ndt.s56017

Grzywniak, Celestyna. (2017). “Integration Exercise Programme for Children with Learning Difficulties
Who Have Preserved Vestigial Primitive Reflexes”. Acta Neuropsychologica . 2017, Vol. 15 Issue 3, p241-
256. 16p.

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Testimonials

BTW, 1 student I have in 5th grade, who has been doing Starfish approximately 5 weeks has shown
improved social skills, making increased eye contact, increased verbal expression, and appears much
calmer. One teacher almost collapsed in the hallway from shock when this boy said hello, stating
that she did not think he even knew who she was since Kindergarten. He said it in such direct loud
clear voice, sustaining eye contact twice in 1 day. I am so grateful for you and all you share.

Ilene Miller (Brain Advancement Coach and OT)

[email protected]
Haworth, NJ

Dear Kathy,

I wanted to let you know a little bit about my experience with your lessons. My daughter is 7 and
struggling a lot in school. She cannot do any math, has difficulty knowing where she is at when she is
reading. She has troubles with writing and composing anything to write. I did these exercises with
her and after a week, she was up to reading 65 words a minute (she was at 30 a minute prior) and
she is recalling more math. I am very excited about this.

Sincerely,

Laura Kenney, MOTR/L, CSRS

Reflex integration has really made a huge difference in my son's life. Since beginning to integrate his
reflexes, he has become less anxious, (much) less prone to catch colds, and seemed to rapidly
mature before our eyes (Moro reflex). He doesn't fall off his chair at dinnertime any more and can
run faster than before (TLR).

He used to absolutely hate to have to write, crying and begging me to be his scribe for even the
smallest homework assignment; yet after correcting his ATNR, he hasn't complained once, and his
writing is smaller and neater. (He even said, "Mom, I can see differently!" It felt like a miracle in our
household.) He can also catch a ball very competently, instead of fumbling around in frustration as
before. His running gait became less floppy after we did the Spinal Galant. Right now we're working
on the STNR--I can't wait to see those changes soon!

-Stephanie

30
At the beginning of class last year, I hesitantly sacrificed 10 – 12 minutes to do the exercises. I soon
found out that I was not sacrificing one moment of time! Not only were we exercising, but we were
getting through the entire lesson cycle!

My students were more focused and able to remember what I was teaching them! I noticed improved
reading, spelling, and handwriting as well as an overall improvement in their classes. Teachers started
commenting on how much better they were doing in class and wanted to know what we were doing
differently. But most of all, the student’s themselves were excited to share with me the changes in
themselves. They noticed a huge difference from the inside out!

Carol Crawford, Texas Dyslexia Teacher

We have been doing the 6 primitive reflexes daily since October. (My group consists of 3rd, 4th and 5th
graders who are in the bottom 25% when looking at data.) Most are sped kids but we have some
others). The amount of growth is awesome as we look at the January data points. At a meeting with the
superintendent and assistant superintendent where we were looking over the data of the lowest
students in the school, I told him about my group and invited him to come watch! He was impressed
with the growth in my students. (even the ones who do not participate in my actual group, I have to do
Starfish and Fingers 1-2-3 when they come in my room for their reading support time)

I had a bunch of teachers who were total nonbelievers and giving me a bit of a hard time, but an
amazing principal and another amazing colleague who understands the basics, helped me persist. Well,
that group of teachers all looked at their data and when they discussed who has made the most growth
and questioned what is in common, it is this " skills group”!!!!!!!!

I can go on and on about how excited I am about how using what I have learned and how it is impacting
so many kids in my school ( and me!). It is amazing work!

Carmel, Brain Advancement Coach

31
Primitive reflexes guidelines
a. Who can teach
i. Anyone in any discipline; parents. No certification is necessary
b. Who can integrate
ii. Anyone can try the exercises. In LD population in my experience, about 95%
show improvement
c. When to integrate
iii. Infancy
iv. School age
v. Young adult
vi. Full adult
vii. Older adult
d. How to do exercises
viii. Permission granted from Dr. Sam Berne, OD
ix. Under 40
1. For most people, do exercises every day for about 30 days
x. Over 40
1. Because of age-related decline, do every day for rest of life
e. Regression
i. What it looks like – cannot do what used to be able to
ii. Caused by trauma
1. Physical
2. Emotional
3. One time
4. Repeatedly

32
Beyond Primitive Reflexes
a. What integration does not accomplish
iii. Sets the seeds for sensory integration, other sensory processing
1. Still may need listening therapy for auditory processing
2. Still may need vision therapy
3. However, the reflex integration may reduce
a. the time for these therapies
b. the cost of therapy
c. the effort for successful therapy
iv. Does not complete the job
v. May help with several cognitive skills:
1. Logic
2. Attention
3. Short term memory
4. Processing speed
vi. Does not do enough for
1. Working memory
2. Processing speed
3. Phonemic Awareness (blending, segmenting, phoneme manipulation)
b. What to do after integration
vii. Test auditory processing
viii. Test visual processing
ix. Test cognitive skills
x. Develop a plan and work according to the Pyramid of Potential from foundation
to academics

33
Section 2: Palmar Reflex
I. In an infant
a. Normally present prenatally to 3 months
b. What it looks like and purpose
i. Purpose – to hang onto Mom; connected to mouth so that as infant sucks, the
hands are stimulating the breast for milk
c. How infants integrate
i. Slowly opening up fist over time until able to pick up a Cheerio with the pincer
grip
II. Retained in a toddler
a. Hold spoon tightly, has troubles with zippers and buttons
III. Retained in older child or adult
a. Symptoms
i. Palm may be hypersensitive to touch
ii. Lack of pincer grip
iii. Poor manual dexterity
iv. Poor handwriting
v. Fatigue and pain from writing
vi. Makes mouth movements when writing or drawing
vii. Speech and articulation issues
IV. Testing
a. Symptoms List
b. Physical Test
i. Say that you will time them as they write their name and possibly address
ii. Watch the pencil grip – do they automatically use correct tri-pod grip, or is it
immature: grabbing like a toddler, fist closed with pencil sticking out, claw-like
grip, or pressing very hard on the pencil to anchor it
iii. Stroke palm – does hand start to close? Is it sensitive?
c. Strength of reflex:
i. 0 = integrated
ii. 1 = moderately present/retained
iii. 2 = strongly retained
V. Integration
a. Fingers 1-2-3 for 1 minute every day for 30 days

34
On the first day, ask for a handwriting example and a sample drawing. For the exercise,
sequentially touch the thumb of one hand to the pointer, then the middle finger, the
ring finger, and the pinky. Then go backwards from pinky to pointer. Do this 3 times with
each hand. Work up to being able to do Fingers 1-2-3 with both hands at the same time.
Do every day for one month and ask for a new handwriting example and sample
drawing. Watch grip to see if has matured.

i. Classroom
1. Music class in preparation for learning the recorder
2. Technology class in preparation for keyboarding

35
Section 3: Moro Reflex
This exercise is making a huge difference in our lives! Our seven year old son has been receiving OT for
the past year for sensory integration issues, including the lack of integration of primitive reflexes. His
moro reflex is still rated as severe despite our diligent and consistent use of OT daily in our home. I
found this video during a search for moro reflex integration and was initially impressed by Kathy's
thorough explanation of what occurs at the neurological level.

My husband and I then both tried the exercise, he could do it, I could not! That was a huge surprise.
The next day we started doing the exercise with our son and it had an immediate positive effect. He
could not do it on his own for the first two days so we had to help cross over the correct leg as he
crossed his arms, but after two days he could do it on his own, and what was more exciting was
witnessing his ability and willingness to do the exercise when he started to feel completely
overwhelmed. Thank you so much for the video and the great work you are doing, Kathy! You are a
blessing in our lives.

Adrienne Peterson

I had to come here to share my story. My name is Tamara Levi I live in Australia. I was lucky enough to
actually meet this amazing lady in real life!

I have had anxiety when it came to flying so bad to the point my heart would beat in my neck I was
having panic attacks from the moment we would take off till the moment I would land. This amazing
lady taught me this method on board a flight. The universe some how put me right next to her. I was so
emotional because as she was talking I wasn't even concerned with turbulence or even that the plane
was turning.

I did this exercise just once on the plane with her and OMG by the end of the flight I was looking out the
window we came to land she held my hand and I was ok!

You are a breath of fresh air. I will continue to follow your work watch this video over and over! I'm so
excited to tell my friends and family I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me!!

36
I. The importance of the Moro Reflex
a. In my experience, this must be integrated before the others will integrate.
b. Because of the anxiety associated with moro, integrating is necessary for other
therapies to be successful
II. In an infant
a. Normally present prenatally to 4 months
b. What it looks like and purpose

Purpose – startle reflex, hands come up to protect head, fight or flight

III. Retained in a toddler
a. Separation anxiety, shyness
IV. Retained in older child or adult
a. Symptoms
i. Motion sickness, poor balance and coordination, physically timid
ii. Poor stamina, hyperactivity followed by fatigue
iii. Visual problems – fixation (unable to keep eyes on object for 10+ seconds),
excessive blinking, doesn’t maintain eye contact
iv. Light or auditory hypersensitivity (hears better than others)
v. Allergies to food, environment, or drugs
vi. Hypoglycemia – hyperactive or poor concentration after eating sugary foods or
4 hours after eating (blood sugar is high or low)
vii. Anxiety (test, separation), mood swings, difficulty accepting criticism, dislike of
change, emotionally sensitive
viii. Poor math sense

37
 V. Cases
He’s been showing a more mature side of him since starting this and I feel like it has to do with
doing these exercises as that’s all that has been different! He doesn’t seem like he has ASD in most
ways now, just the processing stuff (auditory/language …not sure which this one is, but when
someone is talking quickly too quickly and/or too complex, he will ask “what?”, if there is too much
background noise, he will ask “what” a lot as well, processing speed….though it seems like it’s
getting a little quicker, and language arts (reading, spelling, and writing....dyslexia), and memory
possibly somewhat too. Socially, he is doing great and so much more comfortable, etc.! I’m really
proud of him.
Mom of young boy after integrating Moro

My wife recently took your seminar in Dyslexia, etc. in Syracuse. I am an A type personality (and a
lawyer to boot) and suffer from persistent stress. She tested me for primitive reflexes and found that I
have retained reflexes and started me on "integrating the MORO reflex" by using your prescribed
exercise techniques. While she expected that this exercise would take time to take effect, I had an
almost immediate (2 hours later) response and I clearly don't seem to be in a constant stress mode and
feel much more relaxed. I am doing the exercise every day and my pulse seems to be staying at my
normal relaxed pulse of about 60 and I feel great! It's a miracle!!!!!!!!

Richard, lawyer, 65 years old

Caitlin, age 22, diagnosed as PDD NOS.

About 3 weeks after starting the Starfish program, I noticed her making more eye contact while having
conversations with me. While not totally avoiding eye contact before, she often just looked down while
conversing. Also, it seems like her balance has improved some....has more fluidity in walking and is less
likely to falter when going up/down steps. One day she stepped up on a wide stone curb and walked
along it as if she was seeking out a challenge! In the past, she has always hated thunder and would often
cover her ears. A few weeks ago we had an exceptionally loud storm, and she never even flinched.

Caitlin’s mom

On Thursday, Susan's teacher called me. Of course, as I saw the caller ID I braced myself and answered
the phone. She called to tell me that Susan had the best week ever with her. (Susan’s been in this
classroom for most of 4th grade and all of this year). She went to 3 assemblies and walked right in and
sat with her class. She has NEVER sat with her class. Recently she stood just inside the door but usually
she is in the hallway crying with her hands over her ears, sweaty palms and terrified. They are doing long
division with remainders this week. She is picking it right up. (She is pretty good at math but it usually
takes a bit for her to get the concepts and then she retains them. More impressive to me is that she only

38
likes nice even numbers. In the past remainders would not be tolerated, there would be a tantrum over
this gray area!)

To me the best part was she has seen Susan interacting with her peers and joining in conversations.
(Never before).

That night she came home and wanted to decorate for Easter. (Never really cared about decorating).
Today she told me a little bit about kids at school with no prompting. She is sleeping less and kind of
giddy at night. Physically she seems to be using her hands more without giving up, removing tape from a
package and opening things.

– Mom of autistic 10 year old

Yes, Lia is still doing really well. I'm keeping a journal with the interesting things she has said and done
since we started doing Starfish. Some things have to do with numbers that used to be confusing that
are clarifying, such as saying, "At my birthday party 2 months ago....." (which was exactly right, not 2
weeks ago or something else she used to say......or just avoid the numbers altogether).

Expressive language and articulation are a notch better as well as her desire to be organized. But most
of all we see a jump in self-confidence: 2 things she used to be afraid of, swimming and birds, she
recently told us she "loved" and has begun swimming the length of the YMCA pool over and over again
without stopping or using any flotation prop at all.

– Mom of foreign adoption 10 year old

Katelyn Story of purchasing a cassette

39
VI. Testing
a. Symptoms List
b. Physical Test

Subject lies on back, pillow under shoulders, head resting in your hands. If there is
tension in the neck, Moro is positive. Drop the head a couple inches. Reflex is positive if
the child cannot let his head be like wet noodle and easily drop, or has a sharp
inhalation. Reflex is positive (not integrated) if there is extreme anxiety present at any
time.
c. Strength of reflex:
i. 0 = integrated
ii. 1 = moderately present/retained
iii. 2 = strongly retained
VII. Integration
Integration exercise: Starfish
See video at www.youtube.com/c/starfish4anxiety

Starfish

1. Lie back on a bean bag or sofa with pillow under back

2. Tilt head back, arms up and out, legs out wide

40
 3. While breathing out, to the count of 5:
a. Bring arms in and crossed, right over left
b. Bring legs in at the same time, right over left

4 While breathing in, to the count of 5:

a. Bring arms back out
b. Bring legs back out
5 While breathing out, to the count of five
c. Bring arms in and crossed, LEFT over Right
d. Bring legs in at the same time, LEFT over Right
6 Repeat step #4
7 Repeat entire cycle, steps 3 – 6, 3 times

VIII. What if it still does not integrate?

Moro reflex reflections

• It is the very base of all the rest (that I am showing) – if it is not integrated; if it is strong, the rest
simply doesn’t seem to move.
• Systems that are developing during the first year, appear to be affected by Moro Reflex:
o Vestibular
o Digestive
o Immune
o Sensory
o Nervous

41
• Reasons the moro may be present
o Trauma – moro may have been integrated on time. If so, you may see that the other
reflexes are well integrated
o Fetal alcohol syndrome, drug use during pregnancy
o Anxiety during pregnancy
• Testing
o If motion sickness - may get when testing
o Panic attacks – ask first
o Allow time to feel better
• Integrating
o If motion sickness, sit up and don’t move head
o Be sure to do 3 vestibular exercises
• Cases when the moro did not integrate:
o Mitochondria disease, until water and fat added to diet; then did not stay integrated
when therapy stopped
o Symptoms present but not the reflex. Perhaps moro did not emerge ever?
o If no improvement after 60 days, go to foundation of the Pyramid of Potential and work
more specifically on anxiety, depression, and body health
• When to move on
o When anxiety has improved
o When there has been general improvement and it has been 30 days
 Even if anxiety not gone
 If anxiety still persists, try biofeedback or other work to relieve

42
Section 4: Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex
I. In an infant
a. Normally present prenatally to 4 months
b. What it looks like and purpose

Purpose – to gain muscles in neck, back and shoulders; preparation for eventually
crawling
c. How infants integrate
II. Retained in a toddler – skipped crawling or low tone
III. Retained in older child or adult
a. Symptoms
i. Poor posture
ii. Weak muscle tone
iii. Poor sense of balance
iv. Dislike of upper body sports
v. Visual problems – unable or uncomfortable to cross eyes; convergence
problems
vi. Spatial problems – fine motor planning, awareness of body in surroundings
vii. Poor sequencing skills needed for decoding, spelling, math
viii. Poor sense of time
ix. Articulation problems
x. Toe walking
IV. Testing
a. Symptoms List
b. Physical Test

Child lies on stomach with arms out to sides at a 45 degree angle. Ask child to raise arms,
chest, head and legs (kept straight) at the same time, leaving abdominal area to hold body
up. Child should be able to look you in the eye, breathe easily, and answer questions. Reflex
is positive if child cannot do those, if legs are bent, or if shaking.

c. Strength of reflex:
i. 0 = integrated

43
 ii. 1 = moderately present/retained
iii. 2 = strongly retained
V. Integration
VI. Fly to the Moon
VII. Taken from Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series Astronaut Module

Fly to the Moon with one elbow on ground.

1. Lie on stomach with hands together, thumbs about 2-4” from nose.
2. Lift up chest off the floor
3. Move one hand slowly to the side, then slowly stretch it away. The entire time, the
child is watching the thumb, while moving the head.
4. Slowly bring thumb back to the nose, then back to starting position.
5. Repeat with other thumb. This should take 30 seconds total.
6. Rest with chest down or in child’s pose (Yoga position). Repeat steps 1-5 five more
times.
7. If 30 seconds is too difficult, start with 10 seconds and work up. If having one hand
up is too difficult, work up to 30 seconds without lifting hands, then add them in.

Classroom

Primary: During time when teacher reading out loud, all children challenged to listen
on their tummies, up on their elbows. Practice daily. Challenge them to do as long as
possible, understanding that it may be very difficult for some. They are the ones
who need it.

Send home exercise to do as homework. Appeal to body image as this will increase
core strength and upper body muscles.

44
Section 5: Spinal Galant
I. In an infant
a. Normally present prenatally to 9 months
b. What it looks like and purpose
Purpose – to help infant in birth process to move side to side while travelling down the
birth canal
c. How infants integrate
II. Retained in a toddler
a. Very ticklish, very fidgety; difficult time staying dry through day or night
III. Retained in older child or adult
a. Symptoms
i. Fidgeting
ii. Bedwetting
iii. Poor concentration or attention – racing mind
iv. Poor short term memory
v. Poor organization
vi. Sensory integration problems
vii. Auditory processing difficulties
viii. Poor near-point acuity
ix. Difficulty reading
IV. Cases

I am continually fascinated (and sometimes frustrated) by our journey into his brain and how it
works. It is so important to have a coach, someone who keeps us going, and you will probably get
tired of me thanking you! I finally feel that after nearly four years of struggling to help him, I am
finally understanding his needs and I have a roadmap to get him to where he needs and wants to be.
He used to wet himself day and night until we did the Snow Angels exercise with Erin last fall. He has
never wet himself since.

• My 11 year old son chronically wet the bed. He potty trained with difficulty at 3 1/2, but since he
was dry during the day, the pediatrician wasn't concerned. Early on, he accepted that his body
just hadn't caught up. But as he got older, he became increasingly embarrassed by this delay in
development and what had once been acceptance turned to shame. We watched as his self
esteem slowly eroded. I talked to Kathy Johnson, who, without having met him, described
several personality traits based on her research for "Pyramid of Potential." Imagine my
surprise by how accurate she was! Bright and articulate, he manifested several of the traits
described in the "Slow Angel" tier of the pyramid. We bought the workbook and got to work.

• We actually relished the 10 minutes we spent on this every day. It was one-on-one time set
aside and prioritized in an otherwise busy household. Even though he continued to wet the
bed, we did see occasional dry nights and that was a big improvement. After 30 days, we started

45
 back at the beginning of the program. More successive dry nights, but still not perfect. We
celebrated nonetheless. And we watched as some of his impulsivity and mood swings
ebbed. But he was ready to take a break. I encouraged him to at least continue the exercises----
especially the slow angels---on his own, before bed time. And here we are----dry every
night. Pullups completely abandoned. And as a bonus, some of his negative personality traits ---
things we thought were just part of who he is --- have disappeared. He seems better able to
focus at school, he has gained control of most of his impulsive behavior and he makes better
decisions based on what he sees as the likely outcome. His demeanor toward people is less
defensive and he is comfortable and confident within his own skin. I dare to say the boy has
managed to find some peace within himself.

• What I observed as he went through the program was that his mind seemed to have little
control over moderating his body's actions. His movements were very jerky and quick. Always
too much or too little. The slow angels (which should take 30 seconds) were either 10 seconds
or 50. He literally exercised and trained his brain to make his body move in a more controlled
fashion. He seems to have nurtured a mind/body connection that should've, but didn't, develop
on its own. While I am happy for his success at night, I am certain the program has paid off in
other aspects of his life, development and maturity.

46
V. Testing
a. Symptoms List
b. Physical Test

Child is on hands and knees in crawling position, weight evenly distributed. Lift shirt and
lower pants slightly (with parent and child permission, of course). Use a pen tip and run
down sides of the spine toward lower back. A ticklish response or a contraction of any kind
is positive for SG. If no movement, try pressing hard on either side of the spine. Any
movement or contraction is positive.

c. Strength of reflex:
i. 0 = integrated
ii. 1 = moderately present/retained
iii. 2 = strongly retained
VI. Integration
Integration exercise – Slow Angels
Taken from Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series Snow Angel Module

Slow Angels

47
1. Lie on back with legs closed and hands at the side.
2. Very slowly do the movements of a snow angel, by bringing the arms up and
opening the legs as wide as possible. This should take 30 seconds. Ask what has to
move faster, the arms or the legs.
3. Now, for 30 seconds, close the legs and bring the arms to the starting position.
4. Repeat 2 more times.

48
Section 6: Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex
I. In an infant
a. Normally present prenatally to 6 months
b. What it looks like and purpose
Purpose – in combination with TLR allows baby to turn over
c. How infants integrate – combat crawl
II. Retained in a toddler
a. Awkward gait when turning head
III. Retained in older child or adult
a. Symptoms
i. Convergence problems
ii. Troubles tracking horizontally
iii. Poor balance
iv. Right-left confusion
v. Difficulty crossing the midline
vi. Difficulty skipping and marching
vii. Visual-perceptual difficulties – reversals of b/d, u/n, saw/was beyond 1st grade
viii. Mixed dominance or no dominance
ix. Poor handwriting
x. Poor expression of ideas on paper
IV. Testing
a. Symptoms List
b. Physical Test

Child is in crawling position. Pull child’s weight forward to put the most weight on the arms.
Move head to one side, then go for 2 more inches. Stop for 5 seconds, and repeat on other
side. If child collapses opposite shoulder, if neck movement is restricted, if there is
movement in the shoulders or back, or if the arms are bowed, test is positive.

c. Strength of reflex:
i. 0 = integrated
ii. 1 = moderately present/retained
iii. 2 = strongly retained

49
V. Integration
Integration exercise – Lizard
Taken from Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series Lizard Module

Lizard 1:
1. Lie on floor with left arm down at side, left leg straight
2. Head is pointed right, right arm is bent, thumb at nose, right leg is bent
3. Turn head to left
4. Right arm, with palm down, scrapes the floor until it reaches the knee
5. Straighten the right leg, pushing the foot along the floor, until the body
is straight
6. Wait 10 seconds
7. Bring left knee up to the left hand
8. With palm to the floor, bring left hand to the nose
9. Wait 10 seconds
10. Turn head to right
11. Straighten left arm, pushing palm
12. Straighten left leg, pushing foot
13. Wait 10 seconds
14. Bring right knee up to the right hand
15. With palm to the floor, bring right hand to the nose
16. Wait 10 seconds
17. Repeat steps 3 through 16 two more times
18. Action should look like a lizard pushing himself through the sand

50
Section 7: Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex
I. In an infant
a. Normally present 6 to 11 months
b. What it looks like and purpose
c. How infants integrate - rocking
II. Retained in a toddler –looks through legs; sits on ankles in W position
III. Retained in older child or adult
a. Symptoms
i. Convergence problems
ii. Tracking problems vertically
iii. Poor near point acuity
iv. Poor posture
v. Ape-like walk
vi. “W” leg position while sitting on floor
vii. Poor eye-hand coordination
viii. Difficulty learning to swim
ix. Messy eater
x. Poor attention – wandering mind

51
IV. Testing
a. Symptoms List
b. Physical Test

Once again, child is in crawling position with most of the weight on the arms. Guide the
head up and down. Movement should be easy. If the movement is restricted, if head
drops, if elbows bend, if there are tremors in the body, if shoulders and arms become
tense, if weight shifts away from the arms, if they feel they cannot relax, or if back goes
sway/rounds up, test is positive. Note: since this reflex emerges at 6 months, if may not
become present until AFTER Moro, TLR, and Spinal Galant are integrated.
c. Strength of reflex:
i. 0 = integrated
ii. 1 = moderately present/retained
iii. 2 = strongly retained

52
V. Integration
Integration exercise – Get Pumped Up
Taken from Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series Tiger Module

Start from a hands and knees table position, looking up, weight on arms.
Rock back until the head is down, looking between the knees.
Slowly rock back up to the beginning point.
It should be done one for every two to four seconds; complete 30.

53
Section 8: Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR)

• What it looks like and purpose

• Timing of normal emerging and integration

Symptoms
• Low tolerance to stress
• Oversensitivity to several senses
• Motion sickness
• Panic attacks, nightmares or phobias
• Withdrawal or extremely shy
• Selective mutism; Autism
• Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
• Oppositional, defiant or aggressive behavior
• Temper tantrums
• Often linked to retained Moro

• Testing
• Integration
– Movements that Heal, Dr. Harald Blomberg

What if a reflex does not integrate?

• Palmar Reflex
• Moro Reflex
• TLR
• Spinal Galant
• ATNR
• STNR
• FPR

54
The Primitive Reflexes – Programs available

 Brain Balance Centers

 Brain Highways
 INPP (Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology)
 Masgutova Method
 Move to Learn DVDs
 Pyramid of Potential DVDs
 Quantum Reflex Integration
 Ready Bodies, Learning Minds
 Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT)
 Vital Links “Building Blocks for Sensory Integration”
 More

What to do next:
• Test for auditory processing problems
o If problems, use listening therapy
• Test for Visual processing problems
o Colored overlays, eye exercises, vision therapy as needed
• Test for cognitive skills
o Cognitive skills training as needed
• Academic tutoring and study skills as necessary

Summary and Q&A

55
NOTES
NOTES
 Online CE Certificate Instructions
Two easy ways!

1. Go to www.vyne.com.
1. Open the email that will be sent to you the
day of the seminar. 2. Click on “Login” at the top right of the page.

3. Select “Live Seminar Evaluations”

2. Click on the link or copy and paste the link
into your browser address bar. 4. Log in using your email address. If you have
forgotten or don’t know your password, please
click “forgot password”.
3. Complete the evaluation and download,
email or print your CE Certificate (*if you were 5. Click on “Live Seminar Evaluations”.
in full attendance).
6. Click on “Start CE Test”.

4. If you don’t see the email, please check your 7. Complete the evaluation and download,
junk or spam folder. email or print your CE Certificate (*if you were
in full attendance).

For assistance, please contact customer service at:

1-800-844-8260 Mon-Fri 7am-6pm Central Time.

*Partial Attendance Registrants:

Please note that your certificate will be emailed to you once the paperwork has been received back by Vyne
and your hours have been verified. Total continuing education credits available are determined by each ap-
plicable organization. Some boards require full attendance and do not allow for partial attendance. please
contact your board directly to determine if they allow for partial credit.
 3 E asy Continuing
Steps to Education
Credits
Vyne Education, LLC uses an online system to distribute continuing education
certificates. A link to obtain a continuing education certificate will be emailed
within one week of the activity.*

1 At the activity
Sign-in when you arrive in the morning, per day as applicable,
and initial when you return from lunch at the registration desk.

2
The same day of the activity
you will receive an email from: Vyne Customer Service
subject line: Evaluation and certificate
This email contains a link to an affidavit and evaluation.

3 When finished with the evaluation

you can choose to print, download or email the continuing
education certificate for your records.

If you have any questions or problems receiving your evaluation email or continuing education
certificate, please email [email protected] or call 800-397-0180 (Monday–Friday, 7am–6pm Central).

If you don’t see the email, check your junk or spam folder, emails may end up there!

*Partial Attendance Registrants:

Please note that your certificates will be emailed to you once the paperwork has been received back by Vyne and your
hours have been verified. Total continuing education credits available are determined by each applicable organization.
Some boards require full attendance and do not allow for partial attendance. Please contact your board directly to
determine if they do allow for partial credits.

*Walk-In Registrants:
Please note that the CE link will be sent to you once the paperwork has been received back by Vyne and your hours have
been verified.