Pediatric Occupational Therapy for Reflex Integration | Palatine, IL
Feb 25, 2026
At Express Yourself Therapy, we provide specialized pediatric occupational therapy services focused on foundational development — including assessment and support for primitive reflex integration.
We serve families in Palatine, Illinois and surrounding communities such as Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, and Barrington, IL. Our goal is to help children build strong motor skills, improve coordination, support attention, and develop confidence through individualized therapy plans.
Primitive reflexes are automatic movement responses that develop before birth and during early infancy. These reflexes help infants survive and respond to their environment in the first months of life.
As a child grows, these reflexes should gradually integrate into more controlled and voluntary movement patterns. When reflexes remain active beyond the expected developmental stage, they can interfere with motor skills, learning, posture, and behavior.
Common primitive reflexes include:
Moro reflex
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
Children with retained primitive reflexes may experience challenges in everyday activities and school performance. Some common signs include:
Poor handwriting or difficulty with pencil control
Weak core stability and posture
Clumsiness or frequent tripping
Difficulty with bilateral coordination
Trouble sitting still during classroom tasks
Struggles with focus and sustained attention
Difficulty with reading tracking or visual coordination
Overreaction to movement or touch
Sensory sensitivity
Strong fight-or-flight responses
Difficulty managing transitions
These patterns do not define a child — but they may indicate the need for further evaluation by a pediatric occupational therapist.
At Express Yourself Therapy, our pediatric occupational therapists evaluate movement patterns, posture, coordination, and functional skills to determine whether retained reflexes are affecting daily performance.
Our therapy approach may include:
Targeted reflex integration exercises
Developmental movement activities
Core strengthening strategies
Cross-body coordination training
Balance and postural control exercises
Visual-motor and fine motor skill development
Play-based therapeutic activities
We focus on strengthening the neurological foundations that support learning, sports participation, classroom success, and everyday independence.
When reflex patterns begin to integrate and movement becomes more controlled, children may experience:
✔ Improved handwriting and fine motor control
✔ Better posture and body awareness
✔ Enhanced attention and focus
✔ Stronger coordination and balance
✔ Increased confidence in school and play
Early evaluation and intervention can make a meaningful difference in long-term development.
Express Yourself Therapy proudly serves families in: