Finally Understand WHY Your Child Struggles With Focus, Emotional Regulation, Coordination, or Anxiety
Learn how retained primitive reflexes may impact your child's behavior, emotions, learning, and sensory regulation — and discover simple therapist-led activities you can start using at home.
“This course helped me understand how retained primitive reflexes were affecting my son’s behavior.”
P.Z. | Parent
Verified Buyer
My child showed so many improvements in such a short time. I can’t recommend this course enough.
Nadene E.
Verified Buyer
I’m using this course with my 13- and 8-year-old children. It’s incredibly parent-friendly and easy to apply.
Amy C.
Verified Buyer
Does Any Of This Sound Familiar?
Many parents discover retained primitive reflexes after years of trying to "fix behaviors" that were actually rooted in nervous system development.
Big Emotional Reactions
Meltdowns seem to come out of nowhere, lasting longer than expected.
Constant Movement
They're always fidgeting, climbing, or seeking movement.
Focus & Attention Struggles
Difficulty staying on task or following multi-step directions.
Anxiety & Overwhelm
Frequent worries, fears, or feeling easily overwhlemed.
Handwriting Difficulties
Struggles with pencil grip, letter formation, or writing edurance.
Sensory Sensitivities
Bothered by tags, seams, certain textures, or loud sounds.
Sleep Struggles
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up tired.
Coordination Challenges
Appears clumsy, bumps into things, or struggles with motor skills.
Toe Walking
Walks on toes frequently or avoids putting heels down.
Motion Sickness
Gets car sick easily or dislikes swinging or spinning.
Poor Balance
Trouble balancing on one foot or navigating uneven surfaces.
Easily Overstimulated
Becomes overwhelmed in busy or noisy environments.
There May Be a Neurological Reason Behind These Struggles
Primitive Reflexes
Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns babies are born with. They help babies survive, move, and interact with the world during the first months of life.
As children grow, these reflexes are typically integrated into more mature movement patterns. This process creates a foundation for skills like balance, coordination, attention, emotional regulation, and learning.
When reflexes remain active longer than expected, children may continue relying on these automatic responses instead of more developed motor and sensory systems.
Primitive reflexes are only one piece of development, but they can sometimes contribute to challenges that seem unrelated on the surface.
Why Integration Matters
Many developmental skills build on one another.
Before children can comfortably sit still, coordinate their movements, manage big emotions, focus their attention, or develop strong motor skills, they first need a solid neurological foundation.
Because primitive reflexes influence multiple systems throughout the body, retained reflexes can sometimes affect several areas of development at the same time.
This is one reason parents often notice a mix of challenges rather than a single concern.
Understanding primitive reflexes can help explain patterns that may have felt confusing for years and provide a clearer picture of the developmental skills that support everyday success.
The Good News?
You Finally Have a Place to Start.
For many parents, learning about primitive reflexes feels like finding a missing piece of the puzzle.
Challenges that once seemed unrelated can start to feel connected. You begin noticing patterns, and gaining a clearer understanding of the developmental skills that support focus, coordination, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and learning.
Instead of wondering why certain challenges keep showing up, you can begin exploring practical ways to support your child’s development with greater confidence.
And when you understand the “why,” it becomes easier to determine what steps to take next.
That’s exactly what this course was designed to help you do.
Here's What You'll Learn Inside the Primitive Reflex Course
Understanding Primitive Reflexes
Learn what primitive reflexes are, how they develop, and why they matter for your child's development.
How Reflexes Affect Daily Life
Discover the connection between retained reflexes and the challenges you're seeing at home and school.
Identifying Possible Retained Reflexes
Simple testing techniques to recognize which reflexes may still be active in your child.
Activities & Exercises
Therapist-led activities you can do at home to support reflex integration and nervous system development.
Creating a Practical Home Plan
Learn how to build a sustainable routine that fits into your family's daily life without overwhelm.
Tools for Kids Who Need Extra Help
Learn strategies for successful carry-over for your kid regardless of physical, sensory or behavioral challenges.
AS SEEN IN
Learn From Pediatric Therapists Who Understand Both the Science and the Real-Life Challenges Parents Face
Rachel Harrington
COTA/L, CPRCS
Rachel is a Pediatric Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant who is dedicated to helping children with different abilities feel confident in their own skin. She holds her Autism Certificate, and is continuing her education in Handwriting Without Tears, Primitive Reflex Integration, Sensory Integration, and more! Rachel lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, two young children, and dog, and can be found outside hiking, playing games, and not taking life too seriously!
Jessica Hill
COTA/L, CPRCS
Jessica is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant who specializes in Pediatrics. She is passionate about helping children become healthy, happy, and confident members of society. She has training and experience in Primitive Reflex Integration, Sensory Integration, feeding, and parent training. Jessica and her son live in Boise, Idaho with their two crazy cats and enjoy hiking, swimming, and traveling!
What You'll Get
Self-Paced Video
Up to 10.5 hours of video lessons taught by Certified Pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Downloadable Handouts and Guides
We include PDFs for activities, templates, and more to make implementing what you learn in this course even easier!
Lifetime Access
You will get lifetime access to this course! So you can revisit the lessons as much as you need while implementing what you learn into real-life results for your child or clients!
Choose Your Course Option
MOST POPULAR
Master Level
$199
Designed for parents looking to comprehensively expand their knowledge on primitive reflex integration to improve daily life skills. Includes 8 extra submodules of functional activities for integration and case studies of real children.
14 Modules of training
10.5 Hours of video lessons
70+ Instructional Digital PDFs included
BONUS MODULE:
Postural Reflexes
Overflow Associated Movements
Integration into Sensory Diets
Integration into Obstacle Courses
Primitive Reflex Yoga Flow
Classroom Modifications
ADDITIONAL SUBMODULES:
8 Additional submodules of functional activities to integrate each of the 8 primitive reflexes.
CASE STUDIES:
8 Case studies with real life testing of 8 children.
Expert Level
$119
Designed for parents looking to understand the fundamentals of primitive reflex integration and get started on their journey to improve daily life skills for their child(ren).
14 Modules of training
10.5 Hours of video lessons
70+ Instructional Digital PDFs included
BONUS MODULE:
Postural Reflexes
Overflow Associated Movements
Integration into Sensory Diets
Integration into Obstacle Courses
Primitive Reflex Yoga Flow
Classroom Modifications
ADDITIONAL SUBMODULES:
8 Additional submodules of functional activities to integrate each of the 8 primitive reflexes.
CASE STUDIES:
8 Case studies with real life testing of 8 children.
“I’m a mom of five, and four of my children have been diagnosed with retained primitive reflexes. One of my children struggled the most, with fears around using the bathroom, food aversions, and social challenges.
We started the program over the summer and completed about two months of daily exercises before school began. The changes we’ve seen have been remarkable.
Our son now eats about 90% of his school meals without issue, plays with other kids at recess, and even joined a youth soccer team.
Our other children have also shown improvements in social skills, self-confidence, and emotional regulation. We still have more of the course to complete, but we’re incredibly encouraged by the progress we’ve already seen.”
Jill G. | Parent
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this course administered?
This course is administered via online videos and worksheet downloads that you be able to access through learn.harkla.co once you have purchased!
What is the refund policy for this course?
Like all Harkla products, this falls under our lifetime guarantee. This basically means that if at any time you aren’t satisfied with the course, we’ll refund you right away.
Will I have access to the instructors for the course?
We offer the ability to book a time slot with the instructors for an extra fee, but you are able to comment within courses and get answers to those comments as you go from the instructors.
We also are very responsive on customer support and social media to connect with our community.
Do you test or diagnose my child for primitive reflexes?
No. Testing for Primitive Reflexes is based on age and concerns for the family.
Please work with your local pediatrician or therapist to determine if a child requires formal testing for Primitive Reflexes.
Is this course beneficial for children without disabilities?
Yes! If your child or client is struggling in different areas, specifically academics, they could certainly benefit from integration of primitive reflexes!
Is there a correlation between a diagnosis of ADHD and retained primitive reflexes?
Although there is no solid research to back this up, there are similar signs / symptoms when looking at a child diagnosed with ADHD.
If a child is diagnosed with ADHD, it can be a good idea to have them formally tested for Primitive Reflexes.
What happens when there is an inconsistent positive response when testing and re-testing a primitive reflex?
There are many variables when testing for Primitive Reflexes. Fatigue. Hunger. Clothing choices. Illness. Age.
Since this is an online course, we won’t be able to assist with this.
Is this course helpful for parents and caretakers?
Yes! We've had many parents and caregivers take our course and implement the reflex integration on their own with huge success! The ‘Expert’ course option is great for parents and caretakers.
Is there a payment plan for the course?
Yes! If you select Shop Pay or PayPal while checking out, you will have the option to select a pay over time plan. If you need any help with this, please reach out to us: support@harkla.co
Now you have a clearer understanding of what may have been going on... and a practical next step forward.
You don't need to figure this all out alone. This course was created to help parents feel more confident, more informed, and more hopeful about supporting their child's development.
Small, consistent steps can create meaningful change over time.