Rated 4.93 out of 5
106 Reviews

Assessment and Integration of Primitive Reflexes for Improved Independence in Daily Activities

Original Price:   Current Price: $199.00

Learn how to identify retained primitive reflexes and use targeted activities tailored to your child’s or client’s unique needs to support better coordination, focus, emotional regulation, and everyday skills. With step-by-step guidance and practical exercises, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to understand what may be holding a child back, know which activities to try, and help them make meaningful progress at home or in therapy.

I absolutely loved this course and highly recommend it to my fellow OTs and parents. The format is very easy to follow, with excellent videos, great ideas for treatment, and handouts that are shareable. — MB, Occupational Therapist

Thinkific Primitive Reflexes - Master Level
Rated 4.93 out of 5
106 Reviews

Assessment and Integration of Primitive Reflexes for Improved Independence in Daily Activities

Original Price:   Current Price: $199.00

Learn how to identify retained primitive reflexes and use targeted activities tailored to your child’s or client’s unique needs to support better coordination, focus, emotional regulation, and everyday skills. With step-by-step guidance and practical exercises, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to understand what may be holding a child back, know which activities to try, and help them make meaningful progress at home or in therapy.

I absolutely loved this course and highly recommend it to my fellow OTs and parents. The format is very easy to follow, with excellent videos, great ideas for treatment, and handouts that are shareable. — MB, Occupational Therapist

Learn how to identify retained primitive reflexes and use targeted activities tailored to your child’s or client’s unique needs to support better coordination, focus, emotional regulation, and everyday skills. With step-by-step guidance and practical exercises, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to understand what may be holding a child back, know which activities to try, and help them make meaningful progress at home or in therapy.

AOTA CEU Approved Provider

Select Course Level

3 Course Levels Taught By

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants with Certification in Primitive Reflex Integration

1.05 AOTA CEUs

AOTA CEUs

$399.00

Provides continuing education hours approved by AOTA for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants

*approved for 1.05 AOTA CEUs or 10.5 contact hours

  • 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

Physical Workbook

200+ pages of incredible course content! All of our PDFs printed and organized in a workbook that includes reflex screening, checklists, integration activities and pictures of all of our recommended testing, exercises, and strategies.

Everything you need in one place to reference quickly and efficiently!

Master

$199.00

Designed for parents, educators and therapists looking to more thoroughly and comprehensively expand their knowledge on primitive reflex integration to improve daily life skills- without AOTA CEUs

  • 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

$99.99

200+ pages of incredible course content! All of our PDFs printed and organized in a workbook that includes reflex screening, checklists, integration activities and pictures of all of our recommended testing, exercises, and strategies.

Everything you need in one place to reference quickly and efficiently!

Expert

$119.00

Created 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).

  • 13 Modules of training
  • 7.5 Hours of video lessons
  • 60+ 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

Case Studies

$99.99

200+ pages of incredible course content! All of our PDFs printed and organized in a workbook that includes reflex screening, checklists, integration activities and pictures of all of our recommended testing, exercises, and strategies.

Everything you need in one place to reference quickly and efficiently!
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Help Kids Thrive by Integrating Primitive Reflexes

Improve social skills, coordination, learning, and daily functioning with fun, clear, step-by-step activities.

As Seen In

The New York Times
ParentMap
C-net
C-net

What Are Primitive Reflexes?

The building blocks for achieving higher level skills

We are all born with primitive reflexes! At birth, primitive reflexes are present to assist in survival - most develop in utero. These reflexes are automatic movements, directed from the brain stem, without thought or direction. These involuntary movement patterns are designed to keep the newborn alive and help with development throughout infancy.

Most parents are familiar with primitive reflexes from interacting with their children. When an infant grasps your finger or has the “startle reflex”, these are both primitive reflexes. There are quite a few more to be aware of! Primitive reflexes are essentially the foundation for higher-level learning and development, because when these reflexes don’t integrate on their own, they can hinder future development and learning.

Retained Primitive Reflexes Can Hinder A Child’s Future Development

Integrated vs. Retained Primitive Reflexes

Primitive Reflexes should have a limited life span; they should integrate (go away) or mature as a child meets their individual motor milestones.

As your child grows up, these primitive reflexes should be suppressed by the higher functioning parts of the brain. When a primitive reflex integrates, it makes way for new, more mature movement patterns and higher-level learning to develop. However, sometimes this doesn’t happen for a variety of reasons.

When primitive reflexes aren’t naturally integrated, they become retained reflexes, and significant challenges may arise, development may be hindered, and the child may not gain higher-level skills. Retained primitive reflexes can cause symptoms or contribute to autism, dyslexia, speech disorders, sensory disorders, and hyperactivity.

What You'll Get

Self-Paced Video

You'll have instant access to 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!

When children retain primitive reflexes,
they will often times struggle with:

Social skills

Coordination

Emotional regulation

Problem solving

Focusing in class

Reading and writing

Anxiety

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

Identify 3 potential adverse reactions to occupational-based tasks when primitive reflexes are retained, i.e. bathing, eating, playing, etc.

State 5 common primitive reflexes and their symptoms when retained.

List 3 functional activities to include during play-based therapeutic treatment interventions to integrate primitive reflexes.

Identify 2 modifications to daily occupations when reflexes are retained to improve successful participation in ADLs and IADLs.

List 2 strategies to improve caregiver success with HEPs in the home / school environments to improve reflex integration.

Define the pyramid of learning and identify where primitive reflexes are located, compared to academic and cognitive skills.

State the importance of integrating primitive reflexes during play to improve occupational performance.

Course Outline

This digital course includes 14 training modules and 8 functional activity submodules, featuring 10.5 hours of video content and 10.5 contact hours / 1.05 AOTA CEUs (plus bonuses). It provides step-by-step guidance to help improve functional daily skills for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

  • Module 1 What are Primitive Reflexes?

    Learn everything you need to know about Primitive Reflexes. What they are, how and when they should naturally integrate, what happens when they don’t integrate, and screening checklists for parents, therapists and teachers.

  • Module 2 Moro Reflex + Functional Activities

    You’ll learn what the Moro Reflex is, when it first appears, and when it should integrate. You’ll learn how to test the Moro Reflex, see real life examples of a retained Moro Reflex, and the exercises to help integrate the Moro Reflex + over 15 functional therapeutic activities for integration.

  • Module 3 The Tonic Labyrinthine (TLR) & Landau Reflex + Functional Activities

    You’ll learn what the TLR & Landau Reflexes are, when they appear, and when they should integrate. You’ll learn how to test both reflexes, see real life examples of a retained TLR and Landau and the exercises to help integrate both+ over 18 functional therapeutic activities for integration.

  • Module 4 The Rooting Reflex + Functional Activities

    You’ll learn what the Rooting Reflex is, when it first appears, and when it should integrate. You’ll learn how to test the Rooting Reflex, see real life examples of a retained Rooting Reflex, and the exercises to help integrate the Rooting Reflex + over 10 functional therapeutic activities for integration.

  • Module 5 The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) + Functional Activities

    You’ll learn what the ATNR is, when it first appears, and when it should integrate. You’ll learn how to test the ATNR, see real life examples of a retained ATNR, and the exercises to help integrate the ATNR + over 25 functional therapeutic activities for integration.

  • Module 6 The Spinal Galant Reflex + Functional Activities

    You’ll learn what the Spinal Galant Reflex is, when it first appears, and when it should integrate. You’ll learn how to test the Spinal Galant, see real life examples of a retained Spinal Galant, and the exercises to help integrate it + over 18 functional therapeutic activities for integration.

  • Module 7 The Palmar Grasp Reflex + Functional Activities

    You’ll learn what the Palmar Grasp Reflex is, when it first appears, and when it should integrate. You’ll learn how to test the Palmar Grasp, see real life examples of a retained Palmar, and the exercises to help integrate the Palmar + over 25 functional therapeutic activities for integration.

  • Module 8 The Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) + Functional Activities

    You’ll learn what the STNR is, when it first appears, and when it should integrate. You’ll learn how to test the STNR, see real life examples of a retained STNR, and the exercises to help integrate the STNR + over 16 functional therapeutic activities for integration.

  • Module 9 Tools for Kids Who Push Back

    Primitive reflex testing and integration can be challenging. We dive into the underlying challenges that some kiddos might experience during testing and during integration. You’ll learn strategies to increase motivation & participation as well as what NOT to do.

  • Module 10 Tools for Kids Who Need Extra Help

    You’ll learn ideas for kiddos who need modifications, adjustments, and more. We include strategies for those with physical limitations, pre or non-verbal, motor planning challenges, behavioral challenges, low muscle tone or hyper-mobile joints.

  • Module 11 Screening Checklists

    If you’re not able to physically complete the full primitive reflex testing, we cover and provide screening checklists for therapists, families, educators and yourself!

  • Module 12 BONUS: Postural Reflexes, Overflow, Sensory Diets, Yoga, and More!

    We dive into a variety of BONUS topics including: postural reflexes - what they are and how to strengthen them, overflow and associated movements, adding primitive reflex integration into sensory diets and much more!

  • Module 13 Case Studies

    Rachel and Jessica tested the primitive reflexes of 8 individual children. We show you video footage of these 8 individuals and walk you through our observations, notes, screening results, HEP and treatment plans for each child.

  • Module 14 Research

    A complete collection of the articles, studies and research referenced throughout the course.

Meet Your Instructors

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!

Featured Reviews

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Featured Reviews

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Rated 5.0 out of 5

An excellent course for those seeking assessment and treatment in therapy practice

A great course for therapists wanting to assess for, and treat, Primitive Reflex integration. I have worked in the peds space as an OT for almost a decade, and typically do not enjoy online courses. This one, however, was well set out, clearly presented, and everything was functional and relevant to therapy practice. The videos were also short, concise, and relevant. I highly recommend doing the version that includes the workbook as well, and have it shipped out if you are international like me. Highly recommend!

Carli G. Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Harkla Primitive Reflexes - AOTA CEUs
Primitive Reflexes - AOTA CEUs Original Price:   Current Price: $399.00
Rated 5.0 out of 5

Simple + Complete = Outstanding

Deserves to be considered as an official course to be included in anyone’s resume. Harkla’s course is concise versus other courses that are informative but too long and not going to the point. The OT’s are fun but always keep it to a serious level. If you have studied PR’s before, this course helps you to wrap information up and use it, so it’s practical. But it also gives you lots of back up information, so if you are new to PR’s you’ll get to know what they are in an extremely easy and understandable way. I’m glad I took it and I think it’s worthy the price.

Lionel R. P.E. Teacher
Thinkific Primitive Reflexes - Master Level
Primitive Reflexes - Master Level Original Price:   Current Price: $199.00

Frequently Asked Questions

This is an optional description that can elaborate on the questions that are being asked.

  • 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.

  • How do I get my certification for CEUs?

    In order to earn your AOTA CEU certificate you must complete the course evaluation and pass the post-test with 80% accuracy. Then you'll be able to download and print your certificate for continuing education!

  • 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

  • What exactly is the Digital Course Workbook?

    Our AOTA-approved digital courses come with a physical workbook - all the digital course PDFs made into a beautifully printed book that we will ship to you. It is the digital course in physical form! You can use our workbooks for quickly referencing and photocopying when needed.

    The physical workbook is available separately. If you do not need the CEUs, you can purchase another course option and add the workbook at checkout! Please note that you will have the option to add the workbook after you enter payment information.

    The workbooks are only available to those who have purchased the corresponding digital course.

    Digital Course Workbooks ship worldwide and take about two weeks for delivery due to processing time.

Harkla Gives Back

Game Changers Idaho

We donate 1% of every sale to Game Changers Idaho to provide year-round inclusive sports leagues to give children of all abilities the opportunity to learn, grow & create friendships through sports.

Our Mission
Our Mission

Help those with special needs live happy and healthy lives.

At Harkla, we believe you already have enough on your plate. That’s why we’re here to help you with sensory needs, sleep improvement, and focus in the classroom through our products, courses and community.

About Harkla

Customer Reviews

  • 5 stars: 103 (97%)
  • 4 stars: 1 (1%)
  • 3 stars: 1 (1%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 1 (1%)
Some of the reviews shown are from related products the merchant grouped with this one.
A
A.M.
Very analytical and visual

I ordered these course because I am professionally and privately interested in the integration of primary reflexes. I bought three different online courses of reflex integration, and the revised version from Harkle is by far the most convincing, because in addition to the explanation, it also contains practical demonstrations and the responsiveness to the questions asked is very high!

A.M. review photo
M
Michelle weimer
Assistance

Super prompt and helpful in replacing a workbook

Hi Michelle! Thanks for your kind words and support. We really appreciate you. ☺️

M
Mohit Sarswat
Very useful in treating

Very useful in treating patients

We're so glad to hear that the Primitive Reflex Workbook has been helpful in treating your patients! Thank you for sharing your positive experience.

C
Carrie Frost
So fun!

I love how these movements integrate so well into a yoga flow!

We're so glad to hear you enjoyed the movements and how they fit into your yoga flow! Thanks for sharing your experience and your review!

A
Anne

Very helpful for parent to find causes and suggestions of exercises to help with the primitive reflex behaviors. The book is well written and organized.

Thank you so much for your kind review! We're so glad you found the book helpful and easy to follow.

M
Macy R.
Primitive Reflex-Master Level

This course has been highly beneficial for my occupational therapy practice.

K
Kadir K.Y.
Simply Outstanding

The course is truly stellar. The depth, care, and effort put into each material is outstanding.

J
Judy Jneyd
I didnt get my wokbook yet

Hello, i didnt get my workbook for primitive reflexes yet

T
Tina Stanfield
Fabulous Workbook

I am very impressed with the amount of information in the workbook. I am very excited to start using it soon.

S
Serenity Hale
Beautiful materials and great course

I’m impressed and am excited to do this work with clients.

L
Lori M.
Primitive Reflexes

So far so good, very easy to read and understand.
Everything we need in one place, a huge help when you are working with children.

D
Dana Hendrix
Great course

This is a thorough and helpful course. I am definitely able to quickly apply the information to my patients.

C
Carli Goldberg
An excellent course for those seeking assessment and treatment in therapy practice

A great course for therapists wanting to assess for, and treat Primative Reflex integration. I have worked in the paeds space as an OT for almost a decade, and typically do not enjoy online courses. This one, however, was well set out, clearly presented, and everything was functional and relevant to therapy practice. The videos were also short, concise, and relevant. I highly recommend doing the version that includes the workbook as well, and have it shipped out if you are international like me. The only downfall that I note is that it does not delve into depth regarding how primitive reflexes are connected to the crux of the sensory system (granted, it did not advertise that it would, and I do acknowledge that I am a therapist working in the Ayres Sensory integration space so this is likely a concern of mine that may not be relevant to everyone undertaking this course. Highly recommend!

P
Paris LaCella
Great CEU

I love this course. The manual that comes with it is very helpful and provides a lot of activities to use rather than just 1-2 exercises for each reflex. Great resoruce for Parent education as well.

E
Ewa

This is exactly what I was looking for. Explanations, testing and specific interventions.

Awesome! We are so glad the Primitive Reflex course is working well for you. Thanks for your review!

L
Loretta Grad
Primitive Reflexes

Comprehensive and well organized!! Definitely worth it!!

C
Christine

So well put together. Wonderful.

M
M L

Primitive Reflexes - Master Level

P
Philip Sheehy

Primitive Reflexes - Master Level

L
Lynzie Asuncion

Primitive Reflexes - Master Level

P
PZ
Primitive Reflexes

I am glad to purchase this course to help me understand what these reflexes are about and how they affected my son's behaviours. The lessons are clear and I am able to follow them through the accompanied videos. I look forward to see positive changes in my son after implementing the strategies one after another.

M
Martha Kok
Reflexes Master Level

A wonderful course!!!

I
Ivana Dobiaš
Love it

I love learning on the details of retained primitive reflexes and the ways to tackle those. The ladies also provide comprehensible view on the topics, offering further resources and one of a kind loving approach :)

A
Allen Walton
The best!

One of the best things we did for our kids. They enjoyed the exercises and we've noticed a ton of behavioral improvement. Thank you!

L
Lucy
Amazing workbook!

I am an OT and a mom of 3. My oldest son has a couple retained primitive reflexes. Between the kids I treat and my own son, I reference this workbook a lot. It is super easy and convenient to navigate. I have learned so much through this course and the workbook is an easy way to access the information I need. Highly recommend the workbook.

A
Afra Forgette
So far so GREAT

I started the program and quickly realized this was a more advanced section as I should have ordered the early intervention course. But let me tell you the first few digital content videos were great and easy to follow. I’m going to exchange it for the EI course but it’s so well put together I may just keep this one and also purchase the E I course.

A
Alicia Satcher
Primitive reflex integration

I’ve taken several courses on the topic & this is my favorite this far. Excellent videos, handouts especially testing procedures & handouts to provide families to assist with integration.

L
Laima Preiksiene

I haven't looked through all the stuff yet but the beginning was good.

K
Karla Edlinger
Better than I expected

I love the workbook it is way better than I expected.

R
Rachael Huumala
Life Changing!

Amazing content with amazing results! I have just started this course and working with my 4year old son, and have already seen fabulous results. I gave him a haircut today for the first time ever , that he stood nicely for it and didn’t scream and need held down like it was the worst thing on planet. He also will take a shower and let me wash his hair. Amazing! And we are just at the beginning it feels like.He has several other reflexes that are very retained, I am very excited to see how it will help him in life to have them integrated. Thank you so much!