The Primitive Reflex that Affects Reading and Organization

If your child constantly loses school papers, has a messy backpack, struggles with reading, slouches at their desk, or seems disorganized no matter how many reminders you give, there may be more going on than forgetfulness or executive functioning challenges.  In this video, our in house pediatric occupational therapy practitioners Amanda and Rachel explore the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR), a primitive reflex that plays an important role in posture, balance, body awareness, visual skills, and organization. When this reflex remains active (unintegrated), everyday tasks like reading, staying organized, sitting upright, and navigating the classroom can feel much harder than they should. What You'll Learn: 🎒 How posture and body awareness can impact organization 📚 Why some kids lose their place while reading or avoid reading altogether 🧠 How the TLR affects movement, visual processing, and daily routines 3️⃣ Three simple activities to support TLR integration at home 🤝 When organization challenges may be more related to executive functioning One of the biggest takeaways from this video is that organization is not just a brain skill. If a child's body is working overtime to stay upright, balanced, and oriented in space, there may be less energy available for reading, planning, organizing, and learning. The good news is that small, consistent activities can help build the foundation for stronger posture, better body awareness, improved reading endurance, and greater independence. 💬 What challenge do you notice most often in your household: messy backpacks, reading struggles, poor posture, or all of the above? 📚 Table of Contents 📚 00:00 Introduction 00:25 What you'll learn 01:04 What the TLR is 02:13 An active TLR may look like 02:45 Impacts if retained 02:53 Poor posture or low muscle tone 03:25 Trouble with organization 03:44 Poor balance 04:39 Reading difficulty 05:43 Integration activities 05:57 #1 Superman ball roll 06:49 #2 Colored dot toe taps 08:07 #3 Over-unders with chart reading 09:28 Consistency is key to integration 10:16 Executive functioning ====== 👩‍🏫 Want to learn more about primitive reflexes and how they impact daily life? We have a full course all about Primitive Reflexes! https://harkla.co/products/primitive-... You'll get in-depth info about how integrating primitive reflexes can help: ⭐️ Coordination ⭐️ Motor Skills ⭐️ Learning ⭐️ And so much more! Click here to learn more about the full course: https://harkla.co/products/primitive-... ============= 🔗 Links 🔗 Primitive Reflex Course https://harkla.co/products/primitive-... Episode #383 https://harkla.co/blogs/podcast/383-l... Article on TLR - Clear Signs, Causes, & Integration Tips https://harkla.co/blogs/special-needs... ==== Get More Content From Us! 👩‍💻 Harkla https://harkla.co/ 📰 Harkla Blog https://harkla.co/blogs/special-needs 🎧 All Things Sensory Podcast by Harkla https://harkla.co/blogs/podcast 🤳 Harkla Instagram   / harkla_family   🤳 All Things Sensory Instagram   / allthingssensorypodcast   #PrimitiveReflexes #TLRReflex #ExecutiveFunction #ReadingSkills