Reflexes are automatic motor movements or actions in response to sensory or motor input. Reflexes control everything that regulates the body even when we do not realise we are receiving sensory information, such as in breathing and heart rate. Reflexes also take care of us in painful or dangerous situations, eg: flight, fight, or freeze.
Additional Information
Reflexes that can impact development and learning
Reflexes are automatic motor movements or actions in response to sensory or motor input. Reflexes control everything that regulates the body even when we do not realise we are receiving sensory information, such as in breathing and heart rate. Reflexes also take care of us in painful or dangerous situations, eg: flight, fight, or freeze.
Primitive reflexes are automatic movements that lay the foundations of the nervous system which is responsible for processing information through the visual, auditory, touch, taste and smell senses. Primitive reflexes are needed for survival in the first year of life and control a baby’s movements. As the child gets older the primitive reflexes should disappear to allow for postural reflexes to appear and the child to consciously learn to roll over, crawl, reach, grasp objects, talk, walk and many other life experiences. Reflexes that are retained can interfere with learning and brain development. Every reflex should be utilized for a specific purpose at a specific time so higher areas of the brain can take over.
This table describes some of the reflexes that impact learning when retained: