Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
What parents often tell us
“They seem to be in their own world.”
“They find changes difficult.”
“They do not understand social situations.”
“They react too strongly — or not at all.”
Sometimes parents come to us when their child has already been diagnosed with ASD — Autism Spectrum Disorder.
At other times, they simply have a strong feeling that their child experiences the world differently — more intensely, more chaotically, or with a high level of overwhelm.
They have often already tried many recommendations, methods and strategies.
And yet there is still a feeling that the child is constantly expected to adapt to the environment, instead of the environment respecting what the child is able to manage.
How autism may be connected with retained primary reflexes
ASD is a neurodevelopmental difference — a spectrum of ways in which the brain and nervous system perceive, process and evaluate the world.
That is why the signs can vary so much from child to child. For one child, communication may be the most visible area. For another, it may be social understanding. For another, it may be the need for sameness, routine and predictability.
In practice, we often see that the child’s nervous system:
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has a different sensory processing profile — the child may be highly sensitive to sensory input, or may actively seek it,
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finds regulation more difficult — they may become overwhelmed quickly and need more time to return to calm,
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needs more structure and predictability in order to feel safe,
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reacts “too much” or “too little” in everyday situations — not out of defiance, but because the level of load is different for their system.
From this perspective, the primary issue is not “bad behaviour” or “naughtiness”.
It is about how the nervous system manages load, stress and regulation.
Without understanding this foundation, support can easily turn into constant correction of visible behaviours — without real relief for the child or the family.
Typical examples we may see in children on the autism spectrum in the area of body and regulation
In some children on the autism spectrum, motor and postural difficulties may also be present. These can include stability, coordination, movement planning and, in some cases, retained primary reflexes.
Retained primary reflexes are not “the cause of autism” and they are not a diagnostic sign of autism.
They can, however, increase the load on the nervous system and make everyday functioning more difficult.
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The Moro reflex may keep the body in a heightened state of alert. The child may be more sensitive to sensory input, may find changes harder to manage and may become overwhelmed more quickly.
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TLR / STNR / ATNR may affect posture, movement coordination and eye movements. As a result, the child may have less capacity left for communication and learning.
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When the system is overloaded, tolerance of social situations, transitions and demands often decreases too. The child’s reactions may then look much stronger than they do in a calm and predictable environment.
How we approach this in NDS
Within Neuro-Developmental Stimulation (NDS), we do not approach ASD as a set of symptoms that need to be “fixed”.
Our aim is to understand what stabilises the child’s nervous system, what overloads it, and how to create conditions in which the child can function more easily.
We focus on:
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assessment and targeted work with retained primary reflexes,
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regulation and reducing sensory overload, mainly through vestibular and proprioceptive input,
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stability and a sense of safety in the body, including posture, muscle tone and body awareness,
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supporting predictability, transitions and changes through pace, structure and gradual steps,
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creating conditions for learning and communication.
💡 Good to know
You are not booking a separate “autism therapy”.
Support for children on the autism spectrum is part of Neuro-Developmental Stimulation (NDS) and is based on the initial assessment.
This allows us to set the level of support, the pace and the form of work according to the individual child — not according to a general template.
NDS does not replace diagnostic assessment or other necessary support approaches.
On the contrary, we aim to make the individual steps in your child’s support fit together and make sense.
Book an Initial NDS Assessment
Your initial assessment is with Marja. We will recommend a therapist for follow-up appointments based on the assessment results and your child’s needs.
We will look at key developmental functions, including persistent primary reflexes and sensory processing.
We will then create a plan together: what to support first and how to work on it at home for just a few minutes a day.
Scientific literature documents specific patterns of sensory processing in children with ASD, as well as possibilities for support through sensory integration.
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Healy O, Reilly E, Davies J, Lovett V, Reed P. Differential Persistence of Primary Reflexes for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Replication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2024;54:4752–4756. doi:10.1007/s10803-022-05880-w.
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Schoen, S. A. et al. (2019). A systematic review of Ayres sensory integration intervention for children with autism. Autism Research, 12(1), 6–19.
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Marco, E. J. et al. (2011). Sensory processing in autism: A review of neurophysiologic findings. Pediatric Research, 69(5), 48R–54R.
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Melillo, R. et al. (2022). Retained Primitive Reflexes and Potential for Intervention in Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Frontiers in Neurology, 13, 922322.
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Minderaa, R.B., Volkmar, F.R., Hansen, C.R. et al. Brief report: Snout and visual rooting reflexes in infantile autism. J Autism Dev Disord 15, 409–416 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01531785
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Teitelbaum, Philip, et al. "Reflexes gone astray in autism in infancy." The Journal of Developmental and Learning Disorders (2002): 15.
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Volemanová, M. (2013). Přetrvávající primární reflexy, opomíjený faktor poruch učení a chování. Prague: Red Tulip.
The complete list of scientific references can be found on the Scientific Evidence page.
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