Can Chiropractic Care Help Children with Autism ADHD and Retained Primitive Reflexes
Updated: 22 hours ago
When a child struggles to sit still, follow directions, manage big emotions, or handle daily transitions, families often look for every safe source of support they can find. For children with autism and ADHD, care is usually layered: behavioral support, occupational therapy, school accommodations, home routines, and medical guidance when needed.
A recent case report by Diana Matson, DC, looked at another piece of that support picture: pediatric chiropractic care for a 7-year-old child with autism, ADHD, and retained primitive reflexes.
This does not prove chiropractic care treats autism or ADHD. A case report follows one patient, so it cannot tell us what will happen for every child. Still, it raises useful questions about the nervous system, movement patterns, primitive reflexes, and how individualized care may affect comfort and daily function.
What retained primitive reflexes are
Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns present in infancy. They help babies feed, respond to stimulation, and develop early motor skills. As the brain and nervous system mature, many of these reflexes become integrated. That means the child no longer responds with the same automatic infant reflex pattern.
When primitive reflexes remain active beyond the expected developmental window, some clinicians call them retained primitive reflexes. They may be associated with challenges in posture, coordination, attention, reading, handwriting, emotional regulation, and sensory processing.
Two reflexes stood out in this case report.
The Moro reflex is sometimes described as a startle reflex. When retained, it may be linked with heightened sensitivity, difficulty calming, or a strong response to unexpected sounds or movement.
The Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex, often shortened to ATNR, connects head turning with arm and leg movement. In infants, it is sometimes called the “fencing reflex.” If retained in an older child, it may affect coordination, bilateral movement, and tasks that require the body to stay steady while the head turns.
These links are not the same as a diagnosis. Reflex testing is one clinical lens, not a complete explanation for complex neurodevelopmental conditions.
What happened in the case report
The case report followed a 7-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with autism and ADHD at age 4. His mother sought supportive care after ongoing challenges with school and daily behavior. The report described difficulty following directions, loud outbursts, trouble sitting still, and emotional dysregulation. His mother had moved him to homeschooling because the school environment was not working for him.
At the first visit, the chiropractor performed a general pediatric chiropractic exam and tested for retained primitive reflexes. The most notable findings were retention of the Moro reflex and ATNR.
The child received chiropractic care using sacro occipital technique, often called SOT. The report described SOT category one care related to pelvic torsion and sacral mechanics, along with care for occipital restriction. The occipital area is the base of the skull, where the head meets the upper neck.
The child also received specific home exercises intended to support reflex integration.
At the second visit, the Moro reflex had improved. The ATNR had not improved. The child’s mother reported that he had not been doing the ATNR home exercises, and the report connected the lack of change to that missed home practice.
At the third visit, the chiropractor tested the ATNR while the child was standing and while he was in a quadruped position, on hands and knees. Arm drift appeared on both sides in both positions. After treatment, testing showed moderate improvement when the child turned his head to the left, but not to the right.
Then the chiropractor performed more occipital release while the child was standing. After that standing occipital release, the ATNR test was negative on both sides in both standing and quadruped positions. At the next visit, the ATNR remained negative in both test positions.
That specific detail is what makes the case notable. The report suggested that performing occipital release while standing, rather than only while lying down, may have influenced ATNR integration for this child.
Why body position may matter
The case report points to a practical clinical idea: the nervous system may respond differently depending on body position.
Lying down reduces the demands of balance, posture, and gravity. Standing asks the body to manage much more at once. A child must organize head position, spinal control, visual orientation, foot pressure, and balance. If a reflex pattern shows up during standing, it makes sense that testing and care in that position could reveal something different than testing only while supine.
This does not mean standing occipital release is a proven solution for retained ATNR. It means the case raises a thoughtful question. For some children, reflex patterns may be more visible during real-life positions, such as standing, crawling, reaching, turning, or walking.
That matters because daily life rarely happens on a treatment table.
What this does and does not tell us
The most careful reading of this report is also the most useful one.
This case suggests that chiropractic care appeared to have a positive effect on one child’s behavior and quality of life, including the family’s daily experience. It also suggests that retained reflex testing may help guide individualized care for some children.
But it does not show that chiropractic care can cure autism, cure ADHD, or replace evidence-based developmental care. Autism and ADHD are complex neurodevelopmental conditions. They involve many factors, and each child’s needs are different.
A single case report cannot separate all the possible reasons a child improved. Changes may relate to the hands-on care, the home exercises, maturation, parent support, routine changes, or a mix of factors. Case reports are valuable because they can point to patterns worth studying, not because they settle clinical questions.
For families, the safest takeaway is this: pediatric chiropractic care, when provided by a properly trained clinician and coordinated with the child’s broader care team, may be one supportive option to discuss. It should fit within a larger plan that may include:
Developmental pediatric care
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy when needed
Behavioral and emotional support
School accommodations or homeschool structure
Sleep, movement, and sensory routines
Parent coaching and caregiver support
How parents can approach this topic carefully
Parents exploring care for autism, ADHD, or retained primitive reflexes should ask direct questions before starting any new intervention.
A pediatric chiropractor or other clinician should be able to explain:
What they are testing and why
Which primitive reflexes appear retained
How progress will be measured
What home exercises are being recommended
What changes would suggest the care is helping
When they would refer to another provider
How they adjust techniques for a child’s age, comfort, and needs
Care should feel respectful and child-centered. No child should be forced through a technique that feels frightening or painful. The goal is support, not pressure.
It is also wise to share updates with the child’s pediatrician or developmental care team. Better communication helps everyone understand what the child is receiving and how they are responding.
A balanced takeaway
The case report offers a hopeful but limited example. For one 7-year-old child with autism, ADHD, and retained primitive reflexes, chiropractic care combined with home exercises appeared to improve primitive reflex findings and support better quality of life. The most interesting clinical observation was the change in ATNR testing after occipital release was performed while the child was standing.
That finding deserves curiosity, not overstatement. More research is needed before broad claims can be made.
For now, the practical message is simple: children with complex developmental needs often benefit from thoughtful, individualized, team-based care. When primitive reflexes remain active, careful assessment and gentle support may offer another way to understand how a child’s body and nervous system are working together.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Families should consult qualified health professionals before starting or changing care for a child with autism, ADHD, or developmental concerns.
Citation
Matson, D. C. Chiropractic care for a child presenting with autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and retained primitive reflexes: A case report.
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