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Palmar Grasp Reflex in Children
The palmar grasp reflex is an automatic response that causes a newborn to close their fingers around something touching their palm, such as your finger. This reflex typically fades during the first few months of life as babies develop more purposeful hand movements. If the reflex remains active beyond infancy, it may contribute to difficulties with fine motor control, pencil grip and tasks requiring precise finger movements.
As children grow, they need to develop the ability to open and close their hands independently, isolate finger movements and coordinate their hands for everyday tasks. These skills form important foundations for handwriting, drawing, using cutlery and managing buttons. Through my work, I explore underlying developmental movement patterns, including primitive reflexes, and use targeted activities to support hand function, coordination and the skills children need to become more confident and independent.
Does your child struggle with pencil grip, handwriting or tasks requiring precise finger movements?
Let’s explore the underlying skills that may be contributing to these challenges. Get in touch to book an appointment and find out how I can help.
Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner · Brain Gym® Consultant · Qualified primary school teacher · Mum of three
I’m Michele, a Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner and Brain Gym® Consultant in Perth. This page explains what the palmar reflex is, the signs that can come with a retained palmar reflex, and what helps.
What is the palmar grasp reflex?
The palmar reflex, or grasp reflex, is one of the primitive reflexes, the automatic movements babies are born with. Stroke the palm of a baby’s hand and their fingers close in a grasp. It is the very start of learning to hold things.
As the brain matures the reflex is meant to integrate, usually in the first six months, so the hand can open, reach and let go on purpose.
What is a retained palmar reflex?
When the palmar reflex is retained, the hand can keep wanting to close when something presses into the palm. Think about holding a pencil. If the hand is gripping automatically, a light, controlled grip is hard to find, the hand tires quickly, and writing takes far more effort than it should.
Handwriting relies on much more than the fingers. It involves postural control, core stability, shoulder strength, hand-eye coordination and the brain’s ability to plan and coordinate movements.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Signs that can come with a retained palmar reflex
A very tight or awkward pencil grip, and hands that tire quickly
Messy handwriting, or letters that vary a lot in size
Trouble with buttons, zips, shoelaces or cutlery
Avoiding drawing, colouring or writing tasks
Trouble with hand-eye coordination
Every child is different, and there can be many reasons for each of these. If several sound familiar, an assessment can show whether a retained reflex is part of the picture.
AT HOME
Simple things to try at home
- Play that builds hand strength: playdough, pegs, tongs, threading and building blocks
- Climbing, swinging and hanging at the playground
- Crawling games and animal walks, which build the shoulder and core stability the hands rely on
- Drawing on a vertical surface like a whiteboard, easel or window
- Keep writing practice short and positive. More of the same practice rarely helps if the body is finding it hard
When it is worth getting it checked
If handwriting is holding your child back at school or causing real upset, talk to their teacher, and check in with your GP or paediatrician if you have concerns about their development. An assessment with me can show whether retained reflexes are part of the picture. My work is movement based and sits alongside other support, not instead of it.
WORKING WITH ME
How I can help
In an initial appointment I assess which primitive reflexes are still active, along with brain and body organisation and side dominance. We then work through simple, playful movements in weekly sessions, with “home play” in between. You can see the full process and prices on my services page.
I often combine reflex integration with Brain Gym®, which uses simple movements to help both sides of the brain work together.
READ MORE
Related challenges
Handwriting and fine motor skills: You might notice messy or slow handwriting, difficulty holding a pencil, poor letter formation or a child avoiding drawing, colouring and other tasks requiring precise hand movements.
ATNR reflex: When the ATNR remains active beyond infancy, it may affect a child’s ability to cross the midline, coordinate both sides of their body and develop efficient hand movements. This can make handwriting, reading, copying from the board and everyday coordination more challenging.
Hand-eye coordination: Hand-eye coordination is how well the eyes and hands work together. The eyes take in information about where something is, and the brain uses that information to guide the hands.
WHAT PARENTS SAY
Rated 5.0 by the families I work with
★★★★★ 5.0 from 3 Google reviews
“We visited Michele for our 4yo little girl who struggled to stay on task, sit still, lacked coordination and struggled with separation. … By week 3 we had visitors comment on the changes to our household. By week 12 we had a completely different little girl, shes relaxed. She still has her beautiful spark, amazing imagination and sense of humour, life is just slower now.”
SARAH ANDERSON · GOOGLE
“From the very first session, she created such a calm, supportive, and understanding space … The strategies and tools we’ve learned have made a real impact on his ability to regulate, connect, and thrive both at home and school.”
NATASHA WEIR · GOOGLE
“Michele identified some unintegrated reflexes and gave us some simple, easy to do at home exercises … From the first session we saw less reactivity; and from consistently doing the exercises at home my daughter can now remain calm in situations that would previously have caused a lot of distress.”
ANALISE MONGAN · GOOGLE
QUESTIONS
Common questions
When should the palmar grasp reflex go away?
It usually fades in the first six months of life, as a baby starts to reach for things and hold them on purpose.
Is the palmar reflex the same as the plantar reflex?
No. The palmar reflex is in the hands. Babies have a similar grasp reflex in the toes, and that one lasts longer, until around 9 to 12 months.
Will more handwriting practice fix it?
Practice helps when the body is ready for it. If posture, hand strength or a retained reflex is making writing hard work, it usually helps more to work on those first.
How long before we see a difference?
Positive results are usually seen after 5 or 6 weeks. Practising the exercises at home between sessions helps the new pathways strengthen faster.
Do you only see children in Perth?
I see children face to face in my home office in Perth, which creates a safe and comfortable environment, and I also offer online appointments.
Is there research behind it?
Yes. Primitive reflex integration exercises are researched for their effect on childhood motor and neurological patterns. See the research.
Not sure where to start?
You are welcome to get in touch for a free phone chat about what you are noticing in your child.