Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Childhood reflexes are involuntary movements or actions that occur in infants and young children as a response to certain stimuli. These reflexes are automatic and do not require conscious control.
Related terms
Primitive Reflexes: These are innate reflex actions that appear in infancy and typically disappear as the child grows older, such as the Moro reflex (startle response) or sucking reflex.
Developmental Milestones: These are specific skills or abilities that children usually acquire by a certain age, such as crawling, walking, or speaking.
Sensory Integration: This term refers to how the brain processes and integrates information from different sensory modalities (sight, sound, touch) to produce appropriate responses and behaviors.