Essential Elements

06/25/2025

Visual & Auditory Reflexes Newsletter
Promoting Sensory Integration for Enhanced Learning and Regulation
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Essential Elements
1500 Shermer Rd, Suite 210
Northbrook, IL 60062
815-953-3366
Amy Lukos
Understanding Visual and Auditory Reflexes

The visual and auditory systems are key sensory systems that work both independently and together to help the body respond effectively to internal and external stimuli. These systems also collaborate with other sensory systems to guide perception, movement, behavior, and learning.

Auditory System Functions

The auditory system enables the body to process sounds and vibrations from a variety of sources, such as nature, voices, instruments, and machines. It can differentiate volume, pitch, rhythm, and other auditory features. It adapts to focus by filtering out distractions or expanding awareness based on the body's needs.

Visual System Functions

The visual system identifies variations in shape, color, and movement, helping us navigate our environments safely and efficiently. Reflexes within this system adjust our focus and filter extraneous information, depending on whether attention or vigilance is needed.

Integration for Whole-Body Awareness

These systems also coordinate to process “see-hear” input simultaneously, which is crucial for interpreting and reacting to environmental changes. When disrupted—due to trauma or developmental issues—these systems may cause sensory challenges, often appearing as behavioral or emotional dysregulation.

Reflex Program Benefits

The Visual and Auditory Integration Program targets the integration of these sensory systems, aiming to improve emotional regulation, behavior, and learning through structured reflex integration techniques.

Reflex Integration Overview
• • Supports development of binocular vision and visual perception
• • Enhances binaural hearing and auditory processing
• • Improves control of eye muscles through stimulation and relaxation
• • Integrates posture and movement with auditory perception
• • Boosts visual and auditory focus, extending attention span
• • Develops movement patterns for midline field integration

06/25/2025

Essential Elements Newsletter
By Amy Lukos | 815-953-3366 | essentialelementstherapy.com
1500 Shermer Rd., Suite 210, Northbrook, IL 60062

Feature Article: Understanding Primitive Reflexes
Primitive reflexes are automatic, brain-stem-originated movements that function without conscious control. They are meant to protect us during trauma—whether it's a physical injury like a sprained ankle or a major life stressor such as a diagnosis of cancer, Parkinson’s, or stroke.
After a threat subsides, these reflexes should naturally integrate and deactivate. However, repeated or overwhelming trauma can keep them persistently active, disrupting visual, sensory, and auditory systems and even contributing to PTSD.
Key trauma-related reflexes include:
- *Moro Reflex*: Linked to the startle or fight-or-flight response
- *Fear Paralysis Reflex*: Connected to the freeze response
Persistent activation of these reflexes increases anxiety, impairs posture and balance, and over-activates the brain. They also affect hormone levels (like cortisol and adrenaline), the immune system, and autonomic nervous functions. By integrating these reflexes, we calm our senses, improve our immune response, and reduce stress hormones.
Unintegrated reflexes can create compensation patterns, leading to chronic pain and reduced cognitive efficiency. When properly integrated, we sleep better, move more efficiently, and heal faster.
Therapies That Support Nervous System Regulation
At Essential Elements, I use a variety of tools to help reintegrate reflexes and calm the nervous system:
- Healy frequency therapy
- Bioptron color light therapy (Photobiomodulation)
- Tesla Brain glasses
- Prife frequency devices
- Colorpuncture
- Crystal therapy
These modalities work synergistically to help you feel grounded, reduce anxiety, and improve overall health.
Visit us at: https://essentialelementstherapy.com or call 815-953-3366 to schedule a session.

Primitive reflexes are automatic, stereotyped movements, directed from the brain stem and executed without cortical involvement. Reflexes are used for positive protection. For example, if you fall, your arms extend so you do not hit your head. That is called Hand supporting reflex. We have reflexes....

05/12/2025

Essential Elements Newsletter
By Amy Lukos | 815-953-3366 | essentialelementstherapy.com
1500 Shermer Rd., Suite 210, Northbrook, IL 60062

Feature Article: Understanding Primitive Reflexes
Primitive reflexes are automatic, brain-stem-originated movements that function without conscious control. They are meant to protect us during trauma—whether it's a physical injury like a sprained ankle or a major life stressor such as a diagnosis of cancer, Parkinson’s, or stroke.
After a threat subsides, these reflexes should naturally integrate and deactivate. However, repeated or overwhelming trauma can keep them persistently active, disrupting visual, sensory, and auditory systems and even contributing to PTSD.
Key trauma-related reflexes include:
- *Moro Reflex*: Linked to the startle or fight-or-flight response
- *Fear Paralysis Reflex*: Connected to the freeze response
Persistent activation of these reflexes increases anxiety, impairs posture and balance, and over-activates the brain. They also affect hormone levels (like cortisol and adrenaline), the immune system, and autonomic nervous functions. By integrating these reflexes, we calm our senses, improve our immune response, and reduce stress hormones.
Unintegrated reflexes can create compensation patterns, leading to chronic pain and reduced cognitive efficiency. When properly integrated, we sleep better, move more efficiently, and heal faster.
Therapies That Support Nervous System Regulation
At Essential Elements, I use a variety of tools to help reintegrate reflexes and calm the nervous system:
- Healy frequency therapy
- Bioptron color light therapy
- Tesla Brain glasses
- Prife frequency devices
- Colorpuncture
- Crystal therapy
These modalities work synergistically to help you feel grounded, reduce anxiety, and improve overall health.
Visit us at: https://essentialelementstherapy.com or call 815-953-3366 to schedule a session.

Primitive reflexes are automatic, stereotyped movements, directed from the brain stem and executed without cortical involvement. Reflexes are used for positive protection. For example, if you fall, your arms extend so you do not hit your head. That is called Hand supporting reflex. We have reflexes....

01/29/2022

. A reflex comes out to protect when we experience a trauma. That trauma can be spraining an ankle, studying for a test, being involved in a car accident to having surgery……. Our reflexes should come out to protect, then integrate back to our brain stem to work without cortical involvement. If we had too many traumas or the trauma is too overwhelming, reflexes can stay “on” or fail to do what they were designed to do. This can cause visual, sensory and auditory issues. Reflexes can contribute to PTSD. There are reflexes related to fight or flight/fear. The reflex that relates to a “startle” response is called the Moro reflex. The reflex related to the “freeze” response is called Fear Paralysis. These two reflexes can cause anxiety, improper balance, affect our posture and cause our brain to be on alert more than it should. Moro and Fear Paralysis are triggered by the vision and auditory systems. When we integrate these two reflexes, our visual and auditory systems calm down.