Cutaneous reflex responses were recorded from tibialis anterior or first dorsal interosseous muscles of children with hemiplegia, spinal-cord compression, necrotizing sacroid granulomatosis, acute encephalomyelitis, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and a group of children attending the Learning Difficulties Clinic. Abnormalities of response are reported and are compared with the different reports in the literature of abnormal reflex EMG responses recorded by various methods. It is concluded that cutaneo-muscular reflex testing may have a part to play in the diagnosis of difficult paediatric problems.