ATNR Reflex
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
Emerges: 18 weeks in utero
Birth: Fully present
Inhibited: 6 months post-natal
- Provides continuous motion
- Motion increases neural connections
- Earliest development of new/far vision
When ATNR remains facilitated beyond 6 months:
- The higher centers will be inhibited
- Impacting the child’s ability to cross the midline
- Poor handwriting and poor expressions of the written word
- Lack of dominance, impacting the organization of the brain
Integrating this reflex will:
- Allow the nervous system to finish the pattern
- Unpark the brain pattern
- Allow the child to move forward