Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex - Fly To The Moon

Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex

I. In an infant

a. Normally present prenatally to 4 months

b. What it looks like and purpose Purpose – to gain muscles in neck, back and shoulders; preparation for eventually crawling

c. How infants integrate

II. Retained in a toddler – skipped crawling or low tone

III. Retained in older child or adult

a. Symptoms

i. Poor posture

ii. Weak muscle tone

iii. Poor sense of balance

iv. Dislike of upper body sports

v. Visual problems – unable or uncomfortable to cross eyes; convergence problems

vi. Spatial problems – fine motor planning, awareness of body in surroundings

vii. Poor sequencing skills needed for decoding, spelling, math

viii. Poor sense of time

ix. Articulation problems

x. Toe walking

---

Exercise - Fly to the Moon with one elbow on ground. ***ADD PICTURE AND VIDEO***

1. Lie on stomach with hands together, thumbs about 2-4” from nose.

2. Lift up chest off the floor

3. Move one hand slowly to the side, then slowly stretch it away. The entire time, the child is watching the thumb, while moving the head.

4. Slowly bring thumb back to the nose, then back to starting position.

5. Repeat with other thumb. This should take 30 seconds total.

6. Rest with chest down or in child’s pose (Yoga position).

Repeat steps 1-5 five more times.

7. If 30 seconds is too difficult, start with 10 seconds and work up. If having one hand up is too difficult, work up to 30 seconds without lifting hands, then add them in. At home encourage to be on their tummies, up on their elbows.

Practice daily. Challenge them to do as long as possible, understanding that it may be very difficult for some. They are the ones who need it. Send home exercises to do as homework. Appeal to body image as this will increase core strength and upper body muscles.

---

For additional Frequently Asked Questions, please follow our main wiki for more information  |   Movement Solutions FAQ/Wiki