Key Points:

Movement Lesson® How Midline interruption directly affects reflexes, and what that means for development:

 1. Reflexes Need a Midline to Integrate

 2. ATNR Stays Active Without Horizontal Midline

• Reflex: When the head turns, the arm/leg extends on that side, and flexes on the other

• Problem: Without a stable horizontal midline, the infant can't cross over or rotate cleanly

• Result: ATNR becomes dominant → leads to:

• Hand preference too early

• Avoidance of rolling or reaching across the body

• Reading/visual tracking issues later

 3. STNR Can't Emerge Without Vertical Midline

• Reflex: Neck flexion causes arm flexion/leg extension (and vice versa)

• Problem: If there's no vertical spinal mapping, the body can't separate the top and the bottom

• Result:

• Crawling is delayed or skipped

• Poor posture in sitting

• Weak head-spine rhythm

 4. Moro Stays Triggerable Without Core Security

• Reflex: Startle response to loss of support or unexpected stimuli

• Problem: When the midline is unintegrated, the nervous system feels unsafe, even in calm

• Result:

• Overreaction to noise or touch

• Stress during rolling or floor time

• High emotional reactivity, sleep disturbance 

 5. Palmar Reflex Becomes a Crutch

• Reflex: Automatic hand grip to stimulation

• Problem: If the system doesn't feel organized from the spine out, hands become the fallback

• Result:

• Overgripping objects instead of exploring

• Delayed pincer grasp and finger isolation

• Emotional regulation through gripping or fisting
   

 Summary:

• Reflexes stay dominant

• Voluntary control is delayed

• Movement becomes compensation, not progression

• The system works harder but gets less done
   

 Practitioner Interpretation: