Reactions

Question 1

Labyrinthine Head Righting Reaction

Answer 1

Onset: Birth - 2 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Swing body away from vertical
Response: Child attempts to keep head upright.
Purpose: Maintain or establish head in upright position.

Question 2

Optical Righting Reaction

Answer 2

Onset: Birth-2 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: When held upright, tilt all directions. OR. Observe natural head movements while the child is in supine or prone position. Then, while supine, pull child to a sitting position.
Response: Attempt to right the head against gravity.
Purpose: Combined with the labyrinthine head righting reaction, the optical righting reaction results in vertical head righting.

Question 3

Body Righting Reaction on Head

Answer 3

Onset: Weak at birth; fully recognizable at 2 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Allow chest to contact supporting surface.
Response: Attempt to right the head vertically.
Purpose: Vertical righting of the head in preparation for standing and walking.

Question 4

Neck Righting Reaction on Body (NOB): Mature

Answer 4

Onset: 4-6 m
Integration: 5 y
Trigger: Turn head to either side.
Response: Mature response is to roll segmentally to the prone position.
Purpose: Allows rolling from supine to prone position.

Question 5

Body Righting Reaction on Body (BOB): Mature

Answer 5

Onset: 4-6 m
Integration: 5 y
Trigger: While supine, flex one knee toward the chest and across the body. While prone, place a hand under the hips and gently pull backward.
Response: Segmental Roll of hips followed by shoulders
Purpose: To promote segmental rolling.

Question 6

Landau Reaction

Answer 6

Onset: 3-4 m
Integration: 12-24 m
Trigger: Suspend the infant horizontally.
Response: Extension of the neck, spine, hips, shoulders; retraction of the scapula. Tis position is known as the pivot prone position.
Purpose: Assists extension of neck when prone and breaks the flexor posture that is present at birth. Promotes ability to support upper body on forearms and bands to prepare for standing.

Question 7

Positive Supporting Reaction, LE Mature

Answer 7

Onset: 6-9 m
Integration: Persists through life, but the result should be skilled standing and walking patterns rather than a rigid posture.
Trigger: Allow feet to touch a flat surface.
Response: Full extension of hips and knees to bear weight.
Purpose: Bear weight in preparation for standing and walking.

Question 8

Positive Supporting Reaction, UE

Answer 8

Onset: 4-6 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Allow hands to contact a flat surface
Response: Flexion of shoulders, extension of elbows and wrists to bear weight
Purpose: Allow support of trunk on forearms and then hands in preparation for crawling and creeping

Question 9

Visual Placing Reaction: UE

Answer 9

Onset: 3-5 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Lower child toward a flat surface
Response: Arms flex and then extend to bear weight
Purpose: Control center of gravity and avoid objects in the path of movement

Question 10

Visual Placing Reaction: LE

Answer 10

Onset: 3-4 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Lower child toward flat surface
Response: Legs extend to bear weight
Purpose: Control center of gravity and avoid objects in the path of movement

Question 11

Protective Extension Reaction Forward

Answer 11

Onset: 6-7 months
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Lower toward flat surface or displace center of gravity forward with sharp push
Response: Flexion of shoulders with elbow extension; extension and abduction of fingers
Purpose: Protect against falling forward

Question 12

Protective Extension Reaction Sideward

Answer 12

Onset: 7 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Displace center of gravity sideward with sharp push
Response: Abduction of contralateral shoulder with elbow extension; extension and abduction of fingers on contralateral side
Purpose: Protect against falling sideward

Question 13

Protective Extension Reaction Backward

Answer 13

Onset: 9-10 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Displace center of gravity backward with sharp push
Response: Hyperextension of both shoulders and extension of elbows
Purpose: Protect against falling backward

Question 14

Protective Extension Reaction Downward, LE

Answer 14

Onset: 4 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Quickly lower child toward flat surface
Response: Extension and abduction of hips, extension of knees, abduction of hips, and dorsiflexion of ankles
Purpose: Prepare for landing from a vertical fall

Question 15

Protective Staggering Reaction, LE

Answer 15

Onset: 15-18 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Quickly push or pull the child to an unbalanced position
Response: Compensatory (staggering) steps to regain balance
Purpose: Regain control the center of gravity

Question 16

Protective Shift Reaction, LE

Answer 16

Onset: 15-18 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: While holding the hand and foot on the same side, flex the knee and hip; pull the hand sideward
Response: Flexion and abduction of ipsilateral hip; extension of ipsilateral knee
Purpose: Regain control of the center of gravity

Question 17

Tilting Reactions: Prone and Supine

Answer 17

Onset: Prone - 5 m; Supine - 7-8 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Tilt the equipment forward, backward, or sideward
Response: Lateral curvature of spine so that concave side of curve is toward the upwardly tilted surface
Purpose: Maintain balance when the base of support is unstable; precursor to creeping, standing, and walking

Question 18

Tilting Reactions: Sitting and Four-Point Kneeling

Answer 18

Onset: Sitting - 7 m, four-point kneeling - 9-12 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Tilt the equipment forward, backward, or sideward
Response: Lateral curvature of spine so that concave side of curve is toward the upwardly tilted surface
Purpose: Maintain balance when the base of support is unstable; precursor to creeping, standing, and walking

Question 19

Tilting Reactions: Standing

Answer 19

Onset: 12-21 m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Tilt the equipment forward, backward, or sideward
Response: Lateral curvature of spine so that concave side of curve is toward the upwardly tilted surface
Purpose: Maintain balance when the base of support is unstable; precursor to creeping, standing, and walking

Question 20

Postural Fixation Reactions: Sitting, Standing

Answer 20

Onset: Prone - 5m, supine and sitting - 7-8m, four-point kneeling - 9-12m, standing - 12-21m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Exert a force to the body which displaces the center of gravity
Response: Lateral curvature of spine so that concave side of the curve is toward the force application. If standing, ankle joint will dorsiflex or plantarflex; midtarsal joint will invert or evert
Purpose: Maintain balance during voluntary activity or when receiving external force; precursor to creeping, standing, and walking

Question 21

Amphibian Reaction

Answer 21

Onset: 6m
Integration: Persists through life
Trigger: Lift one side of pelvis
Response: Flexion of shoulder, hip, and knee on ipsilateral side
Purpose: Precursor to creeping

Question 22

Sequence of Motor Development Leading to Walking

Answer 22

0m: fetal posture
1m: chin up
2m: chest up
3m: reach and miss
4m: sit with support
5m: sit on lap, grasp object
6m: sit in high chair, grasp dangling object
7m: sit alone
8m: stand with help
9m: stand holding furniture
10m: creep
11m: walk when led
12m: pull to stand by furniture
13m: clime stair steps
14m: stand alone
15m: walk alone