Comparison of three positions for evaluating the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex.

Twenty-four males ages 8 to 11 were videotaped while being tested in three positions for the ATNR: quadruped with the head passively rotated to either side; standing with the arms outstretched and eyes closed with the head passively rotated to either side; and quadruped reflex inhibiting posture with the skull hand on the hip and the face knee off the floor and with the head actively rotated to either side. Three "expert" raters viewed the edited tape and rated each subject in each position using a protocol devised for the study. The results suggest that the quadruped reflex inhibiting posture more readily reveals the presence of the reflex when compared to the other positions, in this population of learning-disabled children.