We are awaiting the appointment of a support worker. Write to me - see below. True muscle tone is the inherent ability of the muscle to respond to a stretch. When the perceived danger has passed, which the brain figures out really quickly once the stimulus is removed, the muscle then relaxes, and returns to its normal resting state. When his arm is stretched, the biceps tightens at an even more rapid rate, and the rate of recovery is much slower, even after the stimulus is removed.
Full relaxation is difficult to achieve, so the muscle stays taut for an extended period of time.
Because this child's muscles never truly rest unless he is asleep, the long term result is tighter, shorter muscles with reduced joint range. A child's unique neurological wiring determines whether he will be low, high, or normal toned. In those who do not, a number of factors are involved. Somewhere deep in the muscle are receptors responsible for detecting changes in muscle length. These receptors then tell the brain there is a stimulus, and the brain tells the muscle to contract in response.