Jessica Hoffarth MS OTR/L, an occupational therapist at the Midtown office of Child and Family Development, recently completed additional training in Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration® (MNRI) called Dynamic and Postural Reflex Pattern Integration to further her work and education with reflex integration and the role that it plays in natural development.
Svetlana Masgutova, Ph.D is the originator of the Masgutova Method¬Æ, a comprehensive set of programs that focus motor reflex and sensory system integration. Since 1989, Dr. Masgutova has been researching the influence of motor reflex and sensory integration on the different aspects of motor, communication and cognitive development, and emotional and behavioral regulation, to the great benefit of those who have accessed her knowledge and approach. Dr. Masgutova‚Äôs organization has served over 85,000 people in 25 countries. Her philosophy is that “the integration of early movements is the key to successful development, joyful learning and a happy life.‚Äù
Jessica shares, “My approach to therapy is usually bottom-up, meaning that I find great success assessing the underlying issues that cause a child to have difficulty participating in a task successfully, then I work to improve those underlying causes and see success with the task performance as a result. MNRI works at the base of the developmental pyramid with a goal to facilitate natural developmental progressions that simply didn‚Äôt occur effectively for that person at the time they were expected. Some of my favorite reflex patterning activities that I use often in therapy are the ATNR (Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex) and STNR (Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex) work in concert with oculomotor control development to help with vision and then reading and writing; and the TLR (Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex) pattern to improve balance and self-awareness through integration of the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. I also have seen amazing things with the families who have incorporated these activities into their occupational therapy home programs.”
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