Reflexes: Portal to Neurodevelopment and Learning (A Collective Work) Paperback – January 1, 2015

This book is full of real and inspirational stories using the Masgutova Method. Dr. Masgutova's work is well researched and that is presented as well. Recommended for those interested in studying the work or obtaining treatment for loved ones.

This book really opened my eyes to the potential that improving one's reflexes could make for a child or adult using MNRI (Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration). There are stories by more than one person in this book of people who were so severely injured that they should never walk again but are now walking; children's disfigured bodies that were straightened; function that came to limbs previously curled or unusable; and children and adults who were severely cognitively delayed improved their mental functioning greatly. Improvements came to children and adults with: autism, ADD/ADHD, seizures, speech disorders, chronically ill (MS and immune disorders), PTSD, eating disorders, and even genetic disorders.As I understand it, every child is born with, for example, a simple Hands Grasp Reflex. Western medicine thought that this Grasp Reflex disappeared and was taken over by higher brain functions as the child aged. But the Russians knew that the reflex actually continued to develop and 'integrate' in 7 stages and at each stage, something cognitively matured in the brain stem. For the Grasp Reflex, these stages later enable a child to hold a pencil in the typical 'pencil grasp.' But if one of the steps is missed, the child will find it difficult to move their hand into the pencil grasp and, correspondingly, some cognitive development will be missing in the brain stem. (There are about 30 reflexes in the body that this applies to.) Back in Russia, reflexes were the subject of all Dr. Masgutova's studies. Through trial by fire, she learned how to trace each reflex from the brain, through the nerves, into the muscle. In doing this, she eventually developed a method she called 'repatterning' which could improve the function of a poorly working reflex.The book has a strong scientific section with many articles written by Dr. Masgutova Ph.D, herself. Other articles are written by scientists (in the scientific section), therapists who used this method on their clients, parents who used it for their children, and, in a couple of cases, the individual them self who received treatment.The description of MNRI therapy itself (with a few exceptions) is not given in this book; instead it describes the potential of the therapy and how treatment was found and used for these individuals. For most people like myself who are not therapy professionals, I recommend heading past the scientific section and directly to the passionate stories by excited therapists and parents–they are quite amazing. MNRI is one the few therapies that can actually change a person's cognitive functioning. (I know this first-hand because that greatly improved for my son who has been recovering from Asperger's for the past 8 years. Our final big roadblock was the cognitive piece until we used Dr. Masgutova's reflex therapy.) After your interest is heightened, read the scientific section to see how it works. It is fascinating.The treatment of PTSD described in the book showed fairly quick improvement with this reflex therapy. Other substantial results, however, did not come quickly to most other people with challenges: it took weeks, months, or years to see improvement depending upon the intensity of the therapy used with each individual.I am aware of a pediatric treatment clinic in Minnesota that uses this book: firstly, the therapists read it to get to know what symptoms a child has that can be treated by MNRI and the stories often give specific reflexes that can be repatterned to help. Secondly, when a new child comes into the center, therapists sometimes look for stories of children that are similar to this child. They then note the results, the reflex protocol that was used in this situation, and show the child's parents the story to give them hope that their child can improve.This book is a ‘must have’ for the use reflex therapy, in my opinion.

This method totally changed our life! I love that it can be done at home and that the MNRI team helps you set up a home program. This program changed our child's functioning and in turn has improved all of our lives. I use this method frequently with all of the children and myself. Even other people's children. I have stood next to a tired, cranky, crying child learning against her mother and less than 2 minutes of doing a small part of the tactile protocol (I could only touch her upper back) she became relaxed and was able to join her friends. It works. I also found that doing the therapy deepened my relationship with my child.Just understand that this is not a pill. You must be consistent and do the therapy regularly to get the amazing results my family has seen. It is not a short cut...it is a solution.