The Method

The Method

Facial Reflex Integration

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Facial motor reflexes first appear in infancy and remain active throughout life, supporting a broad range of needs essential to:

  • Human survival, including breathing, rooting, eating and general neurovascular function
  • Accessing and managing visual, auditory, and other sensory system input
  • Different coordination systems in different combinations – hand, mouth, ear, eye, tongue, neck, and cranial coordination systems
  • Nonverbal (emotional expressions and cognitive activity) and verbal communication (articulation)


The MNRI Facial Reflex Integration Program techniques work to activate and engage reflex actions, movements and patterns necessary for the maturation of more complex motor reflexes and the development of advanced communication and cognition. Facial reflexes not only affect function in the facial area, they also affect function though out the whole brain-body system. The engagement and maturation of facial reflexes can be impeded by congenital issues or traumatic events that occur in utero, at birth, or anytime after birth. Depending upon the number of oral-facial reflexes and related primary motor reflex patterns impacted, a broad array of associated life challenges can appear. MNRI Facial Reflex program techniques have been used with great success for children experiencing various delays in communication development. Parents and professionals working with children or clients with challenges in communication are encouraged to attend the MNRI Facial Reflex Integration course to learn more about the potential impact of the program techniques. Summarized below are the reflexes and coordination systems addressed by the MNRI Facial Reflex Integration Program techniques:

Primary Motor Reflex Patterns
Asymmetric Tonic Neck (ATNR) Pavlov Orientation Symmetric Tonic Neck (STNR) Tonic Labyrinthine
Babkin Palmomental      
  Additional Oral-Facial Reflexes
Mouth-Food Biting Mouth Closing/Opening Rooting/Oral Searching Teeth Clenching
  Chewing Nourishing Swallowing Yawning (Shallow & Deep)
  Gag Reflex Puckering Sucking  
Breathing Inhale/Exhale Cycle      
Head Righting & TMJ Position Regulation Head Righting – Ocular & Labyrinthine TMJ/Vestibular Leveling    
Visual Reflexes Convergence/Divergence Eye Freezing Eye Tracking STNR for Binocular Vision
  Corneal/Eye Blinking Eye Leveling Pupillary/Accommodation  
Auditory Reflexes Acoustic Reflex Binaural Hearing & Auditory Processing Primary Sound Articulation  
Primary Motor Coordination & Cognitive Systems Mouth-Hand, Hand-Mouth Pavlov Orientation Oral Orientation Mouth-Eyes-Ears-Hands