Even As a “Trained Professional” I Found Parenting Hard
I had been a special education teacher, occupational therapist, and trained in the Ayers Sensory Integration theory, and yet parenting kiddos who were Neurospicy was a challenge.
I WISH I HAD THESE TOOLS WHEN MY NEURODIVERSE KIDDOS WERE YOUNG
As an adoptive mother with 2 kiddos who had opposite sensory and learning needs, I had to keep the home environment organized and structured. Despite the countless sticker charts and reward systems, I did not have the key to calm their nervous systems and help them learn.
I KEPT SEARCHING EVERYWHERE FOR ANSWERS
In 2011 I took my first class about Primitive Reflexes, and I knew instinctively I needed to know more about these first movements of life we are all wired to have. I started on the path of learning the Masgutova Method for MNRI, and I was getting faster results than using Sensory Integration methods alone.
and I’m glad you found me – as an occupational therapist I want to help you and your child feel safe so life is easier and learning is successful.
As a former teacher and Occupational Therapist that specialized in Sensory Integration, I was frustrated that I couldn’t make it right for my children as they struggled. Every day I worked with kiddos who were dysregulated and uncoordinated, yet there was a gap in my toolbox. The missing key? Reflex Integration– the ability to tap into specific nervous system units and repattern the brain so it communicates better. Once I started learning this method in 2011, I couldn’t stop taking classes. Eventually I became a Core Specialist in the Masgutova Method. That means I’ve taken over 530 hours of classes, completed 288 hours of supervised observation and practice, and passed hands-on tests in four specialized modalities after each class, observation hours, and as a final before earning the Core Specialist title.
Hello, I’m Misti,
As a mom that was needed in the home, I split my time between working as an OT in schools and doing my best to parent my 3 kiddos. Oh, I didn’t mention I actually have 3 children? Once my husband and I adopted our twins in January 2003, I immediately got pregnant and we had a bio kiddo in December that year. Life was busy and chaotic: when we were in a developmental stage, WE WERE IN IT.
In 2018, I started a private practice on the side and in 2023 I moved to working with private clients full time. Now my children are all young adults and we face different challenges that come with launching into adulthood. Being a mother has informed how I view the challenges that families face when their child is struggling.
What I do excites me! When I’m working and in the thick of it with a kiddo, time has no meaning for me. It’s me, the individual in front of me, and the challenge of the moment. My job is to figure out how to facilitate mastery of the challenge. Whether it’s learning a new movement pattern, regulating through frustration, understanding their own body reaction, learning a skill such as writing, or most often all of those at the same time, my job in that moment is to bring the kiddo to a point of success.
My Vision is To Transform Lives From Surviving to Thriving
My Mission is to elevate lives through neurodevelopmental empowerment—building a strong neurologic foundation by blending science, compassion, and connection to unlock independence, resilience, and joy for those with neurodiversity and developmental delays.
I want to have a lasting impact on children and their families, because kiddos don’t exist outside the family structure. Each day poses new frustrations and failures that impact parents and siblings, who also need support. By meeting individuals where they are neurodevelopmentally and using neurobiology to remove obstacles, we can develop frustration tolerance, executive function skills, motor coordination, and self-confidence to succeed.
UNDER-RATED DAILY PRACTICE
Taking 10 minutes in the morning to organize my to do lists and set priorities
MY DAYS OFF ARE SPENT
In my garden, moving dirt and plants, and finding creative ways to save (can, freeze, dehydrate) the produce
GUILTY PLEASURES
Dark chocolate, anytime, anywhere. I can’t turn it down
TRAIT I’M PROUD OF
Being on time (it wasn’t always the case)
MY BATTERY GETS CHARGED BY
Hiking with my dog and husband
Let’s talk! Tell me what is the pressing problem for your family right now.
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Learn more about the therapy and consultation process here.
Find resources and blog posts about how I approach therapy.