Abstract
This article presents a review and organization of Margaret S. Rood's principles of neurophysiological intervention as related to the pre-feeding behaviours of tongue thrust, drooling, and gag reflex hypersensitivity in cerebral palsied children. General principles discussed include: functional divisions of the nervous system, combined effects of the primitive reflexes, and developmental sequence patterns.
Treatment aims for the pre-feeding behaviours are derived from their neurophysiological pathology as described in the literature. The author attempts to interpret the limited and confusing literature on the subject and uses it as a base in choosing sensory and proprioceptive techniques to meet the outlined treatment aims.
A follow-up article by this author describes a study which evaluated the treatment program detailed here. (Part II)
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