“We will always be in debt to Linda Messbauer for her groundbreaking work as an occupational therapy innovator and the founding inspiration for the American Association of Multi-Sensory Environments. 

Linda designed what became the first Snoezelen Room in the United States. In 1992, she oversaw its development and installation for the service organization, Lifespire, in New York City.

Linda originally developed her approach while serving children and adults with severe, challenging behaviors. She had the pioneer spirit to say that their quality of life mattered, at a time when some American institutions were doing little more than warehousing the people she loved so well. 

Being an early observer of the brain brightening effect during and after MSE treatment, Linda cultivated the seed of our current AAMSE-Certified treatment approach, before complexity science explained its benefits. 

Linda Messbauer continues to be recognized by AAMSE as the one who blazed the MSE trail in America. Her legacy holds AAMSE to the highest standard as the only American Certification Board dedicated to teaching MSE practitioners how to brighten brains for lifelong learning.”

by Janice Ryan, OTD, OTR/L,

AAMSE President, 2018