Qigong for Autism and Children with Disabilities

A team from Western Oregon University’s Teaching Research Institute and the non-profit Qigong Sensory Training Institute, led by Dr. Louisa Silva, has shown that Qigong Massage is an effective sensory system treatment for children with autism. The method they have developed teaches parents how to give a fifteen minute massage to their child, once a day for at least five months. The program has been shown to help children sleep better, have less aggression, transition more easily, decrease self-injurious behaviors, and improve eye contact, language and social skills.

Research papers published in peer-reviewed medical journals include:

• A Medical Qigong Methodology for Early Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Series 

• Improvement in Sensory Impairment and Social Interaction in Young Children with Autism Following Treatment with an Original Qigong Massage Methodology 

• Outcomes of a Pilot Training Program in a Qigong Massage Intervention for Young Children with Autism

• Qigong Massage Treatment for Sensory and Self-Regulation Problems in Young Children With Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• A Model and Treatment for Autism at the Convergence of Chinese Medicine and Western Science: First 130 Cases

• Early Intervention for Autism With a Parent-Delivered Qigong Massage Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Autism Parenting Stress Index: Initial Psychometric Evidence

• Sense and Self-Regulation Checklist, a Measure of Comorbid Autism Symptoms: Initial Psychometric Evidence

More: AUTISM TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN.

Qigong for Autism on YouTube

There are many qigong for autism videos on YouTube, including Treating Autism with Qigong Massage - The Chinese Medicine Perspective.

When the Caregivers Need Healing - Qigong Provides a Solution. In a randomized controlled trial, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder or other neurodevelopmental disabilities experienced significant reductions in stress, depression, and anxiety, and improved sleep and life satisfaction, with large effects in depression and anxiety in a six-week mindfulness practice. Effects were maintained in a follow-up six-months after treatment. The NY Times article describes the practice used as "meditation, breathing exercises, and qigong practices". Note that qigong includes the combination of meditation and breathing. MBSR is a wonderful treatment and tool, but people should be aware that its foundational practices are built into qigong. The article in the July 2014 issue of Pediatrics is Reducing Distress in Mothers of Children With Autism and Other Disabilities: A Randomized Trial. More information on mindfulness and meditation can be found on the Qigong Institute website: Meditation.

Is there a link between Autism and Electromagnetic Field exposure? This Harvard Medical School paper explains how dramatic increases in reported autism spectrum conditions are not only coincident in time with the deployment of wireless technologies but have parallel physiological impacts to electromagnetic frequency and radiofrequency exposures. The biggest impact is on the electrophysiological oscillatory synchronization of the brain and autonomic nervous system, proving that bio-energy has a crucial role in homeostasis.

Autism Linked to Electromagnetic Radiation

Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt MD discusses electromagnetic pollution in general, and also specifically discusses autism.

More Autism Research

Qigong in Perceptual Auditory Attention: Tool to Improve Sound Integration in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Conclusions: The WB Qigong had a positive effect on the AA mechanism, with a significant reduction in RT. The results support the importance of practice to achieve positive effects. People with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and ADHD, struggle every day for sensory integration of AA mechanisms. Qigong can be taught and easily learned from the age of 2 years until senior ages, and it's a safe and very low-cost intervention that deserves to be researched further in clinical trials. PMID: 36308504. 

The Importance of Meditation for Parents of Children With Special Needs or Challenges.

Mindfulness training helps youngsters with autism spectrum and their parents. Although parents reported no change in adolescent's autism spectrum disorder core symptoms, they reported improved social responsiveness, social communication, social cognition, preoccupations, and social motivation. About themselves, parents reported improvement in general as well as in parental mindfulness. They reported improved competence in parenting, overall parenting styles, more specifically a less lax, verbose parenting style, and an increased quality of life.

Qigong massage helps young children with autism.

Nei Yang Gong, a Chan-based mind-body exercise, more effective than conventional Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique in enhancing the self-control of children with Autism.

Qigong Sensory Training Institute. As a private, non-profit organization, the mission of the Qigong Sensory Training Institute is: To make the Qigong Sensory Training Program for young children with autism accessible to parents and professionals; and to further research in qigong treatments of young children with disabilities.

Qigong Massage for Your Child With Autism: A Home Program from Chinese Medicine. Qigong massage has been used in China for thousands of years as a means to achieve health and wellbeing, and to treat a wide variety of ailments. This book teaches parents a simple qigong massage program that has been developed specifically for the needs of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). With step-by-step instructions and an accompanying DVD demonstrating the technique in action, this book offers parents clear guidance on how to adopt qigong massage into their child's daily routine successfully. The program is based around a core 15 minute massage that, when performed regularly, has been shown to greatly improve mood and behavior, sleeping patterns, and language and social skills. Also included is information on diet, advice on reading a child's body language during massage, and helpful progress checklists. Qigong massage is the ideal therapy for parents looking for an alternative way to strengthen the mind, body and sensory abilities of their young child with autism aged 6 and under.

Nei-gong, a form of Qigong, enhances memory and learning in children with autism.