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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Qigong?
Qigong is an ancient branch of Chinese Science that has been in
existence for thousands of years. There have been many forms of Qigong
over the millennia including Qigong exercises for health and longevity,
martial arts Qigong and Qigong manual techniques for strengthening and
healing the body. They are all based on an understanding of the body in
terms of energy flow or "qi". When the qi is free flowing and abundant,
the person is healthy. When the correct flow of qi is disturbed,
impairment and illness can result. Qigong acts by restoring the proper
flow and balance of qi, so that normal health and functioning is
restored.
Nowadays in China, many research studies have been done showing the
beneficial effect of Qigong exercises on conditions such as heart
disease, high blood pressure and cancer. Although there has been
research done on Qigong treatments of children in China, there is
little published research in English. QST is the among the first
research-based Qigong interventions for children to be published in the
West.
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What is Qigong
Sensory Training (QST)?
QST is a five-month training program for parents of young children on
the autism spectrum. This research-based Qigong intervention is
designed to teach parents to help children learn social and life skills
by improving their sensory impairment, ability to learn and general
health. During the training, trainers lead the parent and child through
a learning process that has a theoretical base both in educational
learning theory and in applied Chinese medicine and Qigong. The goal at
the end of the five months is for children to have a marked reduction
of sensory impairment as well as substantial gains in social skills,
living skills and general health, and for parents to have the tools
necessary to continue to support their child's development using
Qigong.
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What is the history of QST?
A Qigong methodology for children with autism, intended to be delivered
by physicians trained in Chinese Medicine, was first developed in
Europe in the l980's by Dr. Anita Cignolini. In 2001, Dr. Silva
consulted with Dr. Cignolini to bring the treatment to the United
States. Dr. Silva has since conducted multiple studies to
test
the effectiveness of the treatment.
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Who are the trainers?
The trainers are Occupational Therapists,
Physical Therapists, and Autism Specialists who have been certified in
QST by the QST Institute. They have participated in a 80 hour course
including 30 hours of supervision and a formal written and practical
exam. Prior to being trained, they have at least two years experience
working with children with autism and their families, and they have an
excellent level of general heath.
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What are the eligibility
requirements for children?
Children should:
- Have an educational diagnosis on the autism spectrum
- Be under 6 years of age
- Be on little or no medication (Medication
reduces the effectiveness of Qigong. The same can be true of
supplements)
- Not be in any intensive medical or behavioral
interventions during the QST. (Intensive medical or behavioral
interventions should be completed before beginning QST, they are
contraindicated at the same time as QST.)
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What
are the eligibility requirements for parents?
Parents with children in Parent-Only QST
study should:
- Be willing to attend a three-hour afternoon presentation and training on Qigong massage
- Be willing and able to give the child 15
minutes of qigong daily for four months
- Be able to transport the child to the
training site eight times
- Be willing not to start any new interventions unless medically necessary during the period of the study
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What are the eligibility
requirements for trainers?
In order to become trained in QST,
trainers/therapists should:
- Have at least two years experience
working
with children with autism and their families
- Have an excellent level of general heath
To become certified QST therapists, individuals must participate in an
80 hour course, including 30 hours of supervision, and
complete a
formal written and practical exam.
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How long does the program take?
The program is an intensive intervention lasting 20 weeks. Parents and
child meet with the trainer 10 times during each of two 5 week cycles.
At the first meeting, parents are taught to give their child the daily
Qigong intervention, and trainers and parents set goals for
improvements in sensory impairment, problem behavior and bowel and
sleep abnormalities according to the child's particular needs. During
the first 5 week cycle, the trainer meets with the parent and child
twice a week. As progress is made towards achieving the sensory
impairment, behavioral and general health goals, the child begins to
manifest progress in the area of social and living skills development.
After five weeks, there is a four-week training break during which the
parent is responsible for giving the child daily Qigong; this gives the
parents time to learn and gain confidence in the intervention.
At
the end of the break, trainers begin another 5 week training cycle with
parents during which additional parent learning modules are taught
according to the parent's particular needs. This is followed by another
4 week break. The program terminates with post-testing and a final
training meeting at the end of the second 4 week break.
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How can I get QST for my child?
Opportunities for children and their parents to receive QST are
available from QST graduates and through participating in research
studies. For information about contacting trainers, visit Graduates.
You can also learn more about QST through the purchase of the Qigong at Home package, available for purchase through our bookstore.
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How can therapists access training
in QST?
If you would like to participate in one of the QST studies to gain
training in QST, visit the Open
Enrollment page.
If you would like to bring QST staff to your community to conduct a
training, please contact info@qsti.org.
To view interviews with graduates of QST, visit Interviews.
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