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

Sensory impairment is a common and significant feature of children on the autism spectrum. In 2005, a qigong massage intervention based on Chinese Medicine, and delivered by a physician trained in Chinese medicine, was shown to provide short-term improvement of sensory impairment and adaptive behavior in a randomized control study with a small sample of young children with autism. The intervention was two-pronged, involving both direct treatment of the child as well as parent training in a follow-through massage.  In 2006, the methodology was adapted, and the Qigong Sensory Training (QST) program was developed with the aim of providing Western-trained occupational therapists and early intervention specialists sufficient theory and skills in Chinese Medicine and qigong massage to achieve proficiency in providing the intervention. This article describes the preliminary evaluation of the Qigong Sensory Training (QST) program as piloted with 15 professionals, 26 children and outcome testing using standardized tests of sensory impairment and adaptive behavior. Results of outcomes comparing delivery by QST trained therapists with delivery by a physician trained in Chinese Medicine showed that both groups receiving the intervention improved, and there was no difference in outcome between the two groups.  A description of the intervention and training program is provided. Implications for further research are discussed.      

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Silva, L., Ayres, R., & Schalock, M. (September/October 2008). Outcomes of a pilot training program in a qigong massage intervention for young children with autism. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(5), 530-538.