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Skin Biopsies in Autistic Children Find Cause for Touch Avoidance

5/29/2016

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Ever since autism was first described in 1943, we have known that children don’t respond normally to affectionate touch; they do not seek it out and, in fact, they usually avoid it. We know that children have difficulty with other kinds of touch, too.  For example, avoiding gentle touch on the face and hands, and having unusual responses to pain and injury.

It has been very difficult to actually test the sense of touch in children with autism because testing requires communication and cooperation, both of which are delayed in autism.  So, until now, we haven’t actually known whether the sense of touch is damaged in children with autism.

Now, new research on mother-child bonding has shown us what we need to do to test touch in autism.  The research identified a class of tiny touch fibers in the skin, known as C-tactile fibers, that respond to affectionate touch.  These fibers also perceive other kinds of gentle touch and injury.  When these fibers are damaged, affectionate touch feels unpleasant, and perception of gentle touch and injury is disturbed. The way to test these fibers is to take a skin biopsy.  

Skin biopsy is a relatively new area of research, one that has mostly been done in adults. There are only a few reports of the normal number of fibers in typical children, and none in children with autism. This year, for the first time, we carried out skin biopsies on four children with autism between the ages of 8 and 11.  In all four children there was 50 percent loss of C-tactile fibers when compared with normal controls. 

The results are not enough to draw conclusions about all children with autism, and many more biopsies must be taken in both typically-developing and autistic children.  But for the first time, there is a logical explanation for the touch problems in children with autism, and a way of testing it. 

Read the study.

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News Coverage 2008-2015

5/3/2016

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Here is a list of all the news coverage related to QSTI prior to May 15, 2015.

Statesman Journal, May 15, 2015, “Lab Notes: Massages Soothe Autism Symptoms”
Developments, April 1, 2015, “Newly-published Breakthrough Study Offers Hope to Families of Children with Autism”
Oregonian, March 26, 2015, “Kids with autism see big benefits from massage, study says”
KMUZ interview, September 2, 2014, KMUZ 88.5 FM, Salem, Oregon
Statesman Journal, August 28, 2014, Winner and Loser column – “Winner:  Research on Autism”
Oregonian, July 28, 2014, “Can qigong massage help kids with autism? Oregon study seeks families to help find out”
SalemNews.com, July 23, 2014, “Western Oregon Autism Study Enrollment Open for Kids Ages 6-11”
Television segment on AM Northwest (KATU in Portland), April 2, 2014
KMUZ interview, April 2, 2014, KMUZ 88.5 FM, Salem, Oregon
West Linn Tidings, March 13, 2014, “Touch Techniques”
Interview by Jackie McMillan, February 26, 2014, Thrive with Autism
Radio interview, February 5, 2014, Wake Up Call with Holloway and Lundun, KPNW, Eugene, Oregon
Television segment on KEZI (ABC in Eugene), January 21, 2014
Western Edge, Winter 2013, One step backward, two steps forward: Counseling professor traces path to partnership with WOU’s Teaching Research Institute
The Rise of the Reluctant Innovator. Dr. Silva wrote a chapter in the book titled, “Treating Autism with Massage.” Purchase at http://is.gd/stwJ31
The Thinking Moms’ Revolution, March 14, 2013, Be Still…Energy Flows where Attention Goes
Register Guard, November 12, 2012, Treatments for Autism: The Right Touch
Examiner.com, March 29, 2012, Let’s Help Ever Increasing Children Autistic Problems with Qigong
Healing Thresholds, September 6, 2011, Chinese Massage Method May Help Sensory Issues in Children with Autism
Examiner.com, May 12, 2011, Qigong Massage for Your Child with Autism
Kids Health Radio Show, April 17, 2011, Interview with Dr. Silva
Radio interview, April 3, 2011, http://paradigms.bz/interviews/louisasilva.mp3
Autism Advocate, Winter 2010-2011, The Qigong Sensory Training Program
Kids Health Radio Show, June 20, 2010 – Interview of a Qigong Sensory Training therapist and a mother who has used the qigong massage with her child with autism. Listen to the show
The Oregonian, May 19, 2010, A Touch of Calm
The Dalles Chronicle, May 9, 2010, A Mother’s Miracle
Western Oregon Journal, April 14, 2010, A Homeopathic Approach to Autism Treatment
Statesman Journal, April 10, 2010, Massage Training to Target Autism
QST documentary premiere, April 10, 2010. View the documentary trailer
Itemizer Observer, April 7, 2010, Soothing Autism’s Stress
Statesman Journal, April 7, 2010, Documentary,Panel to Focus on Families and Autism
AM Northwest television show, April 6, 2010
Statesman Journal, March 5, 2010, WOU Researcher Authors Book for Parents with Autistic Children
Massage Magazine, March 2010, Issue 166, “Qigong Massage Reduces Severity of Autism”
Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism by Ken Siri and Tony Lyons, Chapter 50: Qigong Massage for Young Children with Autism
Schafer Autism Report, October 26, 2009
Salem Business Journal, October 2009
Statesman Journal newspaper, September 23, 2009 – Page 1, Page 2
Montana Autism Education Project, September 24, 2009
Massage Magazine, August 30, 2009
Schafer Autism Report, January 28, 2009
iCARE4autism, March 2, 2009
El Hispanic News, October 23, 2008, “Dr. Louisa Silva Awarded Autism Research Fellowship”
Northwest Health Foundation, October 2008, “Mark O. Hatfield Research Fellowship”
Grand Ronde’s Smoke Signals newspaper, February 15, 2008

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​Qigong Sensory Training Institute (QSTI) is a nonprofit organization that developed and teaches Qigong Sensory Treatment (QST) massage to parents and professionals. We are the only source in the world that teaches QST massage, and only organizations and individuals certified by us are qualified to teach and treat. See the list of certified practitioners here.
© 2016, Qigong Sensory Training Institute. All rights reserved.
  • Home
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    • Parent Training >
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    • Media Resources >
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  • Professional Training
    • Calendar of Courses
    • QST-1 Autism Parent Trainer Online Certification >
      • QST-1 course timeline
    • QST-2 Autism Therapist Certification >
      • QST-2 EN Mbarara, Uganda 2021
      • QST-2 Adelaide, Australia 2019
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    • QST Graduate Resources >
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