Problems Addressed by Qigong Sensory Training:

• Sensory Impairment and Developmental Delay
• Problem Behaviors
• Sleep
• Digestion

Sensory Impairment and Developmental Delay

Children with sensory impairment have difficulties learning new skills unless the sensory impairment is corrected. Before they can learn social and language skills, the child must be able to look, listen, and pay attention to the person demonstrating the skill.  In autism, the child’s learning is hampered from the very beginning by the fact that the child avoids eye contact.  It is quite difficult to get the child to turn and face the person speaking to them.  Parents trying to teach their child social skills have to struggle to get and keep their attention.

Behind the delays seen in children with autism, lies a sensory nervous system that is out of kilter – the child’s skin, eyes and ears aren't reacting to the world around them the way the rest of the family does.  Even though hearing and vision tests are normal in autism, hearing and vision seem to be hypersensitive or hyposensitive or both.  Many children have problems recognizing gentle touch and pain, and none of the senses seem to work together.   What can be done about this sensory confusion?   

Fortunately, the qigong massage is beneficial for all the sensory problems seen in autism. It brings the sensory reactivity back to normal, so that the child receives reliable information about the outside world.  Now the brain can make sense of the incoming sensory information, and coordinate looking, listening, and paying attention.  Within a short period of time, children begin to make more eye contact.  Parents are surprised to see their child turn, look and listen when spoken to, and thrilled to see them begin to learn new skills.

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Problem Behavior

Children with autism have many different kinds of problem behaviors, including self-injurious behaviors, repetitive behaviors, tantrums and meltdowns, and aggression.

Our research has shown that the self-injurious behaviors such as self-biting, and head banging, and the repetitive behaviors, are due to an impaired sensory nervous system.  The child's behavior is simply a response to incoming sensory information that is distorted. Once the sensory nervous system comes back to normal, the child stops the self-injurious and repetitive behaviors.

Families find it stressful to deal with the tantrums and meltdowns that occur when the child is asked to make a transition from one activity to another.  Research has shown that children with autism have a nervous system that is tipped towards stress and does not have the ability to self-soothe.  The qigong massage reduces the stress in the child's body, and several of the qigong movements trigger the body's self-soothing mechanism.  The child visibly relaxes with the massage, and may yawn, rub their eyes, and get sleepy.  As the massage continues on a daily basis, the child's body is taught on a daily basis how to self-soothe.  Within a few months, the ability to self-soothe generalizes to situations when the child is not receiving the massage.  Parents report that the child is calmer and the tantrums and meltdowns are significantly less.

Aggressive behavior is also very stressful for families, particularly if the child with autism is aggressive with a younger sibling.  This is a result of the autonomic nervous system being out of balance, and being more tipped towards 'fight' than relaxation.  As the child's ability to self-soothe is turned on by the qigong massage, parents report decreases in aggressive behavior.  A second factor that triggers aggressive behavior is exposure to toxins.  Children with autism have an immature detoxification system, and may not be able to handle things that are harmless to the rest of the family.  They can manifest unusual or aggressive behavior when they are exposed to certain foods or chemicals in their environment (e.g. dry-erase markers). In these cases, identifying the triggers allows the parent to prevent the aggressive behavior. For more information, download Parent Information on Decreasing Toxic Load  (in .pdf).

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Sleep Problems in Children with Autism

Children with autism have a high prevalence of sleep problems including sleeping very little, great difficulty falling asleep, being awake for long periods of time at night, nightmares, night screaming and difficulty waking up in the morning. Sleep problems have been found to intensify the symptoms of autism.

Children's sleep problems also dramatically impact the parents stress level and quality of life. Parents can be severely and chronically sleep deprived and this only adds to the difficulties of caring for the child with autism.

Research on Qigong Sensory Training shows it is helpful in improving all manner of sleep problems within the first few months of the intervention. The qigong is generally given to the child by the parent at bedtime, and becomes a relaxing part of the bedtime routine, often ending with the child asleep within minutes.

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Digestive Problems in Children with Autism
Children with autism have a high prevalence of digestive problems that include diarrhea, constipation, poor appetite and food allergies. Young children require specific nutrients to support the needs of the growing brain and body. If there is a very limited diet, the child may not be getting enough of the necessary nutrients; if there is diarrhea, they may not be absorbing the nutrients they need for brain development. In either situation, growth and development may be adversely affected. Since children with autism already have a developmental delay, it is especially critical to deal with any digestive problems that could lead to a worsening of their condition.

Research shows that appetite and digestion are regulated by the autonomic nervous system; this is known to be out of balance in children with autism.  Research on Qigong Sensory Training shows that the massage brings the autonomic nervous system back into balance, and strengthens the child’s digestive system.  As the child's digestive system becomes stronger, diarrhea and constipation resolve, appetite improves, and the child’s choice of food widens.

Food allergies

Some foods are more difficult for young children to digest than others, and if too much of them is given too early, food allergies can result.  This is why we do not introduce dairy or wheat until later in the first year of life.  Children with autism have an immature digestive system, and are predisposed to having difficulty in digesting certain foods and developing food allergies. With food allergy, children crave the foods they are allergic to, and often won’t eat anything else.  This makes the allergy worse, and starts a vicious circle.  The saying “one man’s feast is another man’s poison” has never been so true as here.  Foods that parents often use as rewards for good behavior such as ice cream and pizza, can actually cause the child to have difficult behavior.

Research on the gluten free/casein free diet shows that while some children with autism do not have food allergies or need a special diet, some children’s autism is worsened by the foods they eat.  Since diet can create a significant ongoing source of toxicity in the child’s system, and can aggravate symptoms of autism, it is important to for parents to know which way diet impacts their child. For more information about diet and autism, download "Parent Information on Decreasing Toxic Load Through Diet" (in .pdf).

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