Problems Addressed
by Qigong Sensory Training:
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.
In preliminary research studies, Qigong Sensory Training has been shown to be helpful in
improving all manner of sleep problems within the first 10 weeks of the
training. In the East, massage and manual therapies are well known and
have been widely used for centuries to promote a normal, healthy
sleep-wake cycle in people of all ages.
The qigong is generally given to the child by
the parent at bedtime, and becomes a relaxing part of the bed-time
routine, often ending with the child asleep within minutes.
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Sensory Issues in Children with
Autism
Children on the autism spectrum frequently have
many and diverse sensory issues such that they respond in an unexpected
way to normal sensory stimuli. In some cases, they react defensively as
if the stimulus was painful or uncomfortable, and in others, they
appear not to notice it. Each child is different, different senses are
involved, different combinations of senses, different intensities of
reaction. Some children are primarily over-reactive and defensive, some
are primarily under-reactive, and some are a mixture of both. Little or
no research has been done on the cause of this sensory impairment, but
it seems clear that the thresholds for pain associated with each sense
appear to be altered.
This creates a situation for the child where
they are not appreciating the same external reality as their family.
Something that is pleasurable for the family may appear threatening to
the child. A sensory experience that is painful for the family, may not
be even be noticed by the child. The stream of sensory information
reaching the child's brain may be uneven: some is normal and
undistorted, but it can be punctuated with discomfort and the need to
defend, and missing important information that others around the child
are recognizing. Learning is delayed.
Natural learning happens by osmosis, and best
happens when a person is relaxed. Information reaches the senses from
outside the body: the person notices, they pay attention, and they
learn. Our senses are the doors and windows onto the outside world,
they need to be in full working order to notice and learn about the
sounds, tastes, smells and touches of the world around us.
Blind and deaf children have great difficulty
with social learning and until the necessary accommodations are made to
receive the sensory input, their learning is delayed. The same appears
to be true for children with autism. But while glasses and hearing
aides are available for the hearing and visually impaired, what therapy
is available to normalize the sensory impairment of autism?
Qigong
Sensory Training (QST)
comes to us from Chinese science
and learning theory. It is a research-based intervention that has shown
promising results in helping children overcome their sensory
impairment in a
controlled study. As the sensory impairment improves, the children
become less stressed, and resume natural learning. Significant gains
are measured during the five months in the areas of social skills,
language skills, living skills and there is a corresponding reduction
in autistic behavior.
Because children with autism can be difficult to
touch and because their sensory issues go through several changes
during the five months of QST, trainers are trained to fit the qigong
treatment to the particular child, and to modify it as the child
changes. By the end of the five months, children are much more stable,
sensory impairment is much improved, and the parents are trained and
confident in their ability to continue to support their child with
qigong for as long as they need.
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Digestive Problems in Children
with Autism
Children with autism have a high prevalence of digestive problems that
include diarrhea and constipation as well as poor appetite and a diet
consisting of only a few foods. 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 fat-soluble nutrients they need for brain development. In either
situation, growth and development may be slowed down and 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.
Since the reasons for digestive problems in
children with autism are not understood, there are few proven treatment
options. The qigong the child receives in Qigong Sensory Training has
been shown to be helpful in strengthening the digestive system and
resolving digestive problems in three small research studies. As the
child's digestive system becomes stronger during the first few weeks of
qigong, their appetite improves, their selection of food widens and the
child begins to gain weight. In preliminary studies, diarrhea and constipation usually resolved
within the first ten weeks.
Food
allergies and digestive problems
Sometimes the diarrhea and very limited food choices can predispose the
child to developing food sensitivities which makes them crave the food
they are allergic to and gives them more diarrhea, thus compounding
their digestive difficulties. Research shows that some children improve
by going on a gluten
free/casein free diet and avoiding foods with artificial
additives and preservatives. In addition, it can be helpful to identify
foods that are irritating the child's digestive system with food
allergy testing and eliminate them from the child's diet.
Many of the children who have received QST are
already on a gluten free/casein free diet, or have been tested and
found not to need a special diet. In cases where a child is severely
sensitive to certain foods, consumption of those foods should be
eliminated while the child's bowel recovers. Continuing to give the
allergic foods is unwise and hampers the progress seen with QST.
For more information about diet and decreasing the toxic load, download "Parent Information on Decreasing Toxic Load Through Diet" (in .pdf).
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