Online Training Course for Parents

Length of course: 12 weeks
Cost: $500 (U.S.) 

Registration is accepted continuously. Register here for “QST-P-ASD” and, after the instructor reviews ​your registration and accepts you into the course, you will receive a link to make payment. 

COURSE REGISTRATION AND TIMELINE 
To register, click the Register Now button and select “QST-Parents” as the course. Payment will be made after your registration is reviewed by the instructor. The complete course timeline is provided below. For further questions, contact [email protected].

DATE

EVENT/ACTIVITY

Week 1

Learning the Form of the Massage

Week 2

Attuning the Massage to Your Child Skype Session #1

Week 3

Reading Body Language During Massage Skype Session #2

Week 4

Activating the Skin-Brain Connection

Week 5

Extra Techniques for Behavior Management Throughout the Day Skype Session #3

Week 6

Emotional Release 

Week 7

The Healing Process with QST Massage Skype Session #4

Week 8

Managing Aggression

Week 9

Understanding Toxicity Skype Session #5

Week 10

Diet

Week 11

Evaluating Progress Skype Session #6

Week 12

What to expect in the next 1-2 years. Resources and supports for after the course.

Graduation!

Course Description

This 12-week online course is offered to parents of children with autism who want to learn QST massage skills to benefit their own child. The course is taught by a QST master trainer and is designed to maximize the improvement seen in the child. After the initial training, parents begin daily massage with their child. Parents participate in weekly reading and discussions to develop their understanding of the massage, and receive regular coaching sessions via Skype to develop their practical skills. During Skype sessions, the instructor observes the massage and teaches the parent to adjust the technique to the child’s responses and work through areas of difficulty. A significant improvement in the child’s behavior, sensory problems and social awareness is expected by the end of the course.  

This course is not graded. Participants completing the course receive a certificate of course completion. Please note that the QST-P course does not certify individuals to train other parents to work on their children. This is taught in the QST-1 course.

 Prerequisites

Applicants should:

  • Be a parent of a child with autism who want to learn QST massage skills to benefit their own child.
  • Because the effectiveness of QST massage can be effected by chronic illness, please let us know if you have a chronic illness when you register for the course.

Children receiving therapy should meet the following five criteria:

  • Have a diagnosis of autism
  • Be under 12 years of age
  • Be on little or no strong medication
  • Have no additional neurological disability e.g. seizures, cerebral palsy
  • Additional new intensive autism interventions should not be started at same time as this course as it will be difficult for you to separate the effects of two new interventions started at the same time ​
  • If your child is olderon strong medication or has an additional neurological condition, please include the information on your registration form.  The course instructor will review your information and let you know whether she can adapt the protocol to meet your child’s needs

Responsibilities of Participants

  • Order Parent Essentials Package for Verbal or Non-Verbal Children from the QSTI bookstore. Pre-ordering your books will save time when it comes to starting the course
  • Provide the daily massage
  • Stay up to date on weekly assignments
  • Communicate questions about your child’s responses to the course instructor in a timely manner
  • Evaluate your child’s touch responses at the beginning and end of the course using a parent questionnaire
  • Complete Skype coaching sessions with the course instructor

Course Completion Requirements

  • Successfully complete the daily log recording the daily massage and e-mail to your instructor weekly
  • Complete the parent questionnaires at the beginning and end of the course 
  • Complete 6 Skype coaching sessions 

What Parents Say

Here are autism testimonials from a group of parents who have just completed our QST autism massage program.

What is it like to participate in a QST parent training program?
  • “It’s been fun. It’s a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. When they told us what they were going to teach is, I thought ‘Oh my gosh, I’m never going to learn this!’ But it’s not hard. It really isn’t.”
  • “Honestly, it was a little strange at first. It was something a little different, unconventional, but we wanted to make a difference in our son’s life and we were willing to try anything. And we are very glad that we did. It has made a huge difference and meant a lot to us.”
  • “I had some doubts at first. It was a long drive, and of course, a non-traditional approach. It wasn’t until about a month in that he became potty trained and started sleeping through the night, that I was sure.”
  • “It was really nice. It’s nice to have someone to talk to – good and bad, being able to share how our days are going and things that are a problem. It’s really good to have someone that listens and tries to help.”
Is it hard to do the massage at home every day?
  • “One thing is that it relaxes them. It starts a whole routine for the evening and he knows it. It’s relaxing and it’s a way for him and me to bond too, especially if it’s been busy during the day and we haven’t had much time.”
  • “The massage is a fun thing for mommy and son to do together every night… to just relax together. We both enjoyed it. It was really fun.”
  • “At first it was hard trying to figure out the time of day we were going to do the massage and just to make sure that one of us didn’t forget to do it. Once we picked out a time of day to do it, there was no missing it – he asks for it.”
How did your child respond to qigong massage?
Different children had different experiences, of course. Some gained in language or motor skills. Others started sleeping better and had fewer tantrums or were less aggressive with others. Some experienced better bowel control and began to be potty trained. Some started to play more creatively and imaginatively with toys and other children. Each child had his or her own unique experience. However, many families talked about three kinds of changes that most children experienced, including: (1) Being calmer; (2) Connecting with others more; and (3) Being ‘clearer.’

  • “It’s made a different connection between him, me, and his father. Before he had a kind of broken connection with his father and it’s just a lot better now. He can communicate with his father now.”
  • “Overall, he is calmer and more focused. His teachers are describing him as not having a fog around him and I see that too.”
  • “The biggie is that something has cleared for her. I don’t know what the right word is, but some fog has lifted so that she’s able to focus better on what’s going on around her.”
  • “I think it helped to integrate him as a whole human being rather than as a scattered collection of organs that weren’t working together very well.”

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Qigong Sensory Training Institute (QSTI) is a nonprofit organization that developed and teaches Qigong Sensory Therapy (QST) to parents and professionals. Only organizations and individuals certified by QSTI are qualified to teach QST or offer QST services. See the list of Certified Trainers here.