QST-2 Autism Therapist Certification

Upcoming Courses:

Antwerp, Belgium: Classroom instruction in English from Monday-Friday April 15-19, 2019, with supervision possible in English, French or Dutch continuing through July 2019. For more information see the course page or email Sabine Baeyens.

If you want to enroll in a course but none of the current courses are convenient for you, please complete this form and we will notify you when new courses are added. Also, if we generate enough interest in a particular place, we can schedule a course there.

QST-2 Course Description: QST Child Therapist and Parent Trainer Certification

This course will certify graduates to provide both the QST parent intervention and the QST therapist intervention. Students will learn principles of training and coaching parents in the parent autism massage, as well as receive hands-on training and skill development in the QST autism therapist massage protocol.

This course is designed for occupational therapists, physical therapists, autism specialists, and other professionals working with young children with autism.

The course is five months in length and includes both on-site training and distance clinical supervision via Skype or videotape.

Prior to the course, each student will recruit one child with autism and his/her family to work with during this five-month course. To be eligible, the child should meet the following criteria:

Have a diagnosis of autism
Be under 6 years of age
Take little or no psychoactive medication or chelation therapy
Have no additional neurological disability (e.g. cerebral palsy or uncontrolled seizures)
No other intensive autism interventions should be planned to begin at the same time as QST (e.g. 20-40 hours of ABA per week)
Not be a family member or in the direct care of the QST-2 student

The course begins with four days of intensive training on theory and practice in the massage This is followed by a five-month practicum during which time the student meets with the family on 20 occasions to provide training and support to the parents and to work directly with the child. Throughout the practicum, students are supervised by a QST Master Trainer and have the opportunity both to encounter and teach to difficulties that arise for parents in implementing daily therapy, and to hone their own skills in the more intensive QST Therapist version of therapy. For long distance courses, practitioners will be required to Skype (or videotape) a minimum of three selected QST treatments and receive supervision via Skype (or video review). Practitioners will also submit weekly reports to the Master Trainer. Two additional required 1.5-hour teleconference sessions are required during the intervention, and the practitioner must conduct an exit interview with parents/caregivers of the child with whom they work during the course.

PREREQUISITES
Applicants should:

Have at least two years of professional or para-professional experience working with children on the autism spectrum – or – be a parent or close family member of a child with autism
Be in good health, taking little or no chronic medication. The reason for this requirement is that Qigong Sensory Training utilizes the energy, intention and sensibility of the QST trainer. According to Chinese medicine, chronic illness and chronic medication decrease a person’s overall energy and sensitivity, and thus the resources they bring to working with QST.

Please note that the classroom portion of the course is intensive and, if you have a learning disability (e.g., ADHD, ADD) or if you have autism yourself, this course could prove to be challenging to complete.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPANTS

Recruit and obtain the informed consent of a family with a child with autism that meets eligibility criteria for participation in the training. See this page to learn more about recruiting a family in order to finalize your registration.
Attend all sessions of the training, including required teleconferences, as scheduled
Collect pre- and post-test data from the child/family with whom they work during the course
Complete 20 treatment sessions with the child/family with whom they work

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Successfully complete practical written exams at the end of the initial 5 days of training
Complete 20 treatment appointments, including all supervised sessions, with a child with autism
Demonstrate ability to successfully “de-block” and “fill” during qigong massage sessions
Graduates of the training will be listed on the QSTI website

For more information, contact our curriculum director, Pam Tindall.

REGISTRATION / CANCELLATION POLICY
Registration is open one year in advance. Classes will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-register here to signal interest in taking a course.

To hold a spot in the class, full payment must be received with your registration. The registration fee is refundable, minus a 10% administrative fee, 60 days or more prior to the start of the course. The registration fee, minus a 15% administrative fee, is refundable 30 to 59 days prior to the start of the course. No refunds are available within 30 days of the start of the course.

CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS
This course provides 40 hours of continuing education from the Qigong Sensory Training Institute. Upon graduation, students receive a certificate documenting these hours.

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.