Enrollment for Fall 2024 Professional QST Certified Trainer Courses is now open.
Qigong Sensory Therapy for Children with Autism
Answering the Call for Safe, Respectful, Evidence-based Autism Services
From families, professionals, and medical associations, the need has emerged for effective, accessible care for children and increased training for professionals. Through years of clinical research and collaborative community engagement, QSTI has developed a proven service that can be given to children at home. Our program has supported thousands of children and families, trained hundreds of professionals, yields profound and lasting results, and respects the humanity of every individual.
— For Parents —
Thousands of families are using Qigong Sensory Therapy (QST) to help their children improve communication skills, sleep, digestion, social awareness, and to promote more joy, ease and receptivity to learning. QST can improve family bonding and dramatically reduce parenting stress with a style of care that respects the unique needs of every family.
Find resources, connect with certified therapists in your area, and learn how to run your own home program.
— For Professionals —
WHAT IS QST?
Qigong Sensory Therapy (QST) is a touch-based program that parents perform for children in their homes. Certified therapists provide hands-on support and coaching throughout this process. Children receiving QST often experience improved engagement, receptivity, awareness, and bonding. These are the foundation for easy, natural social-emotional reciprocity, verbal and non-verbal communication, and more satisfying relationships immediately and throughout life. On average, caregivers participating in QST report nearly 50% reduced parenting stress within the first six months.
Results are often apparent within 30 days. QST is unique among approaches to autism care because it focuses on sensory engagement as a precursor of social-emotional-behavioral needs, helps children feel comfortable and connected to others, and improves lifetime outcomes.
QST for Autism is a Breakthrough in 2 Important Ways:
Efficacy
- It is the first therapy to support growth and development in all aspects of autism – sensory, behavioral, social-emotional, communication, and motor skills.
- It is the first therapy to be consistently effective for children who have not developed receptive language skills.
- It has the strongest evidence basis for supporting sensory development of any autism therapy.
Accessibility
- Because parents/caregivers are trained to provide QST to their children, waiting lists are non-existent.
- Because the majority of care is provided in-home, frequent clinical visits are not necessary.
- Because minimal therapist time is required, costs are low while benefits are equal to or greater than the results achieved by the most commonly available therapies.
We are working now to share the good news with parents and professionals and grow the organization. Please join us by helping to spread the word about QST to families and therapists, familiarizing yourself with our training options, volunteering, and making a donation.
See What People Are Saying
I am excited to recommend Qigong Sensory Therapy (QST) to my families. This evidence-based, hands-on, parent-implemented intervention has been proven to help autistic children improve their sensory processing, self regulation, and connections with others, as well as to decrease parenting stress.
QST training is outstanding training: better understanding of autism; learning QST massage. Practicing with a follow-up of a young autistic child shows us the effects of daily massage on children and their families.. It’s a rich training that brings a lot to children and their parents, but also to therapists. I highly recommend it. Thank you!
If you are debating on whether you should try the massage or not – trust me, just do it!! My husband and I have been doing Qigong massage on our almost 4 year old daughter for over a year now. The changes in her have been AMAZING. I used to feel as if my daughter was in her own little world and we could not get into it no matter what. Now she is in OUR world.