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- Title
Qigong massage treatment for sensory and self-regulation problems in young children with autism: a randomized controlled trial.
- Authors
Silva, Louisa M T; Schalock, Mark; Ayres, Robert; Bunse, Carol; Budden, Sarojini
- Abstract
Autism is commonly associated with sensory and self-regulatory disturbances. This article presents a randomized controlled study evaluating the effect of a 5-month intervention directed toward improving sensory impairment, digestion, and sleep in 46 children with autism < age 6. The intervention, Qigong Sensory Training (QST), is a qigong massage intervention based in Chinese medicine. It is two-pronged: Trainers work with children directly 20 times over 5 months, and parents give the massage daily to their children. Improvement was evaluated in two settings--preschool and home--by teachers (blind to group) and parents. Teacher evaluations showed that treated children had significant classroom improvement of social and language skills and reduction in autistic behavior compared with wait-list control participants. These findings were confirmed by parent data, indicating that the gains had generalized across contexts. A model and supporting data for understanding and treating sensory and self-regulation problems in autism is presented.
- Publication
The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 2009, Vol 63, Issue 4, p423
- ISSN
0272-9490
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.5014/ajot.63.4.423