Dads Use Touch Therapy with Autistic Children

For children with Autism, massage may provide relaxation, stress reduction and calm muscle spasms. Over time, touch therapy also helps the child to become more accustomed to tactile stimulation and aides in body awareness. Often by incorporating massage therapy into daily routines, children with Autism experience decreased issues with sleeping.

Research has demonstrated that this type of intervention may promote more on-task and social relatedness behavior during play, they show less erratic behavior, and are more attentive after receiving massage therapy. This nurturing, healthy touch, along with regular sensory integration, can be beneficial in reducing inattentiveness, touch aversion and withdrawal.

Considerations when massaging children with Autism

For many children with Autism, there is susceptibility to sensory overload, and they may lack feeling or awareness. So, it is important to begin lightly and gradually work deeper, while being very aware of all cues the child is giving you. For some of these children they may not use the same verbal skills as other pediatric clients, so it is imperative to be mindful of all non-verbal communication as well.

Seeing the great need to provide touch therapy for children with Autism is one reason I specifically developed my Pediatric Massage training. In this training we not only discuss approaches for providing touch therapy for children with Autism, but children with many varying special healthcare needs.

During my recent North American Touch Tour, I have provided training, education and guidance to new pediatric massage therapists throughout the U.S. and Canada who have already reported finding a valuable response with children and families affected by Autism and Autism spectrum disorders.

Practical tips for practitioners

As a practitioner working with children with Autism, be prepared to take it slow. You may not introduce massage at your first session together and this is normal. Start out by trying to make the child feel comfortable and introduce tactile stimulation by allowing the child to choose various items to touch and feel. You want to give the child the opportunity to participate in the session as much as possible. Be aware and observe cues which indicate permission to touch. You may not receive direct eye-to-eye contact or a verbal “Yes”. Vary your pace and pressure while recognizing the child’s individual needs. Deeper pressure is better received by many children who have been diagnosed with ASD. Skin-to-skin contact may not be immediately well received by the child with Autism, so consider providing touch over clothing or cloth, and beginning with the hands and feet may be more comfortable.

What about the Parents?

Many times parents feel frustrated at trying to provide appropriate loving and nurturing touch for their child, only to receive little or no reaction. Many children with Autism show characteristics such as impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication (both verbal and non-verbal), restricted interests and repetitive behavior. A child with Autism typically does not express any words of love, share hugs or show any facial expression in response to pleasure.

When working with children with Autism, it is important to involve parents by showing them techniques they can practice, as well as a variety of ways to introduce tactile stimulation throughout daily activities. The parents should be invited to sit in on your session, as long as both the parents and child are comfortable. Teaching parents massage therapy and nurturing touch techniques can be helpful in encouraging this healthy bond between child and parent.

Some big misperceptions about Children with Autism

It has been long believed that a child with Autism is incapable of forming attachment. However, research has demonstrated that these children do attach to their parents, but still remain incapable of acting on this attachment or responding appropriately.

Many times it is believed that children with Autism will not make eye contact and cannot react to receiving touch in a positive way. This is not always the case. There have been times when I am working with a child and they do make eye contact. I often fine, that once I have given them some freedom to choose the types of touch they wish to receive, and the position they wish to be in during a session, they respond with a smile. A reaction not always witnessed by those who are with the child on a daily basis.

Children with Autism have sensory malfunction and dysfunction of the tactile system making them averse to certain sights, sounds, smells or touch. Given that children with Autism have been reported to be opposed to physical contact, it is interesting that many massage therapists, and parents, are finding great success in the use of massage therapy with children who are Autistic, or considered to be on the spectrum.

Improving an Autistic Child’s Communication - Using Sign Language

Those who have worked with autistic children have also become aware of the need to help them improve their communication abilities. These children become easily frustrated when they have difficulty expressing their needs and desires. As a result, their parents and teachers become more frustrated as well. Fortunately, there are strategies that teachers can use in order to improve the communication skills of their autistic students.

According to a fact sheet developed by the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities “Students with autism or PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) learn better and are less confused when information is presented visually as well as verbally. Interaction with non-disabled peers is also important, for these students provide models of appropriate language, social, and behavior skills. To overcome frequent problems in generalizing skills learned at school, it is very important to develop programs with parents, so that learning activities, experiences, and approaches can be carried over into the home and community.”

Although this seems simple to incorporate into a curriculum, there are many factors that create obstacles for teachers trying to implement these ideas. While the English language is mainly a verbal language, information should be presented visually as well to ensure students’ success. When autistic children have less advanced communication skills than their peers, it inhibits their interaction with one another. Most tools available to teachers require purchase and training, which makes it costly and not feasible for them to be used outside of the classroom.

Although these obstacles are present, there are ways that teachers can help their autistic students communicate better. Thirteen different research studies* have indicated that using American Sign Language (ASL) signs with an autistic child is a successful alternative teaching strategy. Results of these studies have shown:

• increased vocalizations
  signs were mastered and used in the appropriate context, even in different atmospheres and with different people

• self-stimulation decreased

•most autistic children acquired better communication - even if they were labeled mute
•sign language was superior to other communication systems for increased vocalization and mastered items for most autistic children

Why do American Sign Language signs work? By incorporating ASL into the classroom and by saying and signing the word together, students are able to absorb information not only verbally, but visually as well. Many signs are also iconic, meaning that they look like the actual object they define. When both autistic children and non-disabled children learn signs (which can be done together), their communication with one another becomes easier. Non-disabled children learn signs very quickly and they enjoy it. In addition, ASL can easily be incorporated in the home, with no cost. Teachers can simply teach parents the signs their children are learning.

These studies have proven that autistic children can improve their communication skills by simply including ASL signs into their daily routine. They will be less frustrated because they will be able to better express their feelings, therefore minimizing the frustration of their teachers and parents as well.

Physical Activity As a Therapy For Autistic Children

While parents and educators of autistic children often realize the benefits of education and routine, quite often the benefits of physical activity and sports are overlooked. Some parents might think that their child is simply not capable for participating in a sports program. Or they might just feel too busy and overwhelmed with the daily routine of taking care of an autistic child, and think the time spent on sport is not as valuable as other programs. However, physical exercise has been shown to greatly improve the lives of autistic children and to improve their behaviour as well.

Autistic children, like all children with a disability are more prone to avoid sports and thus run the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Perhaps the greatest risk however, is simply not having the opportunity to reap the benefits that regular physical exercise can provide, such as improved endurance, a chance to develop fine and gross motor skills and a self-confidence boost. A right exercise program can also introduce the autistic child to a social environment and a chance to interact with his peers. Physical exercise is a proven way to help autistic children (and even non-autistic ones) to burn off excess energy and be able to focus better on their school work or other learning opportunities.

Many autistic children might not be able to participate in a team sport, due to limited social ability or the fear of physical contact with others. Individual sports might be more suitable to them. Parents have found their autistic children to love and excel in swimming, tennis, golf, skating or bike riding. You know your child best and what physical activities would be best suited to his/her individual temperament and interests. Exercise also allows the autistic child who has problems with self-control to have the opportunity to yell and get out any built up energy.

Autistic children often have trouble with sensory input. Sports naturally help to unite the senses, by provided many natural opportunities to run, climb, balance and touch. To encourage your child to begin enjoying his body and exploring his senses a good idea is to create simple obstacles and sensory items right in your home. Things like crawl-through tunnels, ball pits and ceiling-mounted swings are relatively inexpensive and provide a much-needed release for the autistic child. If you are looking to create a “sensory room” for your autistic child to enjoy physical exercise right in your home, there are many products available for that purpose. Things like monkey bars, indoor therapy gyms, rock climbing walls or simple gym rings all provide many opportunities for exercise right at home. The physically active autistic child is better focused, more self-controlled and better able to deal with sensory stimulation.

As busy as parents with autistic children are, the importance of regular physical exercise and sports should not be overlooked. Rather, think of it as yet another form of therapy, make it fun and participate right along with your child to improve the health of the whole family!