Therapeutic Massage For Autistic Children

Autistic children are different. Autism can be broadly defined as a kind of brain disorder. Parents become aware that they have an autistic child when he or she is 2-3 years old. From then onwards their life becomes very challenging as they struggle to cope with their child. Most autistic children shut themselves from the world and like to remain in a cocoon of loneliness. They hate to communicate with another adult and detest being touched. They are unable to use language properly even to express their basic needs. The child is usually unable to form sentences and may repeat a few words that he has heard. Some may be dumb Most have an extremely short attention span unable to concentrate on anything for more than two minutes. The most heartbreaking fact for parents is the child’s inability to express love in the form of kisses hugs or cuddles. Many exhibit behavioral problems by displaying fits of uncontrollable rage

At times an autistic child drives parents crazy. They usually go in for various treatments both conventional and unconventional and hope that it will bring them positive results. More often than not disappointment follows. Research has shown that massage therapy often works wonders for an autistic child. There are many kinds of massage therapies available but the parent has to learn with the help of the therapist what works for their child. Though most autistic children hate to be touched many react positively to massage therapy. Parents should learn the correct massage techniques from a massage therapist. It is important that the massage is given in the right way to bring positive results. Before you begin the exercise, make the child look at your mouth and say the word massage slowly. By repeating it everyday your child will learn what to expect when you say the word. Massage in the form of long soothing strokes especially on the head, face and neck is very effective. Make a timetable and set aside a particular time each day for massage. Giving a massage before your child goes to sleep works wonders. Many parents of autistic children reported that their hitherto sleepless child experienced sound sleep for a greater period of time. Parents of autistic children who have practiced massage therapy made glowing reports of their child’s progress. The attention span of most children increased substantially helping them to focus on the task they were doing. The child no longer loathed being touched and was able to bond better with his or her parents and other children. They were calmer and experienced less behavioral problems.

Another benefit from massage that few people are aware of is that it helps to remove toxins from our connective tissue and muscles which makes our child lead a healthier life. Many autistic children have lower levels of the hormone Oxytocin which induces feelings of warmth and emotional connections in our body. According to research massage helps to release Oxytocin in our body which is so necessary for autistic children. Long soothing strokes help drive away stress and make them more relaxed which help them respond in a better way to their environment. Massage therapy makes the autistic child feel that the world is a safe place and helps them relate to it in a better way.

Author : Juliet White

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