The Benefits of Massage Therapy for Autistic Children Essay Sample

Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. The disorder impacts the nervous system, but the symptoms' severity varies widely. The most common symptoms include difficulty communicating and repetitive behaviors. *Studies show that the emotional, social, and cognitive development of an autistic child depends to a large extent on their early tactile experiences. Therefore it seems that the most effective treatment methods should be sought in this area. These methods include various tactile therapies, predominantly massages. The massage aims to induce physiological reactions within the body that have preventative therapeutic, and relaxing effects. There are various types of therapies and massages that help children with autism in this essay we will be focusing on these three: Deep pressure, Qi Gong, and Cranial Sacral massages.

The Qi Gong massage originated in ancient Chinese medicine the earliest records of it were from Taoist writing in 600 AD but it is believed to be from the reign of the yellow emperor in 2969-2598 BCE. In the 1990s’ Dr.Louisa Silva used a mixture of Allopathic medicine and Qi Gong massage therapy to use as a treatment for children with autism.  *Dr. Silva came up with the idea while she was researching a cheap yet efficient method of therapy that would help a family friend's child who was diagnosed with autism. With the information that she found she was able to conduct up to 15 case studies that showed Qi gong massage therapy was effective in decreasing the symptoms of autism.* For the Qi Gong massage therapy to work effectively the patient would have 20 visits over a 5-month span and daily massages from their parents. The result of these continuous activities would be improved social skills and less autistic behavior.

Deep pressure massages were created by Dr. Temple Grandin who had trouble as a child with touch and sound sensitivity due to her autism. She initially came up with the idea from her observation of cattle at a family member's farm. *Dr. Grandin noticed that when the cows went through the chutes they were always much calmer and she thought about what it would be like if she had a machine like that for herself. From these observations, she was able to make and perfect an invention called the temple garden hug machine. Originally she had no intentions of sharing her invention but it struck her that there might be other people who could benefit from her machine as she had.* What makes the machine so effective is that it has two pads that come together and provide pressure evenly throughout the body in either long squeezes or short squeezes to quickly calm the person. The machines were so successful that they are placed in schools for students who have been diagnosed with autism.

Last but not least is *cranial sacral massages which were invented by John E. Upledger was invented to relieve pain and improve whole-body performance. Craniosacral therapy is a type of osteopathic medicine that focuses on helping the whole body rather than just one part. A usual session for someone with autism would be a massage that requires a very light touch to the head, neck, and spine. This causes the release of a hormone called Oxytocin which occurs during prolonged skin-to-skin contact between people. The average person with Autism is lacking or produces less Oxytocin which can lead to depression or anxiety due to feeling isolated or disconnected.