5 Reasons for Choosing Qigong Massage Therapy For Your Child with Special Needs

Parents often struggle with choosing from the myriad of therapies available. I remember the intense feeling of being crushed by too much information coming at me all at once. Those were the early days following my son’s diagnosis with autism. I waded through it all, found what I thought were the best available therapy options for us and recruited the dream team of therapists that would accompany us on our journey. Over the years I made sure to keep up with all the relevant information about autism. I was pretty confident there wasn’t an excellent therapy option I had not heard of.

That was until I came across Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) Sensory Treatment, or qigong massage. I became so convinced of the effectiveness of this therapy that I became certified as a therapist. There were several reasons why I was so impressed with qigong massage:

1.Qigong massage is evidence-based

This means that well-designed research studies published in scholarly journals have shown that qigong massage therapy is effective in improving key areas of autism

2. Qigong massage is a family-based therapy

Following a child’s autism diagnosis, many parents (myself included) often feel unknowledgeable, disempowered and helpless. QST gives parents their power to parent back. With a little help, parents do the massage and see the positive changes it makes to their child and their family.

3. Qigong massage is a breakthrough therapy for autism

Qigong massage therapy is an important new advance in autism therapies for several reasons:

• It is the first therapy that improves all aspects of autism; sensory, behavioural, language and also reduces parental stress
• It is consistently effective for all children affected by autism whether moderately or severely
• It is the first therapy that effectively decreases the sensory challenges in autism

4. It is relatively inexpensive

Qigong massage therapy is relatively inexpensive. Parents often have to pay privately for therapy and insurance coverage is insufficient. With QST, parents can choose how they work with the therapist.

5. Qigong massage relieves the stress of waiting for government services

In Montreal where I live, families routinely wait for up to 24 months for government-provided autism therapy. This is despite the fact that the benefits of early intervention are well-known. It is agonizing time for families who can’t afford the prohibitive costs of private therapy. Qigong massage therapy, an effective, low-cost, parent-delivered therapy can be a godsend for these families.

You can read the full article on Issue 45 of Autism Parenting Magazine. Get your own free copy by going to www.AutismParentingMagazine.com. Please note that the free issue may not be the latest issue.