Is QST Autism Massage Right for My Child?
Research studies show that QST autism massage is a safe and effective therapy for autism in children under the age of 12. QST autism massage is the only autism therapy that is effective for all symptoms of autism – behavioral, sensory, social and language – and it is the only autism therapy that is effective for all children with autism, no matter how severe. The therapy can also be given at home by the parent and is the least expensive of all the autism therapies.
Autism Assessment and Evaluation Tools
We have created additional tools to measure QST massage outcomes in young children with autism. It is useful to do them before starting the massage, and then every six months until scores are normal. They will help you to know when your child has received maximum benefit. These tools are free of charge.
The Sense and Self-Regulation Checklist is a measure of severity of sensory symptoms and self-regulatory difficulties in young children with autism. It evaluates difficulties with self-regulation in the areas of sleep, digestion, self-soothing, attention and behavior. The SSC is a good measure of the degree to which sensory and self-regulatory difficulties contribute to autism severity. This is the contribution that is directly helped by the massage. Click here to view the research.
The Autism Touch and Self-Regulation Checklist is the most recent upgrade of the Sense and Self-Regulation Checklist. The Autism Parenting Stress Index is a measure of parenting stress, i.e. how difficult it is to parent effectively in light of the physical, social and communication barriers imposed by autism. Research shows that parents of children with autism report 4x the parenting stress of typical parents and 2x the parenting stress of parents of children with other disabilities. Click here to view the study.
The Bunse Developmental Checklist is a checklist of developmental skills, with emphasis on developmental skills that are missing in autism. It is a useful way to measure catch-up development with QST massage.
Click here to read about QST, diet, and toxic load explained.
What to Expect
The success of QST massage for autism depends on parents learning the massage correctly, adapting it to the individual child’s symptoms and responses, and following through on a daily basis for long enough to get the maximum benefit for their child. Less than daily treatment, or stopping the massage too early results in less benefit. Working with a therapist helps parents master the skills and stay on track to give long-term treatment.
STARTING THE MASSAGE
It can take several weeks for you to get comfortable with the massage. Some children have immediate improvement in sleep and behavior, other children take longer for parents to notice improvement.
INITIAL PERIOD OF DIFFICULTY
Initially, children may resist touch on several areas of the body, e.g. ears, fingers, and toes. We do not avoid these areas. These are the areas that need treatment the most. The QST autism massage protocol has specific techniques for each area of difficulty. As parents adapt the technique to their children’s responses, children work through the difficulties and touch normalizes.
CHANGES IN THE MASSAGE
After several months, many children can go through a hypersensitivity phase and the massage techniques have to be adapted. By now parents have learned to understand their child’s body language in response to massage and can consult the books for guidance on how to modify the massage.
STEADY IMPROVEMENT
After several months to a year, improvement of all the components of autism is seen. Take a look at the graph to see how things change over two years.
RECOVERY FROM AUTISM
By the end of two years, research shows that overall autism severity is 44% less, and more than half of the higher-functioning children have moved off the spectrum. We recommend that parents continue the massage until touch and other sensory responses are completely normal.
Research-Proven Autism Treatment for Children that Works
QST Massage Treatment for Autism is a Breakthrough
The Qigong Sensory Treatment massage program is based on practices used in the East for thousands of years, and has successfully treated more than a thousand children in the United States since 2003. It is a breakthrough treatment for autism in three ways:
- It is the first treatment to improve all aspects of autism – sensory, behavioral, social, and language
- It is the first treatment to be consistently effective for children with severe as well as mild autism
- It is the first treatment that effectively treats the sensory abnormalities in autism
“We believe in safe, proven therapy for children with autism that can be given by parents at home. We believe in high quality training for parents and professionals that is accessible and affordable. We offer both.”
– the QSTI team
Tools and Training to Treat Autism
Qigong Sensory Treatment (QST) massage is a proven, touch-based autism treatment for children that parents perform for 15 minutes each day for up to two years to normalize sensory issues and reduce or eliminate symptoms of autism. Results are apparent after as few as 30 days of treatment. QST massage for autism is unique among autism treatments because it grants children access to normal development, helps them feel comfortable and connected to others, and improves lifetime outcomes.
How QST Massage for Autism Works
Research shows that children with autism have early loss of child-to-parent bonding, as well as loss of the ability to feel pleasure and reassurance with parent touch. Instead they near-universally reject, avoid, or fail to notice touch. Without the ability to enjoy touch and close physical contact, children aren’t socially receptive and can’t be soothed by parent touch. Before long, social delay and abnormal behavior are evident.
Research shows that pleasure and bonding with gentle touch are mediated by tiny sensory nerves in the skin, and when these nerves are damaged, children lose pleasure and bonding with touch. Fortunately, the damage is reversible, and treatment with QST massage for autism returns the sense of touch to normal. This improves bonding, stimulates social development and eliminates autistic behavior.
To read more about why touch is important in autism, click here.
QST Massage Research
Dr. Louisa Silva is the lead researcher for QST massage and founder of QSTI. She hypothesized that if autism develops because of loss of touch, then restoring touch with QST massage should reduce autism. In 15 studies in young children with autism, she showed that treatment with QST massage decreased the severity of all aspects of autism.
After five months of treatment:
- Sensory problems improved by 38%
- Touch improved by 49%
- Autistic behavior decreased by 32%
- Social skills increased and children were more affectionate
- Receptive language increased
- Parenting stress decreased by 44%
After two years of treatment:
- There was 100% recovery of the sense of touch
- The average decrease of autism severity was 44%
- Over 50% of high-functioning children moved off the spectrum
A study evaluating treatment in older children (aged 6-11) showed similar results
QST Massage Research Articles
We have published 21 scientific studies evaluating the effect of QST massage protocols on children with autism and Down syndrome. Randomized, controlled studies show improvement of sensory, behavioral and developmental problems. In children with autism, all aspects of autism improve and autism becomes less severe. In children with Down syndrome speech and motor skills improve.
PUBLISHED AUTISM STUDIES
QST massage for 6-12 year olds with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An extension study. Silva, L, Schalock M, Gabrielson K, Horton-Dunbar G. Published by Western Oregon University here.
One and Two-year Outcomes of Treating Preschool Children with Autism with a Qigong Massage Protocol: An Observational Follow-along Study. Silva, L, Schalock M, Gabrielsen KR, Horton-Dunbar G. Journal of Alternative and Integrative Medicine 5:216. (2016). Full Text.
First Skin Biopsy Reports in Children with Autism Show Loss of C-Tactile Fibers. Silva, L., Schalock, M. (2016). Journal of Neurological Disorders 4:262 (2016). Full Text.
About Face: Evaluating and Managing Tactile Impairment at the Time of Autism Diagnosis. Silva, L., Schalock, M., Gabrielsen, K. (2015). Autism Research and Treatment, Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 612507, 10 pages, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/612507. Full Text.
Early intervention with a parent-delivered massage protocol directed at tactile abnormalities decreases severity of autism and improves child-to-parent interactions: a replication study. Silva, L., Schalock, M., Gabrielsen, K., Budden, S., Buenrostro, M., and Horton, G. (2015). Autism Research and Treatment, Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 904585, 16 pages, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/904585. Full Text
Treatment of Tactile Impairment in Young Children with Autism: Results with Qigong Massage. Silva, L. Schalock, M. (2013). International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, 6(4):12-20. Full Text
Prevalence and Significance of Abnormal Tactile Responses in Young Children with Autism. Silva, L. Schalock, M. (2013). North American Journal of Medicine and Science, 6(3):121-127. Full Text
Alternative Support for Families with Autistic Children in Lithuania. Silva, L., Vaicekauskaite, R., & Aciene, E. (2012). Tiltai/Bridges, 2(59):125-132. Full Text
Early Intervention for Autism with a Parent-delivered Qigong Massage Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Silva, L., Schalock, M. & Gabrielsen, K. (2011). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(5):550-559. Abstract Full Text
Qigong Massage Treatment for Sensory and Self-Regulation Problems in Young Children with Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial . Silva, L., Schalock, M., Ayres, R., Bunse, C., & Budden, S. (2009). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 423-432. Abstract Full Text
A Model and Treatment for Autism at the Convergence of Chinese Medicine and Neuroscience: First 130 Cases. Silva, L., Ayres, R., & Schalock, M. (2011). Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 17(6):421-429. Abstract Full Text
Autism Parenting Stress Index: Initial Psychometric Evidence. Silva, L. & Schalock, M. (2011). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder. Abstract Full Text
Sense and Self-Regulation Checklist, a Measure of Comorbid Autism Symptoms: Initial Psychometric Evidence. Silva, L. & Schalock, M. (2012). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66(2):177-186. Abstract Full Text
Outcomes of a Pilot Training Program in a Qigong Massage Intervention for Young Children with Autism. Silva, L., Ayres, R., & Schalock, M. (September/October 2008). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(5), 530-538. Abstract Full Text
“Willing to Try Anything,” “Nothing to Lose”: How Families Experience and Explain an Alternative Treatment for Autism. Ferguson, D. & Silva, L.M.T. (2008). Teaching Research Institute Publications. Link: https://www.wou.edu/tri/publications.php
Improvement in Sensory Impairment and Social Interaction in Young Children with Autism following Treatment with an Original Qigong Massage Methodology. Silva, L., Cignolini A., Warren, R., Skowron-Gooch, A., & Budden, S. (2007). American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 35(3), 393-406. Abstract Full Text
A Medical Qigong Methodology for Early Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Silva, L. & Cignolini, A. (2005). American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 33(2), 315-27. Abstract Full Text
PUBLISHED DOWN SYNDROME STUDIES
Improved Speech Following Parent-delivered Qigong Massage in Young Children with Down Syndrome: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Silva, L. & Schalock, M., Williams, M. (2013). Early Child Development and Care. Abstract
Qigong Massage for Motor Skills in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome. Silva, L., Schalock, M., Garberg, J., & Lammers Smith, C. (2012). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66(3):348-55. Abstract
PUBLISHED CEREBRAL PALSY STUDY
Qigong Massage for Motor Skills in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome. Silva, L., Schalock, M., Garberg, J., & Lammers Smith, C. (2012). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66(3):348-55. Abstract
Text from qsti.org
