Massage Therapy for Special Needs Children

We all want one! It’s the perfect way to relax and melt away stress. But a massage for a child with disabilities does that and a whole lot more: it increases range of motion and sensory tolerability, promotes learning social skills through bonding with the massage therapist, encourages communication—not to mention pain relief and complete relaxation for a sense of total well-being. With all the tedious and frightening physician visits, physical therapy, and the medication side effects our kids endure, don’t they deserve a break? According to several studies, massage therapy has been found to help children with autism, ADHD, cystic fibrosis, and cerebral palsy. 

As I am specializing in pediatrics massage therapy and cranio-sacral therapy. I feel most honored to offer this service free of charge to the community.  on thursdays and saturdays, children are seen by appointment only.  Release forms and your doctor permission is required.   You can contact me at Indigomassagestudio@gmail.com or 703-444-1435.  Namaste'.

Viewing massage through the Gestalt, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, massaging children with special needs goes far beyond massage strokes.

 Viewing massage through the Gestalt, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, massaging children with special needs goes far beyond massage strokes. The massage experience is the basis for energy and information exchange between parent and child from which every infant and child can enjoy the sense of belonging, empathetic understanding, homeostasis, security, trust, and engagement, all the while fostering interpersonal stability and flexibility. Parents can experience “being” in the moment, relating with their child first and the disability second, engaging in respectful, intentional nurturing touch. This state of being brings benefits to both child and parent alike, cognitively, physically, and social-emotionally. Following are the “Ten S’s of Massage Benefits for Children with Special Needs” (Schneider, 2008): 

• Secure bonding and attachment
   
• Soothing and calmness (promoting pain management)
   
• Socialization (promoting communication, eye gaze, and joint attention)
   
• Smiling and laughing
   
• Strengthening bodily systems (immune system, respiration, digestion, elimination, circulation)
   
• Strengthening body tone (reducing hypertonicity and/or improving hypotonicity and facilitating bringing hands to mid-line and increasing range of motion)
   
• Self-regulation
   
• Structuring the brain
   
• Stress reduction (stress - hormones cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine are reduced and “feel good” hormones - serotonin, oxytocin, melatonin, gastrin, and insulin) are released
   
• Sleep enhancement
  The “10 R’s” of Massage Benefits for Furthering Relationship-building (Schneider, 2008) are:
   
• Respecting the child and oneself
   
• Requesting permission to touch the child and observing nonverbal/verbal responses that signal approval
   
• Reading the child’s engagement and disengagement cues
   
• Responding to the child’s bodily states
   
• Responding with flexibility and care
   
• Reciprocally interacting
   
• Recognizing healthy touch
   
• Rhythmicity of movement, voice, song and/or rhyme
   
• Resiliency formation
   
• Routine and ritual establishment
  
  Massage is a natural way to build a healthy mind, a healthy body, healthy emotions and a healthy long-lasting relationship, one touch at a time, bathed in a somatosensory experience, while being nurtured, being relevant, and being loved.
  
  Article Source: Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, ADTR, CGP, CTTI is the author of Massaging Your Baby – The Joy of TouchTime -Effective Techniques for a Healthier, Happier, More Relaxed Child & Parent (2006) Garden City Park, New York: Square One Publishers.  Dr Sheneider can be reached at drelaine@touch-time.com or visit her website at www.touch-time.com.
  If you'd like to learn more about Gestal Therapy: http://www.gestalt.org/yontef.htm.

Foot Note: Many of our children see orthopedists, neurologists, and physical therapists on a regular basis. They are all excellent sources for recommendations for massage therapists to work with your child. Often, a physician’s prescription and a letter of medical necessity will suffice to get insurance company coverage. Funds available from your state Division of Developmental Disabilities may also be used for massage therapy costs.