In clinical research, sensory impairment is considered one of the core deficits in autism and is associated with impaired socialization, behavioral disturbances and bowel and sleep problems. The effectiveness of the Cignolini methodology, an original Qigong massage methodology, in treating sensory impairment in young children with autism was evaluated in a small, controlled study. Thirteen children with autism between the ages of three and six received daily treatment according to the methodology for 5 months. Compared with untreated children, treated children experienced significant improvement of their sensory impairment (p < 0.01), and demonstrated increased social skills (p < 0.04) and basic living skills (p < 0.02) on standardized measures. In addition, all of the children with bowel and sleep abnormalities demonstrated improvement after treatment.

Keywords:

Remember to check out the Most Cited Articles!
Check out our Chinese Medicine Titles today. Includes titles by Nobel Winner, Tu You You and more!

References

J. Adrienet al., J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 33, 617 (1993). Web of Science, Google Scholar
J. Adrienet al., Acta Paedopsychiatr. Int. J. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 55, 71 (1992). Web of Science, Google Scholar
J. Aricket al., Focus Autism Other Dev. Disabil. 18, 74 (2003). Web of Science, Google Scholar
G. Baird, J. Cass and V. Slonims, Br. Med. J. 327, 488 (2003). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
G. Baranek, J. Autism Dev. Disord. 29, 213 (1999). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
G. Baranek, J. Autism Dev. Disord. 32, 397 (2002). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
G. Baranek, L. Foster and G. Berkson, Am. J. Occup. Ther. 51, 91 (1997). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
S. Carville, J. Intellect. Disabil. Res. 45, 467 (2001). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
A. Cignolini, Newsl. Cignolini Educ. Assoc. Chin. Acupunct. Physicians 2, 2 (2002). Google Scholar
J. Cole , About Face ( MIT Press , London , 1999 ) . Crossref, Google Scholar
L. Cullen and J. Barlow, J. Child Health Care 6(3), 171 (2002). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
L. Cullen, J. Barlow and D. Cushway, J. Child Health Care 9(4), 245. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
S. Dahlgren and C. Gillberg, Eur. Arch. Psychiatry Neurol. Sci. 238, 169 (1989). Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
Dawson, M. Able autistic people of normal or near-normal intelligence: their management and functioning in social context. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Nottingham, 1983 . Google Scholar
W. Dunn , Sensory Profile User's Manual ( Psychological Corporation , San Antonio, TX , 1999 ) . Google Scholar
T. Field, J. Autism Dev. Disord. 27(3), 333 (1997). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
R. Gabrielset al., Res. Dev. Disabil. 26, 169 (2005). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
C. Gillberget al., J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 31, 921 (1990). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
E. Goldberg, Gastroenterol. Nurs. 27, 16 (2004). Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
T. Grandin and M. Scariano , Emergence, Labeled Autistic , 1st edn. ( Arena Press , Novato, CA , 1986 ) . Google Scholar
S. Greenspan and S. Weider, J. Dev. Learn. Disord. 1, 87 (1997). Web of Science, Google Scholar
K. Horvath and J. Perman, Curr. Gastroenterol. Rep. 4, 251 (2002). Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
D. Krug, J. Arick and P. Almond, J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 21, 221 (1980). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
G. Liu , Preliminary report to increase children's intelligence by qigong , Fourth International Symposium on Qigong in Shanghai ( Shanghai , 1992 ) . Google Scholar
Z. Liu , New progress in TCM for autism , Third Hwa to International Symposium: Integration of Eastern and Western Medicine ( 2006 ) . Google Scholar
A. Montagu , Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin ( Harper and Row , New York , 1986 ) . Google Scholar
S. C. Nan , Chinese Massage Therapy, Massage for Children 3 ( Shandong Press , Shandong, P.R. China , 1990 ) . Google Scholar
J. Newborg et al. , Batelle Developmental Inventory ( Riverside , Itasca, Il , 1984 ) . Google Scholar
E. Ornitz, D. Guthrie and A. J. Farley, Cognitive Defects in the Development of Mental Illness, ed. G. Serban (Brunner/Mazel, New York, 1978) pp. 174–207. Google Scholar
M. Polimeni, A. Richdale and A. Francis, J. Intellect. Disabil. Res. 49, 260 (2005). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
S. Rogers, S. Hepburn and E. Wehner, J. Autism Dev. Disord. 33, 631 (2003). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
M. Sato , Qigong therapy to correct psychological abnormalities of school-aged children , Fourth International Symposium on Qigong in Shanghai ( Shanghai , 1992 ) . Google Scholar
L. Schreck, J. Mulick and A. Smith, Res. Dev. Disabil. 25, 57 (2004). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
X. Shao , First Residential Course in Medical Qigong for Physicians ( Medical Association for Chinese Medicinie in Europe, La Chiara di Prumiano , Florence, Italy , 1994 ) . Google Scholar
L. Silva and A. Cignolini, Am J. Chin. Med. 33, 315 (2005). Link, Web of Science, Google Scholar
S. Sparrow , D. Balla and D. Cicchetti , Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales: Interview Edition ( American Guidance Service , Circle Pines, MN , 1984 ) . Google Scholar
L. Yanchi , The Essential Book of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vol. 1, Theory ( Columbia University Press , New York , 1988 ) . Google Scholar
N. Wadden, S. Bryson and R. S. Roger, J. Autism Dev. Disord. 21, 529 (1991). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
R. Watling, J. Deitz and O. White, Am. J. Occup. Ther. 55, 416 (2000). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
G. Williams, L. Sears and A. Allard, J. Sleep Res. 13, 265 (2004). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar