Dataset Information

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.

ABSTRACT: Tactile abnormalities are severe and universal in preschool children with autism. They respond well to treatment with a daily massage protocol directed at tactile abnormalities (QST massage for autism). Treatment is based on a model for autism proposing that tactile impairment poses a barrier to development. Two previous randomized controlled trials evaluating five months of massage treatment reported improvement of behavior, social/communication skills, and tactile and other sensory symptoms. This is the first report from a two-year replication study evaluating the protocol in 103 preschool children with autism. Parents gave daily treatment; trained staff gave weekly treatment and parent support. Five-month outcomes replicated earlier studies and showed normalization of receptive language (18%, P = .03), autistic behavior (32%, P = .006), total sensory abnormalities (38%, P = .0000005), tactile abnormalities (49%, P = .0002), and decreased autism severity (medium to large effect size, P = .008). In addition, parents reported improved child-to-parent interactions, bonding, and decreased parenting stress (44%, P = .00008). Early childhood special education programs are tasked with addressing sensory abnormalities and engaging parents in effective home programs. Until now, they have lacked research-based methods to do so. This program fulfills the need. It is recommended to parents and ECSE programs (ages 3-5) at autism diagnosis.

SUBMITTER: Silva LM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4387906 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

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 Louisa M T LM Schalock Mark M Gabrielsen Kristen R KR Budden Sarojini S SS Buenrostro Martha M Horton Gretchen G

Autism research and treatment 20150324

Tactile abnormalities are severe and universal in preschool children with autism. They respond well to treatment with a daily massage protocol directed at tactile abnormalities (QST massage for autism). Treatment is based on a model for autism proposing that tactile impairment poses a barrier to development. Two previous randomized controlled trials evaluating five months of massage treatment reported improvement of behavior, social/communication skills, and tactile and other sensory symptoms. T ...[more]

PMID: 25878901

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundFollowing the inclusion of sensory abnormalities in the diagnostic criteria for autism, evidence has emerged showing that tactile abnormalities in young children with autism are severe, universally present, and directly related to delay of early self-regulation milestones required for social development. Parent touch is the most effective means of stimulating early self-regulation, yet parents of children with autism avoid touch because their children respond abnormally to it. This suggests that tactile abnormalities pose a barrier to parent touch in autism, and that treatment of tactile abnormalities may improve developmental outcomes. We have developed a qigong massage treatment for tactile abnormalities in young children with autism. Here we evaluate whether tactile abnormalities decrease following treatment, and whether treatment results in improved self-regulatory outcomes.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed our qigong massage database for treatment effect on tactile abnormalities, self-regulatory delay, and parenting stress. Five-month interval data were available for 129 children with autism aged 3-6 years. Of these 129, 97 received treatment and 32 were in the wait-list control condition. There were no differences between treatment and control groups by age, gender, or severity of tactile impairment.ResultsTreatment resulted in significant decreases of tactile impairment, self-regulatory delay, and parenting stress (p < .001 on all paired t-tests); mean decreases were 25.5%, 24.5%, and 35.8%, respectively. Results were significant compared to controls [F(3,122) = 11.27, p < .001]. In the pretreatment data, tactile impairment was directly related to self-regulatory delay; post-treatment, both variables decreased proportionally.ConclusionResults demonstrate that tactile impairment in young children with autism is treatable with a qigong massage protocol. The direct relationship between tactile impairment and self-regulatory delay pretreatment, and the proportional decrease of both following treatment, suggest that tactile impairment is a cause of self-regulatory delay, and that qigong massage is a promising avenue to improve developmental outcomes in autism.

Project description:Infant massage (IM) can be considered an early intervention program that leads to the environmental enrichment framework. The effectiveness of IM to promote neurodevelopment in preterm infants has been proved, but studies on infants with early brain damage are still lacking. The main aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability and usability of IM, carried out by parents at home, on infants at high risk for Cerebral Palsy. An IM daily diary and an ad hoc questionnaire, called Infant Massage Questionnaire Parent-Infant Experiences (IMQPE), were developed. IMQPE consisted of a total of 30 questions, divided into 5 areas. The parents were trained to carry out the IM with a home-based course, conducted by an expert therapist. The intensive IM program was set according to a defined daily length of at least 20 min, with a frequency of at least 5 days per week for a total of 8 weeks. Data collection consisted in the selection of the variables around the characteristics, both of the infants and the mothers, IM dosage and frequency, different body parts of the infants involved and IMQPE scores. Variable selection was carried out by minimizing the Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) over all possible variable subsets. Nineteen high-risk infants, aged 4.83 ± 1.22 months, received IM at home for 8 weeks. The massage was given by the infants' mothers with a mean daily session dose of 27.79 ± 7.88 min and a total of 21.04 ± 8.49 h. 89.74% and 100% of mothers performed the IM for the minimum daily dosage and the frequency recommended, respectively. All the families filled in the IMQPE, with a Total mean score of 79.59% and of 82.22% in General Information on IM, 76.30% in Infant's intervention-related changes, 76.85% in IM Suitability, 79.07% in Infant's acceptance and 83.52% in Time required for the training. Different best predictors in mothers and in infants have been found. These data provide evidence of the feasibility of performing IM at home on infants at high risk for CP. Study registration: www.clinicaltrial.com (NCT03211533 and NCT03234959).

Project description:Co-occurring anxiety is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, inconsistencies across parent and child reports of anxiety may complicate the assessment of anxiety in this population. The present study examined parent and child anxiety ratings in children with ASD with and without anxiety disorders and tested the association between parent-child anxiety rating discrepancy and ASD symptom severity. Participants included children aged 8-16 years in three diagnostic groups: ASD with co-occurring anxiety disorders (ASD + Anxiety; n = 34), ASD without co-occurring anxiety disorders (ASD; n = 18), and typically developing healthy controls (TD; n = 50). Parents and children completed ratings of child anxiety using the Multidimensional Anxiety Rating Scale. Patterns of parent and child anxiety ratings differed among the three groups, with parent ratings exceeding child ratings only in the ASD + Anxiety group. Parents reported higher levels of child anxiety in the ASD + Anxiety versus ASD group, whereas children reported comparable levels of anxiety in the two groups. Among children with ASD, ASD symptom severity was positively associated with the degree to which parent ratings exceeded child ratings. Results suggest that children with ASD and co-occurring anxiety disorders endorse some anxiety symptoms but may underreport overall levels of anxiety. In addition, ASD symptom severity might increase discrepancies in parent-child anxiety ratings. These findings suggest a unique and valuable role of child anxiety ratings and suggest that both parent and child anxiety ratings should be considered in light of children's ASD symptom severity and used to guide further assessment. Autism Res 2020, 13: 93-103. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience anxiety; yet, their perceptions of their anxiety might differ from their parents' perceptions. This study found that, while children with ASD and anxiety disorders acknowledge some anxiety, their parents report them as having higher levels of anxiety. Also, child and parent perceptions of anxiety may differ more for children with more severe ASD symptoms. How these findings may guide research and clinical practice is discussed.

Project description:BackgroundWaiting lists are an ongoing issue for publicly funded community and hospital-based health services. Parents and caregivers are instrumental supports in the health and well-being of young and school-aged children, yet little is known about the way they can be supported during waiting periods. Given mounting evidence about the value of early intervention in physical and mental health literature, and waits for some public health services extending past 12 months, it is both timely and warranted to explore interim interventions that may be applied in this period.MethodsIntervention studies that have applied an educational programme, information, group-based support or individualised therapy to primary caregivers of children (heron referred to as parent-directed interventions), waiting for diagnostic assessment at any inpatient or outpatient health service and aged between 1 and 12 years of age, will be reviewed. These will include intervention studies of any type that have included more than 5 participants or participant groups and where a control or comparison group has been included. Abstract screening, full-text review, data extraction and risk of bias will be conducted by two reviewers. Relevant databases in health and education will be systematically searched using key words and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and grey literature will be explored. Databases will include PubMed, Ovid for MEDLINE and PsycINFO, EBSCO for the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). Covidence© will be used to support abstract and full text screening, which will be completed by two main reviewers. Results will be tabulated, summarised and meta-analysed using a random-effects model, in any instance where concordant outcome measures have been applied. Results will be published and reported in line with PRISMA reporting guidelines.DiscussionGiven little is known about effective support for families when children are awaiting diagnostic assessment for any medical, developmental or behavioural condition, the authors will synthesise existing evidence about parent-directed interventions in this period. It is hoped that by understanding the existing evidence interventions that are proven to be effective will be adopted and intervention innovation can occur.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO 2020 CRD42020159360.

Dataset Information

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.

Publications

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.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets