Stress Reduction,
Confidence & Socialization
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism is a neurological disorder that tends to present early in life affecting social interaction and communication skills. The symptoms are many and autism is not well understood. Some research (Mikram, Rinaldi & Mikram) suggests children with autism suffer from hyper-perception, attention and memory, sort of like turning up the volume on life. Autism can magnify stress levels from ordinary activities, thus creating symptoms. In addition, children with autism do notice that they cannot perform as their peers, which can create a wall of unconscious stress during activities for someone living in Westchester early in life.
Medical science in recent years has accepted that reduction in stress levels can produce improvement in symptoms for many disorders and diseases. In the case of autism, stress reduction may be instrumental. Our program focuses on stress reduction by creating games that mimic the meditative experience. In addition, the environment is simple, social interactions are gentle, and sensory input is subdued by gentle speech. Once the child is quiet inside, they are challenged with new tasks. The goal is not simply to increase the short run performance, but increase their confidence as well. The resulting virtuous cycle can reduce performance-based stress. Only when acute stress is relaxed can children learn to succeed in social skills and other challenges. In addition, learning to solve problems by becoming quiet inside can be a critical skill for children with autism.