Relaxation Techniques.
Relaxation techniques can be valuable for any child, not just children
with autism. These relaxation techniques are ones I have used with
children with Hypertonia (extreme muscle rigidity), acute anxiety,
general stress, and as a relaxation tool while toilet training. Use
these kid friendly techniques for one of those reasons, or just to have
fun! They may seem silly at first, but they work.
Try these fun relaxation techniques! Progressive Relaxation Start at the top of the body (the head) and work your way down to the neck, shoulders, arms and then fingers, etc. Use your hands to apply heavy pressure in a continuous fashion, moving from the top to the bottom of the body. Dragon Breath Used in yoga practice to heat up your body and used in meditations. Steps: 1. Instruct child to take a deep breath in, filling lungs to full capacity 2. Exhale a small amount of air through the mouth. 3. Refill lungs to capacity, inhaling through the nose. Note: Should be done in fairly rapid repetition. “Noodle” Relaxation for Children Practicing being “like a noodle” aids in smooth, rather than rigid, muscle movements. This exercise may be difficult at first for some children, but with practice may be committed to muscle memory. Steps: 1. Try to assess where the most tension in child’s body is. 2. Starting at the head, do a loose wiggle “like a noodle”. 3. Move to arms, then the legs, etc. 4. Repeat several times. |
“Toe Tensing”
Seat child in a chair, so that toes can reach the floor. Have child push toes into the floor while remaining seated. Hold for 10 seconds, rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 3 – 10 times. Relaxing “Mmmmm’s” Breathing technique consisting of 2 repetitive sounds. Take a deep breath in saying “hummmmm”, on the exhale saying “ommmmmmm”. As always, if you have relaxation techniques that have worked before, let us know so we can share them! |