Tui-na (pronounced twee-nah) massage is an ancient therapy originating from China. It is one of the four main branches of traditional Chinese medicine, along with acupuncture, qi gong, and Chinese herbal medicine.
When used as a therapy with someone with autism it offers a source of relaxation, helps reduce stress and can positively impact behaviour. With regular massage comes many benefits, but overall seems to have a calming affect that helps the person achieve more positive outcomes. This relaxation has been shown to increase concentration and attentiveness, such as in children with reading and focus problems being able to study and read, as well as even do tests without much issue.
The importance of relaxation for those affected by autism is imperative. It is also not only the person with autism, but those who are affected by that person that can benefit. If those who are around the person with Autism are more relaxed and cantered it can help build better relationships all round. Tui-na is an extremely valuable tool to gain this relaxed and calm state.
I have experienced these benefits personally with my Autistic brother Jacob. During and after the massage he gets more relaxed, less tense and his behaviour improves. Also as I give him the massage I also find myself relaxing too. The other benefit is that the physical touch between us helps me bond with Jacob and allows me to gain his trust. I highly recommend searching for tui-na and applying the techniques.You can refer to the picture as a useful starting place.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1360859203000445
Jacob's Time 