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Humans suffer from many disabilities. Some of these disabilities are inborn, whereas some are congenital. Children especially children suffer from various mental and physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder, Down’s syndrome and learning disabilities such as Autism.
The incidence of Autism is on the rise in many in the US and other countries.
Research has found a somewhat disturbing fact that one in five hundred children are autistic.
Autism is a development mental disorder that becomes evident during the first three years of the child's life. This disability renders the child unable to develop his or her communication skills. Yoga therapy for children with special needs helps to build the communication and comprehension skills of the autistic child.
This is carried out by performing a couple of simple stretching exercises and focused meditation. When an autistic child is taught yoga, the yogi supposedly enters the world of the child and tries to connect to the child's existing environment. Before starting yoga, massage, music, rhymes and other light exercises are carried out. This relieves the child of anxiety.
When the teacher has gained insight, yoga poses (asana) and deep breathing exercises (pranayama) are used to enable the child to communicate. Gradually, the teacher may introduce more yoga asanas and train the child in higher methods of relaxation. This together will help generate awareness and improve communication and concentration. Furthermore, there are no side effects in yoga therapy and it is a completely natural process.
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