Children with autism experience many benefits from their practice of the Transcendental Meditation program.

Everyday health: No-cost, drug-free therapy for autism
by David Lynch Foundation website
11 February 2015

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) affect one in 88 children. A recent article from Everyday Health reports that Transcendental Meditation may be a valuable “no cost, drug-free, add-on therapy ” to help families cope with ASDs.

“Some symptoms can be treated with medication, but many parents prefer nondrug therapies,” reports Beth Orenstein in the article. “As an addition to traditional treatments, 10 minutes twice a day of Transcendental Meditation (TM) has been shown to help some children manage the condition. It may also help children who have varying degrees of social, communication, and behavioral challenges.”

For example, a moving video about the story of Joey Lowenstein and his mother Roberta is online at the David Lynch Foundation website.

Initial research findings are highly promising and larger-scale studies are underway. Ms. Orenstein says “One small study published in 2011 in Mind & Brain, The Journal of Psychiatry, found that parents of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other learning disorders reported significant improvement in certain symptoms after 6 months of practicing TM.”

For parents with concerns over their child’s ability to learn, Bob Roth, DLF Executive Director, advises, “Any child on the autism spectrum can learn TM as long as the child is old enough. It may take children with autism longer to learn than those without developmental disabilities, but it’s not difficult nor frustrating for them. They will find it very relaxing and very satisfying.”

© Copyright 2015 David Lynch Foundation