Stress management technique: The
population is parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the
technique is practicing yoga two to three times a week. This is a two in one
technique which helps the parents as well as the Autistic child. Practicing
Yoga helps with the Autistic behavior of the child especially with anxiety
which is a big source of negative behavior, and this in turn helps with the
stress parents of Autistic children experience. Yoga as a stress coping
technique also includes practice of meditation and muscle relaxation. Radhakrishna
(2010) did a study to explore integrated approach to yoga therapy (IAYT) as treatment to increase
imitative skills in children with ASD. The study was conducted over a 10 month
period and the results showed improvement in children’s imitation skills like
pointing to facial, body parts and parents also reported improved free play
time at home.
This technique includes practicing
Yoga and meditation at least two to three times a week. The parents would
conduct the exercise two day a week with their children and the children could
practice on their own maybe at school or at a group class. A measure to
evaluate the effectiveness of this stress management technique would be a log
book or fill in sheet with yes/no to questions. The questions would range from
what change in behavior is observed in the child with ASD and explore the
feelings of the parents after the exercise. Questions about feelings of the
parent would include those that are directed at their stress level, maybe
feeling less anxious or stressed after the practice. The evaluation form would
include a small box or section to report any other difference the parents feel
that are not mentioned in the list of questions. A form would accompany the
stack of question list that is filled out only once when the parents start
recording. This form includes a brief history of ASD diagnosis, child’s current
age and schooling details as well as other sibling information. This is crucial
in our evaluation since we are looking at stress faced by the parents as a
result of the challenges they face with their other children as well who don’t
suffer from ASD.
The
most important benefit of providing multiple stress management technique to
stress sufferers is having a choice in case one technique fails. This is
subject to the fact that every person handles stress differently, reacts in a
different manner and may need individualized coping techniques that depend on
the kind, time and intensity of the stress (learning resources, Smith, 2011).
Manuck et al (1991) studied individual differences in cellular immune response
to stress. Their study found that individuals differ significantly in their
‘immunological response to behavioral
stimuli’ and such differences are also seen in response to stress.
There
can be barriers to effective stress management. One barrier which can come up
considering our stress management technique could be financial restraints. Yoga
and meditation is an activity that can require some supervision and training
initially. This can be done by a trained person and in form of individual
training or as a group. Usually Yoga experts require some fee or charge a price
for training individual or to allow them to participate in a group class. If
the insurance carrier doesn’t cover this kind of expense related to the special
condition of the ASD suffering child and his parents, then expense to use Yoga
as a therapy would be completely covered by the parents. This can be a barrier
in using this as a stress coping technique. Baspure et al (2012) looked at
possible barriers to using Yoga as therapy for schizophrenic patients in India.
Their study concluded that despite overcoming the barrier of cost effectiveness
of the therapy technique, getting daily training under specialized supervision
was still a barrier in many parts of the country. The therapy would be
effective if practiced at least for one month, and to have specialized training
for that long was a challenge.
There
can be cultural or religious barriers as well. Yoga stems from Hindu and
Buddhism practices, which can be unappealing in some cultures or religions for
reasons of bias, personal views and social taboos. This kind of barrier can be
relevant in other coping techniques as well.
References
Baspure, S., Jagannathan, A., Kumar, S., Varambally, S.,
Thirthalli, J., Venkatasubramanain, G. Gangadhar, B. N. (2012). Barriers to
yoga therapy as an add-on treatment for schizophrenia in India. International journal of yoga, 5(1), 70.
Manuck, S. B., Cohen,
S., Rabin, B. S., Muldoon, M. F., & Bachen, E. A. (1991). Individual
differences in cellular immune response to stress. Psychological science, 2(2), 111-115.
Radhakrishna, S.
(2010). Application of integrated yoga therapy to increase imitation skills in
children with autism spectrum disorder. International
journal of yoga, 3(1),
26.
Smith, M., & Segal, R. (2011, December). Stress
management: How to reduce, prevent and cope with stress. Retrieved from http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
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