YOUR SPECIAL CHILD
The Benefits of
Craniosacral Therapy
Hands-on help for children
with special needs
BY JESSICA CLAIRE HANEY
Children with anxiety, learning difficulties and other special needs
may find craniosacral therapy a supportive modality that helps them
— and, by extension, the whole family — feel calmer, better able to
manage stress and more capable of self-regulation.

An Alternative Therapy
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a healing
modality developed in the 1970s by osteo-
path John Upledger. According to iahp.org,
a website parents can consult for additional
information and to find a practitioner, CST
is “a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating
and enhancing the functioning of a physio-
logical body system called the craniosacral
system, comprised of the membranes and
cerebrospinal fluid that surround and pro-
tect the brain and spinal cord.”
cerebrospinal fluid regulate and soft tissue
settle into a healthy position.

By calming the nervous system and
reducing inflammation, CST can pro-
mote emotional and behavior regulation
and lead to improvements in the vestib-
ular system, proprioception and sensory
processing. That’s why CST practitioners
often work with children who have special
needs, such as ADHD, autism spectrum
disorder, learning disabilities and
emotional or behavior issues.

CST supports balance in the central
nervous system, specifically between the
sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasym-
pathetic (rest-and-digest) branches, by
relieving tension in the system’s soft tissue
and fluids.

“When you have a system that’s in
stress, it can’t heal or slow down,” explains
Suzanne Herbers, a speech, development,
craniosacral and manual therapist in
McLean, Virginia.

Practitioners like Herbers use light fin-
ger pressure (about the weight of a nickel)
at selected points on the body to address
restrictions in the central nervous system.

They may press on the same spot for sever-
al minutes until they feel the rhythm of the
50 Washington FAMILY FEBRUARY 2020
What to Expect
Before your child begins CST, you’ll be
asked by the practitioner to provide infor-
mation about your pregnancy, labor and
delivery as well as your child’s eating and
movement patterns, milestones, food and
play preferences and elimination hab-
its. CST treatments generally run $80 to
$180 an hour and are not usually cov-
ered by insurance unless combined with
another reimbursable service such as
speech therapy.

During their session, your child will
take off their shoes but remain fully
clothed, and you’ll be permitted to stay
in the room. You may be asked to hold
an infant or read to a toddler on your lap
GETTY IMAGES/E+/JUANMONINO
“He now puts my hand on his head,
on his occipital bone, to calm him
whenever he’s upset and each night as
we get ready for bed.,” says one local mom,
whose 14-year-old son is nonverbal.




YOUR SPECIAL CHILD
as they receive treatment. Young children
might bounce on or drape themselves over
large therapy balls, while older kids may
prefer to sit in a beanbag chair or lie on a
massage table.

The frequency of CST is highly individu-
alized. While babies with feeding issues, for
example, may need to be seen only once or
twice, older children with longstanding con-
cerns may require weekly sessions.

Subsequent treatment also depends on the
ease of movement in areas initially stressed
or restricted. When the body responds well
and maintains good fluid flow, children can
go longer between sessions.

Your child’s practitioner will ask you to
provide feedback on changes in behavior,
play, affect or elimination after each ses-
sion. Parents often report that their child
is calmer and better able to handle upsets
with fewer or less severe reactions — less
tantrums, fewer, shorter meltdowns, and
reduced headaches and discomfort.

Northern Virginia mom Tara McMillan
has found that craniosacral work helps her
nonverbal 14-year-old son to be more calm,
present and communicative. “He now puts
my hand on his head, on his occipital bone, to
calm himself whenever he’s upset and each
night as we get ready for bed,” she says. ■
■ Jessica Claire Haney is a Northern
Virginia mother of two, a wellness
advocate and a freelance writer,
editor and tutor. Follow her on
Instagram at @jessicaclairehaney
and @mindfulhealthy.

According to the Cleveland
Clinic, craniosacral therapy
may benefit children with the
following conditions:
• Central nervous system disorders
• ADD/ADHD • Dyslexia
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Learning disabilities
• Autism • Motor-coordination impairments
• Brain and spinal cord trauma
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