MINDFULNESS FOR SPECIAL-NEEDS STUDENTS

Here’s an interesting online article from the United States about students with special needs (eg autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, etc) being taught mindfulness techniques (including but not limited to meditative exercises, deep breathing and various other coping strategies) to deal with anxiety, ‘acting out’ and other behavioural issues.

What’s perhaps most interesting if that the kids appear to like what they are practising and think that it is of benefit to them.

Rather than feeling ‘out of control’, many of the children are feeling calmer and beginning to feel that they have control of their environments and themselves.

One of the benfits of mindfulness is that it empowers children to release what Thich Nhat Hanh refers to as 'inappropriate attention', that is, attention to persons or things which will not benefit the child in question or other persons with whom the child interacts.

Childhood difficulties are not all bad, and can be very helpful as they can help prepare the child for adulthood. Hence, at the risk of stating the obvious, it is imperative that children learn at an early age how to cope with and learn from disappointments, stress and suffering.

Dr Christina DiNicola (pictured right), a paediatrician from the Jefferson Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine, says that meditation can help youngsters control their anxiety enough to reduce any medications they may be taking.

Good stuff!

NOTE. This blog sets out a simple form
of mindfulness sitting meditation.

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