Since needles sometimes can trigger primitive reflex to appear, especially Fear Paralysis, it lead me to find a technique to stimulate acupuncture points without using needle in order to integrate primitive reflexes.
I only use needle in emergency cases or a severe case of special need children, such as seizures.

In the first session, I would asses the Blueprint energy pattern of the child through discussion with the parent about the history of pregnancy until delivery and basic chinesse medicine checking . Then we could determine if there is any imbalance pattern of Blueprint Energy from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) point of view. Then I will do primitive reflex checking and find what reflex that correlates to certain energetic pattern. Sometime i incorporate muscle testing for checking the reflexes.
After gathering all data and information, then we start to do the balance session to balance the energy within the body, through certain stimulations on acupuncture points.

The stimulations vary from touch, massage, energy works or sensory stimulation throught acupuncture points.

 

PLAY

I love to play with special need children. Play improves muscle tones, and builds up children’s emotional aspects. Through play, we connect and have fun together. During the play, I use acupuncture points to stimulate as part of the therapy. There are many stimulation techniques, but the most important thing is to make sure that the child really enjoys the session.
Sometimes just touching a pair of correlated points, sometimes use a certain massage technique or combined with breathing technique. It all depends on the child's need.

 

Poprioception Stimulation

 

Breathing is really important. And the perfect way of breathing we may notice from the Fetus and newborn.
Lots of my clients forgot how to breath like they used to be, since stress and lifestyle affect how they breath.
They tend to compensate and use unnecessary muscle to breath.
By realigning the breathing pattern, it will increase the capacity of oxygen and relaxation of the body.
Doing the breathing exercise will give a stimulation and massage upon visceral and help the circulation of Qi.

Breathing is the function of Lung, and in TCM its related to "Strength". Breathing is the first action of newborn and its related strongly to primitive reflex.
I combine between acupressure points, tendon's meridians, as well as movement to bring integration for primitive reflex. The aim of the work also to help the flow of Qi, nurturing the organs and essence and realigning the natural rhythm of the inner system.

TENDON'S MERIDIAN

Lots of Children with special needs (as well as adult) showing problems with their motor development. Some of them also have self stimulation behaviour.
I found this is their way to express their needs. Problem with primitive reflex lead to motor problem. And Motor problem will lead to other aspect such as vestibular.
Some of the behavior caused by the blocked meridian. Stimulating the Tendon's Meridian with acupressure point gives a double impact, The Child will experience muscular stimulation as well as meridians integration. Since the child's need satisfied, then the need to do self stimulation will decreased by itself.

Since emotional stress sometimes being hold in the muscles, releasing particular muscle will help the child to release emotional pain.
For example, I have been working with an 8 years old special need girl who is not speaking yet. After the third session she start to say couples of word and responding to conversation. During the fourth session i start to work on the Tendon's meridian along the ears which related to Gall Bladder Legs Shao yang, and Triple Warmer Hand Shao yang, and the girl start to cry for no reason (I found the tendons of the left ear were so tense), after couples of minutes and i still put my hand on the tendons, she start to relaxed and end the session with smile.

Laser acupuncture vs needle acupuncture

In an acupuncture session i will do the basic TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) checking.
I will check the pulse, tongue, observation and interview etc.  to have the information of syndrome or imbalance of the system.
By knowing the the rot of imbalance so i could established the points for treatment.
Human body consist 365 Acupuncture points. This points are chanell of qi or energy. Some research in China found that this points are less resistant to elctrical stimulation or detection than other area of the body that have no acupuncture points.
So acupuncture is about maintaining the balance of human body, mind and energetic system through stimulation of acupuncture points.

The result of acupunture session ussualy can be feel imadiately. From the perpective of clients, they may feel relaxed, calm, clear and fit. From my perspective, i may re check the pulse again, if the session is enough, and the system become balance, the pulse will changed and improved.
Then i may decide whether the clients need to return for another session or not.

In acupuncture i use  needles for stimulation. But for children i will consider the use if the case is severe, or choose which one is more beneficial, to use needle or using other technique for stimulation.

Children may traumatize with needles, and trauma might triggered Fear Paralysis Reflex  (FPR)to turn on.
And if FPR triggered then it will affect other primitive reflexes.
This is a reason why not every special need children may gain benefits from acupuncture session, event some of them getting worst emotionally.

In this case i would use other technique to stimulates the acupuncture points, such as Laser.http://www.lasersforacupuncture.com/ 
 

FOOD TESTING

I believe that food and nutrition play a big role for human wellbeing. Sun Si Miao a chinesse famous doctor in 580 AD. mention that a good doctor will manage the diet first of the patient.
In my practice i have been seeing a good result with special need children after manage their diet. For example, children with autism, it has been known that they are sensitive to gluten and casein products.
Lots of research has been done upon glycemic index, gluten and their effect to humn metabolism. And it proves that many gluten products also high in glycemic index, which may harm the health in the long run.
Interestingly there were couples of clasical chinesse medicine literature mention on avoiding grains to maintain health.
One of this literature found in the Ma Wang Dui tomb in 1972, this tomb was build in 168 BC. In one of the text, it mention to avoid grains in order to maintain health and long life, since grains may create phatogen in abdomen, chest and head.

In my daily practice i use Touch for Health to find the biogenic, biocidic, or biostatic food. I will check 14 muscles test to find what is the best nutrition to add and waht to avoid. Then i will write it on my food list form, so clients will have daily guidance for their diets.

Other technique that i use is Chinesse medicine pulse checking. I learn this method from Prof. Dr. Sofyan Rangkuti. By putting the food or substances in a certain acupuncture point the cahenges in the pulse could give me the information the effect of the substance to the whole system.
By using pulse checking we can determine which foods or substances are good or not to our body system.