Special-Needs Students Use Meditation to Control Behavior

Brandon Heinz, an eighth grader in the Bristol Township School District, told occupational therapist Charles E. Gallagher that he had been asked to sit still "millions of times."

The problem is that it's not always easy.

For Brandon, 14, and his classmates - students with autism, attention-deficit disorders, or other special needs - controlling signs of anxiety is often a struggle.

So Gallagher made a suggestion: Breathe.

"In through your nose, and out through your mouth," he instructed. Then, he said, let out a big sigh.

Gallagher went on to teach the students meditation techniques to help them cope when frustration threatens to overwhelm.

The session, at the Benjamin Franklin Freshman Academy in Levittown, was part of the district's summer initiative to help 25 first through eighth graders gain the social skills they often lack because of their special needs.

Students with conditions such as autism and attention- deficit disorders have difficulty reading the social cues of language, voice, and behavior and consequently might react in ways that appear inappropriate. They also can experience high levels of anxiety.

"They feel out of control," said JoAnn Allison, the district's supervisor of special education. "A lot of the strategies we have are to help them feel they have control of their environments and themselves." (MORE)

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer