S T A R K
Autism Pilot Study
Amy designed a study to show how energy work affects children with Autism.
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Reason for the study:
I decided to do this study because I have seen dramatic shifts in children with Autism who receive energy healing and wanted to illustrate these shifts.
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Who was the participant in this study?
This study was done with a 4 year old boy diagnosed with Autism. He was not potty trained and was not very verbal. He was aggressive to his younger brother, did not make much eye contact, did not ask for things he wants, and made grunting noises. He had an ATEC score of low 30's.
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Summary of results:
After the first session, he said, "I love you" to his mother for the first time. Communication and sense of connection dramatically increased. Throughout the course of the sessions it became apparent that his school would no longer be a good fit for him because he was changing and developing so fast. He indeed changed schools after the study. His ATEC score went from low 30's to 19 in 6 weeks.
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What is the "take home" about this study?
I have seen repeatedly that energy healing helps children who have trouble connecting with others to connect. It appears that energy healing helps the child to understand connection with others and then language follows as a tool for connection. This was true for this pilot study as well as with other children with similar diagnosises.
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Here is what the mom had to say about working with Amy during the pilot study:
“Amy was able to help stabilize Will’s fight or flight response and eliminate what was holding him back from seeking out meaningful connection with others. The changes were immediately noticeable after each session as he was more tuned in to the social scene; mimicking his brother, following friends around and wanting to do what they were doing, and we saw a spike in spontaneous language and shared enjoyment in activities. Over the course of the eight weeks she worked with him, these behaviors appeared more and more frequently and ultimately stuck, such that this is our new norm. It’s wonderful!"​
Here is the data/notes the mother provided about what she observed from her son:
12/19 (First session)
During session - lots of eye contact and saying hi to me
Some hyper-ness/excitement but easy bedtime
Connected, good attention during bedtime story
12/20
Wowing OT with eye contact, direction following, communication. Drew a person on the chalkboard with her help
Most words during bedtime stories ever
12/21 much more language and repeating, learning animal noises and responding consistently
Fell asleep fast
12/22 learning to say “want _____”
During session laughing and jumping at beginning, then serious and seeming distant sitting on couch (videos of both)
Pretty good communication continued; said hi when Daddy and Jeffrey came home, put toothpaste on his toothbrush for first time
Goofy and not talking much during books but fell asleep fast again
12/23
Frustration and crying
Not wanting to even sit on the potty
Not wanting to eat anything but chocolate (but at least asking for it)
Replying appropriately when prompted
Repeated I love you for the first time
12/24 and 12/25
Great responsiveness to practiced questions and prompting
Sometimes checked out
Engaged with Christmas presents
Excited noises and jumping
Not eating much
Pushing baby
Only pees on living room rug; very anti-potty
Very long bedtimes
12/26
Engaged and followed directions well at the zoo
Low spontaneous language
Excited noises and jumping
Teeth grinding seems to be gone
Associating “I love you” with hugs
12/27
Followed Jeffrey and Cassidy around all day, wanting to copy them
Seemed aggressive at times, hair pulling
Lots of eye contact
Good following directions
Got upset when I took the iPad away after he didn’t pee in the potty but calmed really well
Putting toys in mouth while in bathtub
Peed in the potty!
12/28
Asked to help push cart at store
Peed in potty again just once, didn’t catch it other times
Pretty good communication
Asked him to give a toy egg to Daddy and he did it with no prompting and just asking once
Fell asleep fast
12/29
Not as socially tuned in
Good prompted language but little spontaneous
Excited jumping and noises
Energy session clearing birth story
Immediately after session, more spontaneous speech and interaction
Big time speech
Went to pee in potty on his own after bath and said “pee in potty”
Did great with books and said “I can’t” when he didn’t know a word. Never heard that before
12/30
Peed in potty first thing in the am after sitting for a long time with iPad
Good prompted language
Refused to wear undies at first but later tolerated and even teased me about taking them off
Pooped in the potty twice! And more pees. Only one pee accident
Beginning to sit on the potty without iPad
12/31
Continued potty progress
Good language but would love to hear more
ATEC 24 as scored by me
1/1
Good job using potty
Good awareness and prompted language
Still wanting more language
1/2
Language and attention seem to have regressed. Lots of jumping and not very with it
1/3
Words seem to be there when prompted just not using much and seems to undergo patterns of being disconnected and interactive
Still wish we had more spontaneous language
After session - watched cars show at bedtime with a lot of interest
1/4
Colored picture with intention for first time
Baby’s gonna get ya game - tuned in and fun interaction with baby
1/5
Played cooperatively with Jeffrey’s party guests making train tracks and building blocks
Good participation with party
Opening gifts
Good language
Good potty use
1/6
Okay day; a few potty accidents but many successes
Tuned in/out in waves
Decreased grunting
Didn’t want dinner
Fell asleep fast
1/7
Another so-so day.
Good potty usage and following Michael in IKEA but also lots of jumping and noises. Few words until bedtime stories, which went well
1/8
Good social behavior at Jen’s
Peed in Jen’s potty (first potty usage outside the home)
More language at home after
1/9
Lots of spontaneous language, asking for things “want _____”
Back at school after winter break and still seemed connected afterward
Gave me spontaneous kisses and asked for high five
1/10
Good spontaneous language and potty use continue
Seems checked in at a higher level. Things like looking me in the eye and saying “want water” while holding the cup out to me
Great receptive language and following instructions
Wanted to keep track of where Cassidy and Jeffrey were
Started using big potty with kid seat on it with great success
School says he picked back up with routines right away after winter break
1/11
Good spontaneous language and potty use at home
Held my hand going into school
Said woof woof when he saw a dog while I was driving
Leaving school he cooperated when I said no to playing on the playground and held my hand to car
Had two accidents at home and said “clean up”
Was hurting me and I pretended to cry. He said “okay okay” and kisses me
Put own pull-up on after bath
Pointed to pictures in books upon request
1/12
Put pants on himself
Good language
Didn’t want to go to school
Soliciting high fives
1/13
Good language pairing “more ____” and “want _____”
Pretty sure he said “phone... me” when he wanted my phone
1/14
Continued to be pleased with spontaneous language
Interaction with Aedan at play date, Jeffrey at home was good
1/15
Not as interactive
Some language but not the wows we were getting last week
Not as good potty use; needed prompting
1/16
Visited Take a Break (Daycare)
Okay engagement, got more tuned in toward the end of the day
1/17
Way better tuned in
cleaned up and put away play-do without my asking
Helped with laundry unprompted; saw what I was doing and came to help
1/18
Lots of good language and interaction
Visited Children’s House
“Really different book experience tonight. He paid close attention and immediately said the animals name when I pointed at them. Very present.”
1/19 and 1/20
Subtle but noticeable behavioral changes. Less jumping and excited hand motions and noises. Not mouthing toys and bath time but playing with them appropriately. Noticing what Jeffrey is doing and copying. Not pushing the baby or aggressively teeth grinding at me.Kicking a ball and playing in yard rather than fixating on garage or cars. Practicing wearing undies but no success using potty while dressed. Acting more and more like a typical, though quiet, two year old.
1/21 Good engagement continues, fewer noises and baby pushing. Surprising us with phrases like referring to his potty seat as a potty hat. Interested in eggs and baking.
1/22 and 23 Good first day at Children’s House. Seems tuned in and using language, eye contact. Good potty use while wearing clothes. Seemed to understand the concept that Daddy was coming home; when dogs barked asked “Daddy?” Putting two words together more frequently like “more chips” and commenting on “car beep beep”. Doing 12 piece puzzles, painting, and coloring. Imitating and initiating games like high five and pushing him over on the bed. Fixating on potty and fish tank at school.
1/24,25,26
Super connected, great reports from new school. Reading books together at a higher level of interaction. Tons of eye contact
1/28 I scored ATEC 19
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Has Amy done any other studies?
Amy completed a study in 2016 on The Effects of Energy Work on People with Parkinson’s. Read about the Parkinson's study here.