“Stop and just breathe for a minute”: perspectives of children on the Autism Spectrum and their caregivers on a Mindfulness Group
2022; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 53; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1007/s10803-022-05542-x
ISSN1573-3432
AutoresMegan Hatfield, Emma Ashcroft, Siobhan Maguire, Lauren Kershaw, Marina Ciccarelli,
Tópico(s)Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
ResumoAbstract Children on the autism spectrum often experience anxiety. Mindfulness is growing in popularity as a method to support children with anxiety; however, there is limited evidence on mindfulness for children on the autism spectrum. This study investigated the feasibility of a 10-week group-based mindfulness intervention for 14 children on the autism spectrum. A one-group pre-post design determined outcomes of anxiety (caregiver and child report), mindful attention, and wellbeing (child report). Interviews explored children’s and caregivers’ perceptions. There were no significant differences in outcomes post-intervention. Five themes were identified from interviews: (1) Children felt calmer; (2) Parents observed differences in anxiety; (3) Breathing and yoga helped; (4) Parents wanted more; and (5) Challenges and benefits of group intervention.
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