Contact Information: Ashley Dubin, 443-923-7589 or DubinA@kennedykrieger.org

This is an opportunity to participate in a research study in the Baltimore/Washington area to see if acupressure and acupuncture are options for children with high functioning autism. This is a two-year feasibility study investigating if children with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will tolerate a twice weekly acupressure/ acupuncture intervention over a 3 month time period that targets impaired regulatory functions such as sleep, attention and behavioral and emotional responses. We will also look at the impact of parent-administered acupressure in the home on parent’s level of stress and their perception of their relationship with their child. To date there is very little literature on the use of acupressure and acupuncture in children with autism. We hope to study 45 parent/child (ages 6-10) dyads as a pilot study.

What will be Involved?
To determine eligibility, your child will need to participate in two eligibility testing sessions on separate days each approximately 2 hours long.
This study will involve your child receiving acupressure and/or acupuncture twice weekly for 8-12 weeks. Sessions will be 30 minutes long with the exception of the first appointment which will include an evaluation and treatment session and be about 1.5 hours long.
You will be shown how to apply acupressure to your child and be asked to do this daily at bedtime during the duration of the study.
You will be asked to keep a diary, with a minimum of weekly entries, noting any changes in behavior that you notice during the duration of the study.

We will ask you and your child’s teacher to fill out some questionnaires about your child’s behaviors on three different occasions. We will also ask you to fill out a questionnaire about your level of stress. It will take parents 70-120 minutes to complete these each time and teachers 45-70 minutes.

Benefits and Risks
There may not be any direct medical, behavioral or emotional benefits for your child participating in this study.
Although this is a minimal risk study, your child may experience bruising, slight bleeding or mild pain with the insertion of the acupuncture needles.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Ashley Dubin at 443-923-7589 or at DubinA@kennedykrieger.org